Snack Ideas If You Have Diabetes
Choosing healthy snacks can be difficult when you have diabetes.
The key is to choose snacks that are high in fiber, protein, and healthy fats. These nutrients will help keep your blood sugar levels under control.
Eating snacks with nutrient-dense foods that promote overall health is also important.
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Its protein content really makes them shine. A large hard-boiled egg provides 6 grams of protein, which is useful for diabetes because it prevents blood sugar from rising too high after eating (1, 2 Reliable source).
In one study, 65 people with type 2 diabetes ate two eggs a day for 12 weeks.
At the end of the study, they experienced significant reductions in their fasting blood sugar levels. They also had a lower hemoglobin A1c, which is a measure of long-term blood sugar control (3Trusted Source).
Eggs are known to promote fullness, an important aspect of managing type 2 diabetes. This disease is associated with an increased chance of being overweight and developing heart disease (4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source, 6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
You can enjoy a hard-boiled egg or two for a snack on its own, or garnish with a healthy topping like guacamole.
Yogurt with Berries
Berry yogurt is an excellent snack for diabetes for a variety of reasons.
First, the antioxidants in berries can reduce inflammation and prevent damage to cells in the pancreas, the organ responsible for releasing hormones that lower blood sugar levels (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).
Also, berries are a great source of fiber. For example, a 1-cup (148 grams) serving of blueberries provides 4 grams of fiber, which helps slow digestion and stabilize blood sugar levels after eating (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).
Yogurt is also known for its ability to lower blood sugar levels. This is due in part to the probiotics it contains, which can improve your body's ability to metabolize sugar-containing foods (12Trusted Source).
Additionally, yogurt is high in protein, which is well known for helping to keep blood sugar levels under control. Greek yogurt is especially rich in protein (13Trusted Source).
Yogurt and berries taste great together as a snack, as the sweetness of the berries helps balance the acidity of the yogurt. You can simply mix them or place them on top of each other to make a parfait.
Handful of Almonds
Almonds are very nutritious and convenient to snack on.
A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of almonds provides more than 15 vitamins and minerals, including 32% of the recommended daily intake for manganese, 19% magnesium, and 17% riboflavin (14).
Research has shown that almonds can help control blood sugar in people with diabetes. In one study, 58 people who included almonds in their diets every day for 24 weeks experienced a 3% decrease in their long-term blood sugar levels (15Trusted Source).
In another study, 20 adults with diabetes who consumed 60 grams of almonds daily for four weeks experienced a 9% reduction in their blood sugar levels.
They also had reduced levels of insulin, a hormone that can worsen diabetes if levels are consistently high (16Trusted Source).
The ability of almonds to help stabilize blood sugar is likely due to the combination of fiber, protein, and healthy fats they contain, all of which have an important role in diabetes management (14).
Additionally, almonds have been shown to benefit heart health by lowering cholesterol levels and may also promote weight control, which are important factors in preventing and treating type 2 diabetes (16Trusted Source, 17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source, 19Trusted Source).
Since almonds are quite high in calories, it's best to limit your serving size to about a handful when eating them as a snack.