How To Snack In The Right Way If You Have Type 2 Diabetes
If it fits your meal plan, yogurt with fruit can be a good snack.Getty Images If you have type 2 diabetes, you don't need to include snacks in your daily diet, unless you're on a type of medication, such as insulin or sulfonylureas, that can cause hypoglycemia. However, snacksif they are healthy and part of the meal plan developed by your diabetes educator or dietitiancan help prevent blood glucose peaks and valleys, as well as overeating at mealtime. The trick is knowing which foods make a "good" snack, the right portion size, and how often you should eat between meals. Calculate snack carbohydrates and calories A good snack consists of 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates and 100 to 200 calories (depending on the individual's meal plan and medication), according to Rosalia Doyle, RD, a nutritionist at the Gerald J. Friedman Diabetes Institute at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City. Just like meals, snacks should aim for a combination of fat, protein, and carbohydrates (read the food label to get all the details). "At our clinic, every type 2 diabetic gets an individual meal plan when they see one of the registered dietitians. And snacking is important for some people because it helps to prevent the blood sugar from fluctuating," says Doyle. Doyle likes to incorporate snacks her clients enjoy, like yogurt with fruit, popcorn without butter, and berries. Despite the nutritional value of such snacks, this eating must also be monitored. Inappropriate snacking can contribute to obesity. One way to avoid harmful snacking is to understand portion sizes for both your snacks and meals, and to stick to the parameters. "Three cups of popcorn is the same serving as one slice of bread, and a great snack," says Doyle. Other snack ideas include high fiber cereal with soy milk, a Continue reading >>
Nighttime Snack- A Blood Sugar Must
Over and over again, I have heard people say “Don’t eat after 8pm, its bad for your health” with no evidence to back up this supposed claim. Your body will not magically turn all calories into fat if you eat a piece of fruit, a cracker or even your dinner the second the clock strikes 8pm, but for those with type 2 diabetes, not eating a nighttime snack may actually be contributing to high blood sugars in the morning. Medications for diabetes-especially insulin – work by helping glucose enter the cells and lowering blood sugar values. This medication is adjusted specifically for each individual in order to make sure that blood sugars don’t stay too high or drop too low. However, insulin may act in your body for an extended period of time, depending on the type. During the day, we are constantly providing our body with sources of carbohydrates either by eating three distinct meals every several hours or grazing throughout the day. For those who choose not to eat anything between dinner and breakfast the next morning, this provides a window of potentially twelve hours with no carbohydrates entering the bloodstream. As mentioned before, insulin often works over an extended period of time, and may still be helping lower your blood sugar at night when you are sleeping and will cause a low blood sugar at night. You might be wondering how this will lead to high blood sugars in the morning right about now. Our bodies have a unique system of storing some extra glucose in our liver, and these stores are called glycogen. When we eat foods that are turned into glucose as they are digested, a limited amount of this glucose is stored in the liver for emergency purposes in case we need a boost of energy to run away from a bear that is about to eat us. For the average American Continue reading >>
Late-night Eating: Ok If You Have Diabetes?
Are late-night snacks a no-no for people who have diabetes? Answers from M. Regina Castro, M.D. If you have diabetes, late-night snacks aren't necessarily off-limits — but it's important to make wise choices. Late-night snacks add extra calories, which can lead to weight gain. And if you snack after your evening meal — especially if the foods contain carbohydrates — you may wake up the next morning with a high blood sugar level. If you're hungry after dinner, choose a "free" food, such as: One sugar-free frozen cream pop Five baby carrots One cup of light popcorn A small handful of goldfish-style crackers A can of diet soda Or swap the snack for a piece of gum or small hard candy. These "free" foods have few, if any, carbohydrates and calories, so they won't contribute to weight gain or increased blood sugar. If you take insulin or other diabetes medications and feel that you must snack before bedtime to prevent low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) during the night, talk to your doctor. He or she may recommend adjusting the dose of your medications to prevent the need for a late-night snack. Continue reading >>
Type 1 Diabetes And Bedtime Snacks
With type 1 diabetes we never let our guard down- especially in the middle of the night. One of the most vulnerable times people may encounter is during sleep which brings about the importance of a bedtime snack. Safety with type 1 diabetes is always paramount. When we are at rest, our awake clues of hypoglycemia become dampened. Lets look at the importance of a solid bedtime snack with recommendations from Sara Pinson, Registered Dietician (RD). Important food qualities to look for in a bedtime snack with type 1 diabetes According to Sara Pinson, RD there are differences in the food choices we make at bedtime to help stabilize our blood sugars overnight. She suggests combining foods that include both a carbohydrate and a protein to help sustain blood sugars overnight. Sara states: “Carbohydrates that are fiber rich will also keep kids feeling full and decrease the speed at which the sugar travels into the blood stream, helping to combat swings in those in the middle of the night blood sugars.” Top suggestions for a bedtime snack with type 1 diabetes (these are also gluten-free) 1 Cup of homemade trail mix (Kix cereal, rice or corn Chex cereal, unsalted almonds, peanuts, walnuts, pumpkin seeds and a few raisins on top) Cheese (cubed, string) with apple or cucumber slices Boiled egg with a handful of popcorn 1/2 cup of edamame Celery or apple with 1 tbsp of peanut butter or almond butter on top 1/4 cup of hummus and veggies Lowfat or plain greek yogurt 1 whole wheat gluten free waffle with fresh fruit 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese with a tbsp of walnuts and fresh sliced berries 1-2 slices of gluten free deli meat with a handful of grapes or get famcy and make lettuce wraps with sliced bell peppers in between Whole grain gluten free crackers with cream cheese on top Continue reading >>
Bedtime Snacks For Diabetics Type 2
One of the struggles that come with being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes is that you’ve got to fill in some hunger gaps during the day and sometimes at night without causing your blood sugar levels to spike. At bedtime especially, this hunger gap can cause problems because stomachs will rumble and the desire to eat can even overwhelm the desire to sleep. Did you know that a quick snack could help to regulate your blood sugar levels instead of raise them? As long as you choose a snack that fits into your meal plan, you’ll be a-ok to resolve those hunger pains so you can get to sleep. Let’s take a look at your options: Limit snacks to 15 carbohydrates or less. The amount of carbohydrates that are in your system at bedtime will make or break your blood sugar for the morning. If you’re having a small snack right before bed, then limiting the amount of carbs to what you’d get from an apple or maybe a slice of bread will help you stabilize without spiking too much. As an added benefit, these will provide you with a boost of nutrition you might need too. Choose foods that are filling. The problem with the bedtime snack is that many people lean toward the sugary, high calorie foods that have a low nutritional density. It’s not as harmful if you can keep your pastries or candy bars down to 15 carbs or less, but it still isn’t going to really help you out that much. Look to have something like vegetable or whole grains like oatmeal, or even brown rice that will make your body work to digest it and help you feel fuller for longer. Look for low calorie options. When suffering from diabetes Type 2, it can be difficult to manage blood sugars overnight while still getting enough calories to feel full. Limiting your caloric count for a snack to 150 calories is important b Continue reading >>
Diabetic Bedtime Snack Ideas
Low blood sugar during the night can be a concern for people with diabetes, especially those on insulin. A 2003 study published in "Diabetes Care" investigated the impact of snack composition on nightly blood sugars in adults with Type 1 diabetes. The researchers concluded that bedtime snacks consisting of a carbohydrate and protein worked best in preventing low blood sugars when the bedtime blood sugar was less than 126 mg/dL. Video of the Day Most bedtime snacks contain about 15 to 30 g of carbohydrate, or two servings of a carbohydrate-containing food, and a serving of protein. It is not quite understood why protein helps to prevent nightly hypoglycemia, according to the authors of the "Diabetes Care" study, but it is believed to be related to the way protein is metabolized. Cereal and milk provides both carbohydrate and protein. A good bedtime snack consists of 3/4-cup serving of whole-grain cereal and 1-cup of low-fat milk. During cold months, you can try 1/2 cup of hot cereal with 2 tbsp. of raisins and 1 cup of skim milk as a cereal bedtime snack. Crackers and Peanut Butter Crackers provide the carbohydrate and peanut butter provides the protein. Spread 12 whole-grain crackers with 3 tsp. of peanut butter or you can also try six whole-grain crackers with 3 tsp. of peanut butter and 1-cup of skim milk. Each of these snacks contain 30 g of carbohydrate. Sandwiches also make a good bedtime snack for diabetics. Choose lean sources of meat to decrease your intake of saturated fat. Too much saturated fat in the diet increases blood cholesterol levels, another risk factor for heart disease. Bedtime sandwich ideas include two slices of whole wheat bread with 1 oz. of turkey, 1 oz. of lean ham, 1oz. of low-fat cheese or 1 oz. of canned tuna packed in water mixed with 1 ts Continue reading >>
Diabetic Snacks: What To Eat And What To Skip
"Don't eat between meals." That's one piece of advice diabetics might want to take with a grain of salt. If you go more than four or five hours between meals, a mid-afternoon snack might be just what the doctor ordered to help you keep your blood sugar steady. Snacking is also important if you're taking medication that could cause a blood-sugar low between meals. Discuss with your doctor or a registered dietitian what snacking approach is right for you. Keep your snacks to 150 calories or less The danger of snacks is that they can become more like extra meals if you go overboard. First, make sure you're truly hungry—and not just bored or stressed or craving chocolate—before reaching for a snack. Then limit yourself to 150 calories per snack. (Cutting calories is easier than you think.) This will help keep your snacking "honest." After all, it's hard to find a candy bar with only 150 calories. And if you're hankering for a candy bar, but a healthier snack doesn't appeal, you're probably not truly hungry. Beware of low-fat snacks Studies show that people tend to eat about 28 percent more of a snack when it's low-fat because they think they're saving on calories. But low-fat snacks, such as cookies, only have about 11 percent fewer calories than their full-fat counterparts. Stick to the same amount you'd eat if you thought the snack was full-fat. Need more snack ideas? Check out these delicious snacks for adults. Check the ingredients Avoid heavily processed crackers and chips. If the list of ingredients is long and has big words with lots of syllables, put it back on the shelf. Stay away from these worst eating habits for diabetics. Watch those carbs Carbohydrates are major culprits when it comes to raising blood sugar (though there are some good carbs for diabetes). Continue reading >>
Impact Of Bedtime Snacks On Glucose Control In Type 2 Diabetes
Approximately 3 million Canadians have type 2 diabetes, a condition where the blood sugar levels are too high, uncontrolled blood sugars lead to cardiovascular disease and other complications. Patients with type 2 diabetes are often advised to consume a snack before bed in order to help control morning blood sugar levels. However, scientific evidence for this dietary approach is limited and there is no data to help elucidate what the ideal bedtime snack is. We hypothesize that a high protein, high fat snack with very little carbohydrate, will be an effective bedtime snack for lowering morning glucose without spiking glucose levels in the night. In this study we will determine if a bedtime snack that is high in protein and fat but low in carbohydrate can help improve morning glucose control in people with type 2 diabetes. This information will provide scientific evidence for the potential health benefits of strategically-timed high protein, high fat snack consumption in people with type 2 diabetes. Fifteen patients with physician diagnosed type 2 diabetes (HbA1c 6.5-9%), between the ages of 30-80 years, and not on exogenous insulin therapy, will complete three, 3-day intervention periods (proof-of-concept randomized trial). Participants will consume a standardized diet for three days with either i) two hard-boiled eggs, ii) fruit yogurt; or iii) control no-bedtime snack, thirty minutes prior to bedtime. Fasting blood samples will be obtained on Day 4 in the morning after following each 3-day dietary intervention. Blood glucose will be monitored continuously across the intervention period using continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). CGM allows for the moment-to-moment changes in blood glucose to be examined for several days, allowing the unique opportunity to examine the gl Continue reading >>
How To Tame Late-night Snack Attacks
A. If you are craving a snack after dinner, you aren’t alone. Many people do, and there are a few reasons as to why. If you are eating too little at dinner, or choosing foods that are not filling, you may start to crave an evening snack due to hunger. But it’s not always hunger that has you headed toward the kitchen either. It’s possible that sweet craving is coming from a desire to “treat yourself” as you relax and unwind from the day. It can also stem from boredom at night and eating is an “activity” that gives you something to do. To stop these evening cravings, first you need to identify if you are truly hungry or if your desire to snack is coming from boredom or emotional reasons. Before reaching for that snack, ask yourself if you are truly hungry. Is your stomach growling? If you aren’t sure, a good strategy is to wait 15 minutes before reaching for a snack. If you are still feeling the need to eat after this time, you are most likely hungry whereas a craving would typically pass. Another strategy is to allow yourself to snack on only vegetables or fruit. If you are truly hungry, any food choice will help to fill you up. If you are just craving a snack or “sweet treat” for emotional reasons or due to boredom, the idea of having produce may not be as appealing as the cookie you've been eyeing. If hunger is the cause of your need to snack at night, look at your current dinner choices and see how you can improve them to make your meal more filling. Can you add an extra serving of vegetables to boost fiber without adding many calories? Can you increase your serving of lean protein to improve your feeling of fullness, or drink an extra glass of water with your meal? Changes like this will not elevate blood sugar levels, but will help to leave you m Continue reading >>
6 Smart Bedtime Snacks For Diabetics
Many people with diabetes deliberately nosh at night to keep glucose levels from plummeting while they sleep. A snack before bed isn’t a bad impulse, says Fran Cogen, M.D., director of the childhood and adolescent diabetes program at Children’s National Health System. But the wrong kind of snack can actually make things worse. Instead of high-carb fare like chips, “aim for a bedtime snack of protein plus carbohydrate,” she says. Also keep in mind that blood sugar levels are highly individual and will vary based on how active you are each day. So before you hit the kitchen, it’s best to test your glucose level. The Best Bedtime Snacks 10 Goldfish crackers + 1/2 cup skim milk String cheese + whole-grain crackers Apple slices + peanut butter 1 slice whole wheat bread + 2 oz turkey Hummus + raw veggies 1/4 cup cottage cheese + 1/2 cup berries Continue reading >>
Diabetes-friendly Snacking Options
Today’s Dietitian Vol. 12 No. 9 P. 12 Grabbing a quick bite between meals isn’t off-limits for people with diabetes. “Snacking can really contribute to a healthy diet. It ensures that our body gets the fuel that it needs regularly throughout the day—and that’s true for everybody, diabetes or not,” says Beverley Manganelli, RD, BS, CDE, manager of community nutrition services at Hunterdon Medical Center in Flemington, N.J. “What’s different for someone with diabetes is, obviously, what kind of medications they’re on and their blood sugar control. Snacking can definitely impact that, so you need to pay a little more attention to the things that you choose. Although there are no ‘never’ foods, you do want to get a nutritious bang for your buck.” Because carbohydrate is the nutrient that impacts blood sugar the most, monitoring intake is crucial. “Generally, snacks can be between 15 and 30 g [of carbohydrate], but that’s based on individual needs and what that patient works out with their registered dietitian,” says Manganelli. Caloric intake needs to be addressed as well, especially since many people with type 2 diabetes need to lose weight. However, a patient already at a good weight who works at an active job may need more carbohydrates. Older patients with long-standing diabetes often struggle with the idea that they can work sugar into their food plan. “They’re used to the old way of thinking,” says Lindsay Fortman, RD, CDE, of Memorial Healthcare’s Diabetes & Outpatient Nutrition Counseling Center in Owosso, Mich. “But with being allowed to eat anything—it’s portion size that matters—we are seeing better compliance.” Time It Right Grazing throughout the day, however, may negatively impact blood sugar. Constantly taking i Continue reading >>
Eating With Diabetes: Smart Snacking
Whether you want to lose weight or simply eat healthier, enjoying a couple of snacks each day is a smart habit for many people. Eating a planned snack between meals can help curb your hunger (and therefore prevent overeating at mealtime) and also increase your energy levels when you need a boost. Snacks offer an additional benefit for people with type 2 diabetes: They can help optimize your blood glucose control. So if you haven't incorporated snacks into your diabetes meal plan yet, now may be the time to start. Here's what you need to know to snack smart, along with some carbohydrate-controlled snack ideas you can try today! Our Best Articles, Delivered Get expert advice on Diabetes from our coaches and trainers The number of snacks a person with diabetes should eat during the day depends largely on your eating preferences, your weight-management goals, and the timing of your major meals. People with diabetes can eat snacks throughout the day for a number of reasonssimply enjoying a mid-morning snack or planning them into their day for better blood glucose control. Exactly how many snacks you should eatand when you eat themis very individualized. Meeting with a registered dietitian or certified diabetes educator is the best way to make sure your diabetes meal plan meets your needs. However, here are a few basic guidelines that can be helpful when planning snacks. How many hours pass between your meals? In general, people with diabetes who want to optimize blood glucose control should not go longer than five hours without eating. If you consistently eat your main meals every 4 to 5 hours, then you may not need any snacks between meals. However, if your main meals are generally spaced out at longer intervals, snacking between meals can help you achieve your best blood Continue reading >>
What Is A Good Evening Snack?
My mom, who has diabetes, likes having her tea and a snack before bedtime. Is eating a slice of American or cheddar cheese good for her? Continue reading >>
Healthy Snack Ideas For People With Type 2 Diabetes Small Snacks
Healthy snack ideas for people with type 2 diabetes Small Snacks If you have type 2 diabetes, a snack can help you manage your blood glucose levels. If your Registered Dietitian suggests that a small snack fits into your diabetes meal plan, youll find many healthy ideas below. Your snack choices should be based on the four food groups in Canadas Food Guide . The amount of carbohydrate in your snack is very important since carbohydrate-rich foods make the biggest difference to blood glucose levels. Smaller snacks should have about 15 grams of carbohydrate. This is the amount found in one slice of bread or one small apple. Carbohydrates are also found in sugary sweets like pastries, chocolate bars and candy. Because they are not very nutritious, they should be chosen less often, if at all. Heres a good rule to remember when choosing carbohydrate -rich foods: Choose more vegetables, fruit, legumes and whole grains like oats , barley, brown rice and whole wheat. Choose fewer products that are made from sugar, white flour and white rice. The smaller snacks listed below have about 15 grams of carbohydrate each. They each have 85-150 calories. Your eating plan may include a snack in the morning or the mid-afternoon. Here are some delicious options. 1 slice whole grain bread with 10 mL (2 tsp) peanut butter 1 small orange and 175 mL ( cup) edamame (green soybeans in the pod) 250 mL (1 cup) latte, cappuccino, unsweetened cocoa or chai tea made with skim milk 250 mL (1 cup) cantaloupe with 125 mL ( cup) low fat cottage cheese 15 baby carrots with 30 mL (2 tbsp) hummus These snacks can be left in your briefcase, knapsack, car or your desk drawer. They will come in handy when you have a very busy day and need to grab a quick snack. 1 single-serve (125 mL) unsweetened applesauce sp Continue reading >>
What Is The Best Late Night Snack For A Diabetic?
There are lot many choices available for your request, but for now I’ll suggest one of them, that is POPCORN We all love popcorn, and fortunately popcorn has high nutritive value and highly beneficial as a food item only if we don;t ruin it with toppings such as sugar, salt, butter, caramel, etc. Plain air popped popcorn is the best choice for diabetics and it is recommended to have it as is. If at all you want to have some toppins (but only occasionally) you can add cinnamon, black pepper or red chilli powder (only a pinch of anyone of these). Other than this, plain air popped popcorn has low fat content, low sugar content, high dietary fibers, high fullness factor and low calories which makes it a very ideal snack to munch on. The ideal serving size, nutritional assessment and other discussions related to popcorn can be appreciated here: Thanks! Continue reading >>
