In This ArticleView AllIn This ArticleWhat to Look for in a Snack1. Cheese Cubes2. Mixed Nuts3. Veggies with Nut Butter4. Sunflower Seeds5. Edamame6. Hard-Boiled Eggs7. Greek YogurtTips to Manage Blood SugarThe Bottom Line
In This ArticleView All
View All
In This Article
What to Look for in a Snack
Cheese Cubes
Mixed Nuts
Veggies with Nut Butter
Sunflower Seeds
Edamame
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Greek Yogurt
Tips to Manage Blood Sugar
The Bottom Line
If you have diabetes and tend to get hungry during the day, is it OK to have a snack between meals? The short answer is yes!
Pictured Recipe:Lemon-Blueberry Yogurt Toast
According to theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 37 million Americans have diabetes—that’s 1 in 10 people. The majority (90% to 95%) are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. If you have diabetes, your diet, including the types of snacks you choose, plays an enormous role in managing your blood sugar.
A snack that provides protein and healthy fats and is lower in carbohydrates may help keep you full and reduce the chances of blood sugar spikes. Read on to discover the strategies for choosing your snack, plus our top picks of protein-rich snacks.
What to Look for in a Diabetes-Friendly Snack
First, before making a trip to the kitchen, listen to your hunger cues. Ask yourself if you’re really hungry for a snack or if the desire to nibble may be stemming from habit, boredom or stress. If you are hungry, choose a snack that’s nutritious, easy to prepare and can keep you full and satisfied until your next meal.
When choosing a snack, consider its nutritional content, specifically:
Fiber
Healthy Fats
Including healthy fats, such as olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds, as part of your meals and snacks is essential. Fats may help you fill up to feel full longer, suggests 2019 research in theEuropean Journal of Clinical Nutrition, especially when consumed with fiber. Together with protein and fiber, fat can help slow down the release of sugar into the bloodstream to prevent sudden sugar spikes and crashes.
Low Sodium
According to theCDC, having diabetes doubles your risk of developing heart disease compared to those who don’t have the condition. Since high blood pressure is also one of the risk factors for developing heart disease, choosing alow-sodium snackmay help maintain a healthy blood pressure level.
Carbohydrates
Choosing a snack with 15 grams or less of carbohydrates per serving may help manage your blood sugar levels. However, this recommendation may vary per person, so working with a registered dietitian will help identify your needs.
Protein
6 Best Bedtime Snacks for People with Diabetes
Photographer / Frederick Hardy II, Food Stylist / Marianne Williams, Prop Stylist / Christina Daley
7 Best High-Protein Snacks for Diabetes
Here are our top seven picks of high-protein snacks that are best if you have type 2 diabetes:
Cheeseis undoubtedly a filling and delicious food, containing very few carbs. According to theUSDA, a 1-ounce slice of Cheddar cheese provides 115 calories, 7 grams of protein, 9 grams of fat, and 180 milligrams of sodium. A 2019 review published inAdvances in Nutritionfound that dairy consumption, including cheese, is associated with a decreased risk for type 2 diabetes.
With a winningcombo of nutrients, nuts make an ideal snack for people with diabetes. They’re low in carbohydrates and an excellent source of healthy fats, protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. In addition to their unsaturated fat and fiber, they also have magnesium and plant compounds called polyphenols, which may help regulate your blood sugar levels, per a 2021 meta-analysis inThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Walnuts, pistachios, cashews, hazelnuts, peanuts and almonds are all excellent options. For example, almonds offer 6 grams of protein per 1-ounce serving, according to theUSDA.
While almonds and other nuts are high in fat, a 2019 study fromNutrition Researchindicated that eating more than one to two servings of nuts per week may not promote weight gain when one consumes a balanced diet. Some nuts, such as almonds, have also been found toimprove gut health, promote weight loss and lower the risk of heart disease, cancer and death related to these conditions, per a 2021 review published inNutrients.
Choose unsalted and unflavored nuts to minimize the amount of added salt and sugar. You can also buy nuts in bulk to make aDIY trail mix.
Like nuts, sunflower seeds are also rich in protein, fat and fiber, offering 3 grams of protein, 7 grams of fat and about 2 grams of fiber for every ounce of (in-shell) unsalted sunflower seeds, per theUSDA.
Sunflower seeds have been shown to help reduce glucose levels in people with type 2 diabetes, suggests 2021 research inCureus. When combined with carbs, the protein and fat in sunflower seeds may slow digestion, stymieing the release of glucose into the bloodstream. Antioxidants found in sunflower seeds, including chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid, may also have the blood-sugar-lowering effect, though more research is needed.
Another excellent between-meal snack option is eating hard-boiled eggs. One eggprovides 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat. Eggs have about half a gram of carbohydrates, so they have little effect on blood sugar levels. In fact, a 2020 study inClinical Nutritionfound that eating an egg as a bedtime snack helped lower fasting glucose and improved markers of insulin sensitivity compared to a yogurt snack, which was high in carbohydrates. Also, eggs are nutrient-dense, so eating one egg daily may not pose any health risk, including for those with diabetes, per a 2020 article published inThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
You can enjoy eggs poached, boiled or scrambled too. Pair the cooked egg with a couple of whole-grain crackers or some sliced veggies for added fiber to feel fuller and manage blood sugar.
Craving something sweet? Consider Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is packed with nutrients andprovides many health benefits, like supporting muscle and bone health. Plus, one 7-ounce container of plain, low-fat Greek yogurt contains 20 grams of protein and 8 grams of carbs. That’s double the amount of protein and half of the carbs ofregular yogurt. If Greek yogurt is not enough, consider adding some low-glycemic fruits and walnuts, like thisGreek Yogurt with Fruit & Nutsrecipe.
Other Tips to Manage Your Blood Sugar Levels
You may or may not need a bedtime snack, depending on your health goals. Nevertheless, these are other ways you can manage your blood sugar levels.
TheDiabetes Plate Methodmeans filling half your plate (or bowl) with nonstarchy vegetables, one-quarter with lean proteins, and the remaining quarter with carb-containing foods. This way of structuring your meals can help you incorporate more vegetables and keep your carb intake in check. Check out ourDiabetes-Friendly Easy Plate Method Dinnersfor meal ideas.
Be Physically Active
Exercising regularly also helps stabilize your blood sugar levels. Your body may also become more sensitive to insulin, explains theCDC, meaning you may only need smaller amounts of the hormone to decrease blood sugar levels. TheAmerican Diabetes Associationrecommends aiming for at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity every week, with at least two days of the week involving exercises that focus on building and maintaining muscles.
The Best Walking Plan to Help Lower Your Blood Sugar Levels
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Instead of focusing on the number on the scale, reducing your visceral fat and maintaining a healthy weight may also lower your risk of other health problems. Adoptinghealthy eating strategies and incorporating exercise routinesmay help.
Whether you need between-meal snacks will depend on several factors, including how well your blood sugar level is managed, whether you are on insulin, whether you have other health conditions, your hunger level and more.Finding the balancethat fits your health goals and lifestyle is key to managing your diabetes. Talk to your primary care provider, registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator to develop a customized meal plan that considers the timing of your meals and snacks. Our library of recipes, meal plans and articles atDiabetes Diet Centercan inspire you to manage your diabetes your way.
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