Best Snacks for Type 2 Diabetes

Some claim that snacking in between meals causes weight gain, higher blood sugar levels, and kick-starts a cycle of food cravings. But is this really true?

The act of snacking itself isn’t inherently a problem when you have type 2 diabetes. The quality of the snacks you eat is what really matters!

So stick around for a list of tasty, satisfying, and blood-sugar friendly best snacks to choose.

Get Enough of the Right Stuff

Eating enough of the proper nutrients at each meal is a great way to stay full throughout the day if you’re trying to avoid snacking.

If you are still feeling hungry after breakfast, lunch or dinner, then a good starting point would be to look at what you’re putting on your plate. It may be possible that you are not feeding yourself enough, or enough of the right stuff, to keep you full.

Look at increasing your vegetable or protein intake at dinner.

Protein intake at a meal has been found to aid in increased satiety (the feeling of fullness). This means you should be consuming a decent portion of meat (fish, chicken, ground beef) or other protein sources (eggs, dairy, nuts) alongside your veggies.

Fiber in foods, especially soluble fiber can also help keep you feeling full.

Try incorporating foods high in soluble fiber with your dinner, which include:

• avocado
• brussel sprouts
• broccoli
• edamame
• blueberries
• flaxseed

Also to make sure you are eating enough calories you can try adding more healthy fats like:

• avocado
• olives
• nuts
• cheese

Are You Really Hungry?

You may also need to think about whether you are truly hungry, or is this a habit?

If you’re used to eating a snack at night, it becomes a common practice even if you don’t really need it.

One study found that individuals who ate snacks after supper were associated with A1c levels above 7.0%. This could be one good reason to cut down on late night snacking!

Try to listen to your body’s internal cues for hunger. Please refer to our article about Food Psychology for more on this subject of mindful eating. 

Another common pitfall is reaching for a snack when you’re actually just thirsty. Hunger and thirst cues can sometimes get misconstrued, so try drinking a glass of water the next time you’re feeling snacky. 

Smart Snacks for Type 2 Diabetes

If you’re going to pick up a snack, then let’s be smart about it.

Obviously, we don’t want to choose foods that are going to increase blood sugar levels dramatically, hence we want to pick lower carbohydrate snack options.

Plain Greek Yogurt

Nonfat or regular plain Greek yogurt can contain low amounts of carbohydrates. Check the labels and choose a yogurt lower in carbs and higher in protein.

You can eat your yogurt plain or add a handful of berries and nuts, which are a lower carbohydrate fruit choice. You could also add a seasoning such as curry powder to turn yogurt into a dip for raw vegetables. 

You could also use that same Greek yogurt and mix chopped cucumber, garlic and dill for a homemade tzatziki and scoop it up with sliced cucumbers or other veggies.

Dips and Veggies

Some other good dipping options include:

• tuna salad
• guacamole
• cottage cheese
• peanut butter

Since vegetables are low in carbohydrates they are an easy go to – chop them up and keep a variety of options in an airtight container in the fridge so these are grabable when you get a snack attack. Plus, they provide an awesomely satisfying crunch!

Cucumber Rolls and Crackers

This recipe for cucumber rolls contains avocado, tomatoes and alfalfa sprouts tastes just as great as it looks.

Cucumber slices can also be used as a base like a cracker. Then all you need to do is add your topping – cheese, hummus, deli meat, for example.

Sweet Snacks

If you have more of a sweet craving check out this (super delicious) low carb chocolate milkshake, with less than 12g of carbohydrates this is really satisfying.

You can also try coconut chia pudding that uses coconut milk, chia seeds and stevia.

For more ideas, check out these >> 40 Low Carb Snack Ideas.

Conclusion: Snack Wisely and Reap the Benefits!

Snacking isn’t the enemy as long as you choose your snacks wisely. Don’t ruin the progress you’ve made with your balanced, low carb diet by reaching for a late-night candy bar or a bag of chips.

The best snacks for type 2 diabetes are ones that are lower in carbs, so your blood sugar levels are not impacted negatively.

Veggies with dip, protein-packed green smoothies, and Greek yogurt topped with crunchy treats are all great alternatives to more traditional high-carb snacks, only way healthier!