You know that it would make sense to only eat 3 meals a day, but sometimes that just doesn't work ... you just need a small snack in between. If you have type 2 diabetes, try to incorporate low-carbohydrate snacks in your diabetes menu between meals.
Unfortunately, snacks tend to have an effect on your sugar level. And if you want to pay attention to your weight in addition to good sugar levels, you are well advised to choose low-carbohydrate snacks. For snacks containing carbohydrates such as sweets or fruit, insulin is required for metabolism in the cells.
The fact is that insulin is a building hormone. In technical jargon, we also speak of a so-called anabolic steroid, which you may have heard from the field of sports and doping. Insulin therefore inhibits (attention, this is important!) the burning of fat and ensures that cells are built up in the body. When there is a lack of exercise, it is unfortunately not the muscle cells that grow.
Not all of the tips mentioned are completely low in carbohydrates, but they are all recommended as part of a healthy diet.
The best snacks in your diabetes diet:
- Nuts
Unsalted nuts and coconut chips are a great snack due to their low sugar content. A meta-analysis by Imperial College London and the University of Science and Technology in Norway has shown that consuming 20 g of nuts, i.e. a handful daily, reduces the risk of coronary heart disease by almost 30%, cancer by 15% and the risk of premature death by 22%. And then they taste so good too!
- Chickpeas
Chickpeas in every form: roasted for snacking (can be found at Turkish grocers), cooked from a can or as hummus with vegetable sticks or wholemeal crispbread. Chickpeas are super healthy due to their valuable vegetable proteins. They have some carbohydrates, but these are absorbed into the blood very slowly so have little effect on your type 2 diabetes.
- Edamame
Edamame is a Japanese legume snack. It is a green soybean pod cooked whole. The green pods are ideal as a TV snack in the evening. It keeps you busy peeling for a while and the enjoyment lasts a little longer. You can also find them as take-away at some Asian snack bars.
- Cheese
Cheese due to the high protein content, it is also super filling, but here you should consider that there are some calories in it. So keep an eye on the amount here and maybe add a few tomatoes to supplement. I would also recommend cottage cheese as a great snack.
- Vegetable sticks with dip
Vegetable sticks with dip is is a great snack, especially celery and carrots. You can eat the sticks raw or with a yogurt dip.
- Avocado
Avocado is a super food that tastes fantastic with roasted sesame seeds and a little salt. Alternatively, the avocado can be eaten as a guacamole dip with paprika and cucumber sticks.
- Boiled eggs
Boiled eggs are a great snack especially when you are on a low-carbohydrate diet. Boiled eggs help a lot to tame the hunger in between meals. Research has meanwhile also given the all-clear on any restrictions in egg consumption, since the cholesterol in the diet has no influence on the cholesterol in the blood.
- Tofu
Tofu is a plant-based protein and helps to build muscle. In between meals you can eat diced tofu or tofu in thick slices on crisp bread and luckily tofu is now available in different flavours otherwise it could be a little bland.
- Olives
Olives in combination with cherry tomatoes and some parmesan are a tasty snack. Olives are full of healthy fatty acids, but unfortunately they are also quite salty, so maybe not the ideal choice for those who also have high blood pressure. Still one of the delicious snacks
- Natural yogurt with berries
Natural organic yoghurt with at least 3,5% fat can be mixed with fresh or frozen berries for yet another fantastic snack. On very hot days, the half-frozen berries can be used as a substitute for ice.
- Chia pudding
Chia pudding sounds unusual and it is. Soak the chia seeds with almond milk in a jam jar. Sweeten it with stevia sugar add raspberries and your healthy snack is ready.
- Smoothie
Most smoothies are not recommended as they could be carbohydrate bombs, but this recipe is diabetes friendly. Just mix unsweetened almond milk with baby spinach and blueberries. You’ll love this snack.
- Hot cocoa
Hot cocoa is for sweet loving diabetics. Boil the milk (soy milk is good because of the vegetable proteins) add the cocoa and sweeten with stevia sugar. This hot cocoa warms you up nicely and will help with your sweet cravings.
- Chocolate
Chocolate can be a great diabetes snack but it must be dark and at least 85% chocolate. Eat with a handful of nuts and all you cravings will disappear. This is the last but probably the best diabetes snack on this list.