Managing and living with type 2 diabetes can be challenging, especially with the information available online and the endless amounts of snacks that are labelled as diabetic friendly. This article will take a closer look at the best snacks for type 2 diabetes.
Should You Snack With Type 2 Diabetes?
Snacking has developed a reputation for being unhealthy and contributing to weight gain. However, snacking can be beneficial for maintaining your energy between meals and for managing your blood sugar levels.
Your blood sugar levels are maintained by the food you consume, specifically the carbohydrates. If you have a large time gap between meals, your sugar levels may dip below the optimum range of 60-140 mg/dL [1]. This can result in feelings of hunger, shakiness, dizziness, and may even lead to fainting. Snacking can help you maintain your sugar levels between meals.
How Should You Snack With Type 2 Diabetes?
If you need to snack and have type 2 diabetes, there are a few key aspects you can focus on.
The first is the snack timing for blood sugar stability – snacks should be between your main meals. For example, have a snack between breakfast and lunch, and lunch and dinner.
The snack portion sizes for diabetes are also important; however, this will depend on the type of snacks for type 2 diabetes.
How Snacks Affect Glucose Metabolism
The next important thing to consider about snacks for type 2 diabetes is what nutrients they contain. Some snacks will contain a combination of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, while others may mostly just contain one of these macronutrients.
Combination snacks, with a mix of carbohydrates, protein, and fat, are sometimes considered the best snacks for diabetes, as the protein and fat will help slow the release of glucose. This can help prevent spikes in your blood sugar levels. If your snack is mainly protein or fat, then it will have a minimal effect on your blood sugar levels.
If your snack consists mainly of carbohydrates, you should focus on low-glycemic snacks, meaning they have a slow release of glucose. You can also choose carbohydrates that are rich in fiber. Fiber helps to further slow the release of glucose. Additionally, you can add a protein or fat to your snack to slow the release of glucose.
The only time you would want to focus on mainly simple carbohydrate snacks is when your blood sugar is low and you need to bring it up quickly, in which case something like a few ounces of fruit juice or a few small candies can help. After your blood sugar is stable again, though, it’s best to follow up with a balanced snack to help keep your blood sugar stable.
Are Foods With Sweeteners Suitable As A Snack?
Diet sodas, diabetic sweets, and chocolates have been used for many years as snacks for diabetics or for individuals who are looking for a sweet snack option without added sugar.
Rather than containing sugar, these snacks contain a sweetener with little glucose or energy for your body. This creates the perception that it is healthier. However, a recent study found that there may be a link between artificial sweeteners and blood sugar levels.
This study tracked individuals over 14 years and considered the relationship between diet soda and diabetes. It was found that drinking one diet soda a day increased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 38%.
There are two potential causes for this. The first is that sweeteners affect your gut bacteria, reducing beneficial bacteria and increasing harmful bacteria. This can cause your body to become intolerant of glucose over time, increasing the risk of diabetes.
Additionally, some sweeteners can trigger a release of the hormone insulin. This hormone helps to regulate your sugar levels. If you consume sweeteners consistently, it can cause your body to become desensitized to insulin over time, and this can also increase the risk of diabetes [2].
Alternatives to Diet Soda
Some natural snack alternatives to diet soda are:
- Water, either plain or flavored with lemon, apple, cucumber, or mint
- Herbal teas- cold or hot brewed
You should still avoid fruit juice in most cases as well, unless you’re trying to bring up low blood sugar. While it may not have a sweetener, it lacks fiber and has high amounts of sugar.
20 Snacks for Type 2 Diabetes
There are many diabetes-friendly snacks that have no sweeteners, low sugar, and help balance your blood sugar.
Combination Snacks
These balanced snacks for diabetes offer a combination of macronutrients (carbohydrates, protein, and fat):
- 3/4 cup of yogurt with berries
- Veggies and cottage cheese
- Tuna salad
- Apple and peanut butter
- Celery and peanut butter
- Cheese and whole-grain crackers
- Roasted chickpeas
With vegetables, opt for ones that are non-starchy, such as baby carrots, baby tomatoes, cucumber, and celery sticks. You may want to avoid starchy veggies like potatoes, corn, and beets.
You may be surprised to see roasted chickpeas in combination snacks for type 2 diabetes. While it is a single ingredient, chickpeas contain a combination of macronutrients. To roast them, use olive oil and seasonings of your choice. If you use salt, be mindful of how much salt you use. The portion size for chickpeas is half a cup.
Carbohydrate Snacks
Some snacks contain mainly carbohydrates. These fiber-rich, low-glycemic snacks for type 2 diabetes are:
- Popcorn
- Rice cakes
- Apple
- Pear
- Orange
- A handful of berries
- Sweet potato chips
If you feel like chips, popcorn can be a great alternative. Ideally, make the popcorn yourself, as this will limit additional ingredients such as salt. The portion size for popcorn is up to three cups.
Rice cakes can also be an alternative to chips and are also great if you want something simple with no preparation. The portion size is two rice cakes. Ideally, these rice cakes should be plain with no added flavors. If you would like to add something to the flavor, you can try cottage cheese or spices.
For some, fruit may be a scary idea of snacks for type 2 diabetes, as fruits have a reputation for being high in sugar. However, this sugar is natural, not added sugar, comes in relatively low amounts, and has the benefit of fiber. If you can eat the skin of the fruit, do so, as this increases the fiber content. Apples, pears, oranges, and berries have a slower release of glucose and will not spike sugar levels compared to fruits such as ripe bananas and pineapples.
Protein Snacks
These high-protein, low-carb snacks for diabetes don’t spike blood sugar:
- A boiled or poached egg
- One oz. of grilled chicken breast
- One oz. of beef sticks
- One oz. low-fat cheese
The grilled chicken can be prepared the night before, and needs to be cooked properly.
For the beef sticks, try not ot have them daily as they can be high in sodium. In large amounts, sodium can contribute to higher blood pressure.
Snacks High in Fat
These snacks are rich in unsaturated fats rather than saturated fats and are:
- Half an avocado
- A handful of unsalted almonds or nuts of your choice
If you find an avocado bland, you can add lemon juice or pepper to taste. These snacks also contain fiber and essential nutrients.
Bonus: Gut-Friendly Foods for Diabetes
If you are diabetic and looking to improve your gut health, focus on the snacks containing fruit, vegetables, and whole grains. Probiotic foods are also great for gut health, including:
- Sauerkraut
- Kimchi
- Kefir
- Yogurt
When choosing yogurt or kefir, choose the plain or unflavored variety.
Diabetes-Friendly Snacks for Other Conditions
While these snacks can help individuals with diabetes, anyone can have them. Individuals who are looking to manage their weight, blood sugar levels, or both will benefit from these snacks. Individuals recovering from Adrenal Fatigue may also benefit.
Adrenal fatigue is a condition where your body is unable to keep up with long-term stress, resulting in various symptoms. The NeuroEndoMetabolic (NEM) Stress Response System is a six-circuit system that helps your body cope with stress. In short-term stress, your adrenal glands, part of the NEM system, are stimulated to produce stress hormones such as cortisol. These hormones help you cope with stress. Once the stress clears, the production of the stress hormones reduces. In chronic stress, however, the adrenal glands are constantly stimulated, and over time, this can cause your glands to become depleted. This can cause low levels of cortisol and imbalances within the NEM circuit, resulting in Adrenal Fatigue.
One of the circuits that can become imbalanced is the bioenergetics circuit. This circuit consists of the pancreas, liver, and thyroid and is responsible for maintaining your metabolism and blood sugar levels. Imbalances within this circuit can cause:
- Weight gain
- Weight loss
- Dizziness
- Shakiness
- Sugar cravings
While determining the root cause of Adrenal Fatigue is key to recovering from it, focusing on a healthy diet and nutrient-rich snacks for blood sugar control may help manage your symptoms.
Snacks to Avoid for Type 2 Diabetes
Apart from snacks with artificial sweeteners, some additional snacks to avoid with type 2 diabetes are processed snacks or those high in sugar, such as white bread, crackers, candy, cake, or chips.
These snacks contain few nutrients and added sugar. Once ingested, these snacks will be quickly broken down into glucose in your body, resulting in a spike in your blood sugar levels. This can then cause your sugar levels to dip and result in feelings of hunger, shakiness, and dizziness.
Other Ways to Manage Sugar Levels
Snacks and small meals play an important role in blood sugar management. When looking at diabetes nutrition tips from dietitians, timing of meals, portion sizes, and quality are important.
If, after following these key aspects, you are still struggling to manage your sugar levels, there are additional aspects of your lifestyle you can look at.
In terms of lifestyle, exercising is important. Research shows that muscle can help increase your sensitivity to insulin, helping to manage your blood sugar levels. Try incorporating resistance exercises into your exercise regimen; this will help increase your muscle mass and may help your sugar levels [3].
Supplementation may also help. Chromaster and BerbeBlast by Dr. Lam are two supplements that contain minerals and herbs that may help with sugar levels.
Chromaster consists of 200 mcg of the mineral chromium. This mineral may help increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin. One study found that fasting glucose and insulin levels were lower in the group that received chromium supplements twice a day compared to the group that did not receive chromium. However, other studies have had mixed results [4]. The recommended dosage is one tablet once to twice a day with meals.
BerbeBlast is another supplement that may help support healthy sugar levels. There are three herbs in BerbeBlast:
- Berberine
- Bitter melon
- Banaba leaf
Berberine can help to reduce sugar levels by increasing insulin sensitivity, while bitter melon and banaba leaf can help to increase the cellular uptake of glucose, thus lowering levels [5,6,7]. The recommended dosage is one capsule, once to twice a day with meals.
Takeaway Message
It can be overwhelming if you have type 2 diabetes and are looking for no-added-sugar snacks for diabetes. However, there are many easy snacks for type 2 diabetes that you can incorporate into your diet. These snacks are also insulin-friendly snack choices if you are on insulin, and can also be used even if you don’t have diabetes and want to manage your weight and blood sugar levels.
If you are struggling to achieve balance in your blood sugar levels, we can assist. At Lam Clinic, we believe in Rooted Care that transforms lives and empowers futures. Our team can help you to take a closer look at your lifestyle while providing care that is compassionate and integrative. Schedule your consultation here to help you transform your health.
