Healthy Snacks for Diabetics
After a diabetes diagnosis, it can be hard to get used to the sanctioned order to snack. In this article, we will go over healthy snacks for diabetics.
1. Smoothies With Vegetables With Fruit
Another healthy way of snacking is to build a smoothie. Not one of the sugar-laden, bottled, smoothie-type drinks, but a real smoothie packed with veggies and fruit.
You do have to be careful with quantities, so you are probably best avoiding the large option from your local mall-based smoothie chain and anything loaded with milk, full-fat sweetened yogurt or ice cream.
It’s safest to make your own and keep portion sizes small. A little smoothie goes a long way, and you will find that even a small cup will fill you up and keep your blood sugar stable as long as you avoid high-sugar ingredients and aren't tempted to add sugar.
Some yummy ingredients to include in your smoothies are cucumber, melon, mint, peanut butter, berries, green tea and cocoa.
2. Toasted Tea Cake With Banana and Maple Syrup
Try a toasted tea cake topped with sliced banana and drizzled with just a touch of maple syrup, or pop your own corn and flavor it with parmesan.
3. Sweet and Salty Popcorn
The current craze for sweet and salty popcorn is handy too. The pre-packed bags are usually low in calories and fat, or you could try making your own for a cheap treat on movie night or to bag up in portions for smaller snacks.
Just make one batch of popcorn, and divide it into two bowls. Flavor one batch with a sprinkle of sugar or powdered sweetener and the other with just a pinch of salt, then blend.
Also, another popcorn recipe from the Food Network suggests adding the grated zest of a lemon and cayenne pepper to home-popped popcorn to create tasty and diabetic-friendly spicy citrus popcorn. You can make it in advance and carry it in your bag for when hunger strikes.
4. Hummus or Tzatziki With Vegetables
How about hummus with veggies? This snack is calorie-dense but packed with great nutrients. Everday Health suggests one-third of a cup with lots of crunchy veggies. If you don’t like hummus, try tzatziki instead!
If you are trying to avoid dairy-based carbs, try making my favorite mint and lemon dairy-free dip which my friends demand I bring along to every gathering!
I use a 500-gram pot of soy-based yogurt substitute and add either 1 tablespoon of prepared mint sauce or a good handful of fresh mint, washed and finely chopped. Add the juice of half a lemon or the equivalent of bottled lemon juice and powdered sweetener to taste. Serve with plain tortilla chips, carrot sticks, scallions or celery.
6. Cheese Quesadillas
This quick snack from the American Diabetes Association is perfect for cheese lovers. Make a cheese quesadilla with one corn or whole wheat tortilla, 1 ounce of shredded cheese and a 1/4 cup of salsa.
5. Cream Cheese With Crackers
This one is a quick and nutritious food fix to keep hunger pangs at bay. Spread 1 tablespoon of light cream cheese over two graham cracker squares and top them with 1/4 cup of halved grapes. Grapes are an excellent source of potassium.
7. Dark Chocolate With Banana
For those with a sweet tooth, melt just 1/2 ounce of dark chocolate, chop up half a banana and dip the slices into the chocolate. If you are worried about wasting the other half of that banana (and let’s face it, they don’t keep very well once peeled) slice it, bag it and freeze it! Frozen banana makes a refreshing snack straight out of the freezer.
8. Trail Mix and Nuts
Do you love trail mix? Why not create your own personalized mix or try this great blend that includes roasted almonds, shredded unsweetened coconut, sunflower seeds and even a few mini chocolate chips.
It’s much better to make your own mix that can be bagged for when you fancy it, rather than relying on store-bought varieties that often include lots of dried fruit. This bumps up the carb and calorie count.
Nuts in general make good, easily-transportable snacks. You can stock up with family-sized bags and divide them into portions. Be aware that nuts can be high in calories, especially if you choose the oiled and salted varieties.
The Takeaway
As you can see, the internet is an amazing resource for finding great recipes for snacks and other recipes suitable for a diabetes-friendly diet. Why not find some you enjoy and make batches in advance?
If you have healthy snacks for diabetics in your glovebox, bag or desk drawer, you will be much less likely to reach for a donut or candy bar when hunger strikes.