Snacks, Snacks and More Snacks!

Some diabetics find that snacking between meals and even before bed can help equalize their blood sugar.  What you eat, when you eat and how much you eat are just as important for snacking as they are for meals.  In my post from June 15, 2015, I presented a chart for putting together meals and snacks from a book by Betty Wedman.  This is a good tool to use to help you find good snack foods to incorporate into your daily meal plans.

According to Quick & Easy Diabetic Menus, by Betty Wedman, a healthy snack for a diabetic will include either 1 starch/bread and 1 fat OR 1 fruit and 1 protein/milk.  When looking at these combinations along with a list of those foods, you can start to make up some combinations that you like.

Here are some of my favorites:

• 4-5 fresh strawberries and 6 oz. lite vanilla yogurt
• 1 Tbsp peanut (or other nut) butter and 1 serving of crackers
• 1 apple (lunchbox size) and 2 oz. cheese
• 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce (with a few dashes of cinnamon) and 1 low fat cheese stick
• 2 oz sliced cheese and 1 serving crackers

There are many other healthy snack options that do not follow the chart outlined by Betty Wedman in her book Quick and Easy Diabetic Menus. The American Diabetes Association has a whole bunch of great suggestions on their website.

Here are just a few:

1/4 cup cottage cheese and 1/2 cup fresh or canned fruit
3 cups light popcorn
5 cherry tomatoes and 1 Tbsp Ranch dressing
3 celery stalks and 1 Tbsp peanut butter (or other nut butter)
1/3 cup hummus and 1 cup raw veggies (your choice)



Recently I was perusing the magazine Cooking Light online and see that they have some good ideas and suggestions for Diabetics.  In their NUTRITION section they have a great list of foods for every Diabetic to have on hand, as well as information on sugar substitutes and portion sizes.  In their list of foods to have on hand are some very good choices for healthy snacking like yogurt, cheese, and fruits and veggies.

Remember to always read labels for portion sizes and carbohydrate counts/portion when looking at things like crackers, pretzels, yogurt and other packaged foods.  This information is extremely helpful in decision making.  If you're like me you will want to find foods that give you the biggest amount of food per serving (I just LOVE food!) with the least amount of carbs.

I feel, sometimes, as though living with Diabetes is a big chore, then I find a treasure trove of good information from a new source or just new information from a well-known source.  The most important thing is to continue to learn and find new ways to stay healthy.  Exercise is just as important for Diabetics as food intake so in my next blog I'll be talking about how I get exercise, when I get it, and why it's so important.  Stay tuned and stay healthy!