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 >>
Chocolate Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Sandwiches
Chocolate Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Sandwiches This recipe is simple and will be sure to satisfy your sweet tooth! 1 (1.4-oz) package sugar-free, instant chocolate pudding mix 28 graham cracker squares (14 rectangles, each 5 inches long) 1. In a small bowl, whisk together the pudding mix, peanut butter powder, and milk. Refrigerate for 5 minutes. 2. For each sandwich, place 2 Tbsp pudding mixture onto a graham cracker square. Top with another graham cracker square. Repeat for the remaining 13 sandwiches. Place on a baking sheet and freeze for 1 to 2 hours. Dietitian Tip: If youd like to enjoy a dessert from time to time, portion control can help you indulge without overdoing it. This recipe is perfectly portioned and will satisfy your sweet tooth. The peanut butter powder can be found at some grocery stores, often in the health food section, or in warehouse stores. Photo: Chocolate Peanut Butter Graham Cracker Sandwiches. PNC Photography: Photographer: Peter Papoulakos. Find out how to give your favorite casserole or other hot dish a makeover. Take some of the guesswork out of estimating carb counts when you eat at home, at a gathering, or in a restaurant. Cooler weather encourages us to turn to cozy comfort food. Enjoy these satisfying one-pot meals and quick snacks. Calculate the number of calories you should eat each day to maintain your present body weight: Please select an option before you continue. I don't do any physical activity other than what I need to do for my usual activities, such as going to work or school, grocery shopping, or doing chores around the house. I do some moderate exercise every day in addition to doing my usual activities. For example, I walk about 1.5 to 3 miles a day at about 3 to 4 miles an hour. Or I do something else that's moderat Continue reading >>
Are Graham Crackers A Healthy Snack Or Cookie In Disguise?
Are Graham Crackers a Healthy Snack or Cookie in Disguise? Yes! The Graham cracker is a healthy snackthat is if you are talking about the original Graham cracker invented by Sylvester Graham . Unfortunately, the answer to this question is not as clear cut as you might think.There are several factors that go into deciding whether or not something is healthy. The current Graham cracker, while still containing some of the original Graham Flour that it was once known for, is not quite as nutritious or bland as the first Graham cracker was intended to be. The Graham cracker was initially created to be a part of a high fiber vegetarian diet called the Graham Diet . So, are the modern day Graham crackers still fairly healthy or have we turned this once healthy and pious snack into a dessert? Lets take a look at some interesting facts and then decide. For those who like a little history, you will find it fascinating that some of our most popular modern day breakfasts came about because of a religious effort hoping to change the way people ate in order to help reduce sexual urges. During the 1800s, a traditional breakfast consisted of eggs, ham, sausages, fried potatoes, biscuits, pancakes and coffee. These foods were thought by some including Sylvester Graham, to be too rich and high in fat, which is what eventually led to the invention of the Graham cracker as well as dry cereal. Sylvester Graham, and those who followed his teachings, believed that a diet that was high in fat, meat, refined flour as well as ones that did not include enough fiber could cause impure thoughts and increase sexual behaviors such as masturbation. The Graham cracker was created in the mid 1800s to be a healthy snack option that, when eaten as part of Sylvester Grahams vegetarian diet plan, would hel Continue reading >>
10 Best Type 2 Diabetes Snacks
Healthy Combinations Ready in Minutes When you have type 2 diabetes, a smart strategy for controlling your blood sugar levels is to think of snacks as miniature versions of meals and plan your carbs accordingly. Snacks with a good mix of protein, fat, and fiber will help keep hunger at bay and your blood sugar on an even keel throughout the day. "Since a meal should include 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates, a snack should have around 15 to 20 grams," says Katherine Basbaum, MS, RD, a clinical dietitian in the Cardiology and Cardiac Rehabilitation departments at University of Virginia Health System in Charlottesville. By the same token, she says, fill your snack plate the same way you would for a regular meal. That means half should be non-starchy vegetables, one-quarter should be lean protein, and one-quarter a starchy carb. Here are 10 terrific options for healthy diabetes snacks. Continue reading >>
15 Best Snack Foods For Diabetics
Figuring out the right snack foods in between meals is hard enough for most people, but what if you're one of the 18.8 million people in the United States who have been diagnosed with diabetes? The options may seem even more limited. That's why we've put together a list of 15 diabetic-friendly snacking options based on advice from a few experts. Click here to see the 15 Best Snack Foods for Diabetics Slideshow Lori Kenyon is a certified nutritional consultant, personal trainer, and co-founder of Ritual Cleanse. She was diagnosed early on in her life with a disorder that prevented her from consuming animal protein and has since had to adapt her diet to compensate. Kenyon advises clients to consume snacks which contain no more than 20 grams of carbohydrates and 140 milligrams of sodium per serving, in accordance with American Diabetes Association guidelines. Stella Metsovas is a certified clinical nutritionist who specializes in food science and human nutrition, with more than 23 years of experience in the field. She is a strong believer in the Paleo-Mediterranean diet and runs a private practice in Los Angeles. Angela Shelf Medearis is the author of The Kitchen Diva's Diabetic Cookbook and has been featured frequently on The Dr. Oz Show as a guest chef, where she is known simply as The Kitchen Diva. She offers some great general snacking advice from her cookbook: Portion sizes are key. Keeping the glycemic load down (a measurement of how much food spikes blood glucose levels) means cutting down on portion sizes, since the measurement accounts for the number of grams of carbohydrates per serving of a food item, which of course will increase with portion sizes. Eating huge portions of even healthy snacks can quickly turn them unhealthy. Snacks between meals can help you re Continue reading >>
5 Healthy Snacks For People With (or Without!) Diabetes
Yes, you can snack if you have diabetes When your stomach starts to rumble, you need a snack that can curb your hunger without blowing your blood sugar. Just like meals, snacks should be a combination of fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Aim for one that consists of 15 to 30 grams of carbohydrates and 100 to 200 calories (depending on your meal plan and medication). Here are five that typically get a seal of approval from diabetes educators and nutritionists. Whole-grain crackers, grapes, and cottage cheese Nutrient-rich whole grains like cracked wheat, whole wheat, rye, and quinoa can lower blood sugar and cholesterol. The cottage cheese adds protein to stabilize blood sugar, curb hunger pangs, and provide calcium for strong bones. Buy your favorite whole-grain crackers, and make sure that the first ingredient is whole-wheat flour or another whole grain, such as rye. (Even if the ingredient list says "wheat flour," it is not a whole-grain food unless it specifies "whole-wheat flour.") Arrange on a small plate 2 crackers, 1/4 cup nonfat cottage cheese, and 1/4 cup grapes. Serving size: 2 crackers, 1/4 cup cottage cheese, and 1/4 cup grapes. Nutritional information—Calories: 138, Total Carbohydrate: 21.2 g (7%), Dietary Fiber: 1.5 g (6%), Sugars 11.9 g Homemade popcorn Popcorn is high in fiber, and when made from scratch is an all-natural food without additives and artificial flavorings. Pour 1 tablespoon of mild-flavored oil such as canola into a heavy-bottomed medium-large pot. Cover the bottom of the pot with 1/2 cup of popcorn kernels spread in a thin layer. (If the kernels are too crowded, not all of them will pop.) Cover the pot and heat on medium, shaking the pot every minute or so until all of the kernels have popped. Take care not to cook too long, which could Continue reading >>
Snacks: A Healthy Necessity In A Diabetic Diet
Snacks play a very important role in the daily life of a person with diabetes, particularly those with type 1 diabetes and insulin-requiring type 2 diabetes. For these people, between-meal and bedtime snacks are essential to keep blood glucose levels as close to normal as possible and to help prevent low blood sugar (hypoglycemia). Wherever you go you should always carry a supply of snacks to eat in case of low blood sugar (low blood glucose)—we keep snacks in our purse or briefcase, in the glove compartment of our car, in our office desk drawer, and in the sports bag that we carry to the gym. Here's a list of snacks that can be purchased at most supermarkets. The serving suggestions supply 12 to 15 grams of carbohydrate or 1 carbohydrate (1 bread/starch) exchange: 1 small apple 8 animal crackers 4 medium fresh apricots or 7 dried halves 1/2 of a banana rolled with 2 tablespoons Grape Nuts cereal 1 cup cubed cantaloupe 12 Bing cherries 2 chocolate mousse bars (Weight Watchers) 1/2 cup chow mein noodles 3 dried dates 2 small dried figs 2 sugar-free fudgesickles 3 gingersnaps 36 Goldfish (adds 1 fat exchange) 3 graham crackers (2 1/2-inch square) 1/2 low-fat granola bar 15 grapes 5 kumquats 3 Lorna Doones (adds 1 fat exchange) 12 loquats 5 slices melba toast 1 small nectarine 1 cup skim milk 3 thin sliced Norwegian Kavli flatbread (2 thick sliced) 1 small orange 1 small peach 3 peanut butter sandwich crackers (adds 1 fat exchange) 1 small pear 2 small plums 24 oyster crackers 3 cups popcorn (popped by hot air, or low-fat microwave) 3 dried pitted prunes 15 fat-free potato or tortilla chips 2 tablespoons raisins 2 rice cakes (4" diameter) 7 Ritz crackers (adds 1 fat exchange) 6 saltine crackers Stella d'Oro Sesame Breadsticks (adds 1 fat exchange) 1 tangerine 15 Teddy Gr 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 >>
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, you’ll find many healthy ideas below. What is a healthy snack? Your snack choices should be based on the four food groups in Canada’s 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. Here’s 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. Mid-day snacks 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 (¾ 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 (½ cup) low fat cottage cheese 15 baby carrots with 30 mL (2 tbsp) hummus On-the-go snacks 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. 2 whole grain rye crispbread crackers 1 single-s Continue reading >>
11 Foods To Avoid With Diabetes
Eating the wrong foods can mess with your blood sugar. By Franziska Spritzler, RD, CDE Diabetes is a chronic disease that has reached epidemic proportions among adults and children worldwide. Uncontrolled diabetes has many serious consequences, including heart disease, kidney disease, blindness and other complications. Prediabetes has also been linked to these conditions. Importantly, eating the wrong foods can raise your blood sugar and insulin levels and promote inflammation, which may increase your risk of disease. This article lists 11 foods that people with diabetes or prediabetes should avoid. Why Does Carb Intake Matter for People With Diabetes? Carbs, protein and fat are the macronutrients that provide your body with energy. Of these three, carbs have the greatest effect on your blood sugar by far. This is because they are broken down into sugar, or glucose, and absorbed into your bloodstream. Carbs include starches, sugar and fiber. However, fiber isn’t digested and absorbed by your body in the same way other carbs are, so it doesn’t raise your blood sugar. Subtracting fiber from the total carbs in a food will give you its digestible or “net” carb content. For instance, if a cup of mixed vegetables contains 10 grams of carbs and 4 grams of fiber, its net carb count is 6 grams. When people with diabetes consume too many carbs at a time, their blood sugar levels can rise to dangerously high levels. Over time, high levels can damage your body’s nerves and blood vessels, which may set the stage for heart disease, kidney disease and other serious health conditions. Maintaining a low carb intake can help prevent blood sugar spikes and greatly reduce the risk of diabetes complications. Therefore, it’s important to avoid the foods listed below. 1. Sugar-Swe Continue reading >>
Can Diebetics Eat Graham Crackers And Peanut Butter? | Yahoo Answers
Can diebetics eat graham crackers and peanut butter? Are you sure that you want to delete this answer? Best Answer: Both protein and fiber help regulate blood sugar for a longer time. Graham crackers are actually a BETTER choice than saltines- Graham is whole wheat (FIBER, which helps regulate blood sugar) and saltines are white flour (which breaks down more easily to sugars, and a lot of SALT, which is worse for you in the long-term) Peanut butter (any kind, but especially the natural kind without processed sugars) is protein. My dietician told me that peanut butter is a good option because the carbs in it are complex carbs. So it will take longer for the sugars to break down. Thusly it won't cause your sugar to spike so much. Sadly as a lover of graham crackers my self I had to give them up for the most part. You can have graham crackers and peanut butter but because the crackers are so high in sugar you can only have a few. So if youre trying to loose weight what you will probably find is you can't have enough to make them worth the number of carbs youre getting. This is especially tough for diabetics that are very over weight and trying to loose the pounds. It takes a while to get you system used to smaller portions. I fight with that every day. If you or a loved one is suffering with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes or even pre-diabetes, Im about to tell you something you have n-e-v-e-r heard before... I guarantee this will be the most important report you ever read. Im going to expose a shocking secret that *will* change your life forever. Reverse Your Diabetes Today - After being a diabetic for many many years, Im extremely happy to report that thanks to your book, my blood tests are now showing that I am completely free of diabetes. Saying thank you does not seem to b Continue reading >>
7 Diabetes-friendly Creative Snack Recipes
7 Diabetes-Friendly Creative Snack Recipes If you have diabetes sometimes you need a little extra to carry you between meals. Planning your diet so that you dont have extreme dips in blood sugar is not only a smart choice for weight loss, but its critical to your health. Thats why, when you have diabetes and youre trying to lose weight, choosing the right snacks can get a little tricky, especially if you want to work in some new flavors. The key, as with all weight loss, is to eat fewer calories than you burn. (Not sure how many calories you should consume each day? Try our Free Diet Analysis tool .) As long as youre adding snacks that fit into your personal calorie budget, youre okay to eat snacks in addition to your meals. There are lots of great options for diabetes-friendly, quick snacks as shown in the chart to the right almonds, blueberries, olives, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, cucumbers, to name a few! Click at the right to enlargeour quick and easy Diabetes Snack Idea List. Susan Brown, author of Type 2 Delicious, a blog focused on diabetes, says her go-to snacks are hummus and blanched veggies, and cheese and whole grain crackers. It's always tempting to snack on something you love and used to indulge in freely, like potato chips. With diabetes, you need to be aware of carb numbers, she cautions. Okay, So No Chips. But craving Something A Bit More Creative? Weve rounded up seven yummy diabetes-friendly, low-calorie snacks that you can munch on to tide you over until the next meal. Can we say OMG? These things are easy to make, pack alongside your lunchtime Diet-to-Go meals and pop in your mouth when you start to get that 3 p.m. feeling. Wash each baby pepper and slice the top off and scoop out any little seeds that may remain. With a blunt knife (like a but Continue reading >>
Healthy Snacks For People With Type 1 And Type 2 Diabetes
Share: Snack is not a “four-letter” word. Snacks are important in the daily life of a person with diabetes, particularly those with type 1 diabetes and insulin-requiring type 2 diabetes. If there are more than four or five hours between meals, the person runs the risk of low blood sugar, and getting so hungry that he overeats at the next meal. Between-meal and bedtime snacks are essential to keep glucose tablets, wherever they go, particularly when driving or exercising. The best snacks are healthy, convenient and carbohydrate-controlled. Healthy means higher in fiber, low fat, less salt, and no or very little sugar. Convenient snacks do not have to be refrigerated, like snack bars and packaged snacks. Most important is the amount of carbohydrate the snack offers - a serving, or choice, is about 15 grams of carbohydrate. Your meal plan may designate the amount of carbohydrate for snacks. To slow the rise of blood sugar, and keep you full longer, you can include some healthy protein with your snack. Here are some tips in selecting your snacks: · Do not eat right out of the bag - count out your allowed serving, put the food items on a plate, and enjoy. There are single serving raisins, pretzels and other snack foods to help us with portion control. · Look for fresh snacks in the produce department - baby carrots, fresh fruit. · All crackers, bread and English muffins should be whole grain. · Watch the calories while you control the carbs. A snack should be about 150-200 calories. · Select nutrition bars carefully. Granola type bars are high in sugar and low in protein. Find bars that are more balanced - with 7 or more grams of protein. There are handy nutrition bars designed for diabetes that slow the rise of blood sugar with special formulations. (Extend Bars, G 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 >>
7 Simple And Healthy Snacks For Diabetics
Snacking is a pretty common thing we all do. You can snack healthy or you can snack … not so healthy. You should definitely lean toward healthy snacking, in all cases, but especially when you’re trying to identify healthy snacks for diabetics. We’re here to help you with some quick and easy snack ideas. We know our post’s title says these are snacks for diabetics, but you could definitely benefit from these snack ideas, even if you aren’t diabetic. Search Diabetic Medication Prices 7 Healthy Snacks for Diabetics Grapes on Graham Crackers If you’re looking for a sweet treat that’s not too sweet, but is easy to put together, grapes and graham crackers, with cream cheese is a tasty idea that can help curb your appetite. Ingredients: 1 tablespoon light cream cheese 2 graham cracker squares ¼ cup of halved grapes Plain Greek Yogurt with Fruit & Nuts One of the main benefits of Greek yogurt is the protein. A trick to keeping yogurt healthy is to add fruit. Make sure you buy plain Greek yogurt, then add fruit to it. Greek yogurt, on its own, can be a little tough to eat, but by adding fruit, its acidity is balanced out and is much more enjoyable. Ingredients: 1 six ounce carton of plain Greek yogurt (make sure the sugar content is low) 1 tablespoon fruit of your choice 1 tablespoon slivered almonds Pears and cheese go really well together. With 24% of your daily fiber in each pear and 20% of your daily calcium in string cheese, this snack can really boost your nutrition levels. Ingredients: 1 pear (sliced) 1 stick of string cheese Veggies & Hummus This is a nice and healthy snack, though be cautious with the hummus – it’s calorie-dense! Hummus is rich in protein and can help balance blood sugar levels. Ingredients: 1/3 cup hummus A handful of your choice of Continue reading >>
