Having a planned snack is best to avoid blood sugar spikes.
Eating a planned snack might help us curb hunger and prevent overeating at mealtime. Also, a healthy snack can elevate our energy levels in times when we need a boost. Snacks for people who have type 2 diabetes can help optimize blood sugar control.
Bear in mind that the snacks we eat and the time we eat depends on our meal plan needs and our diabetes management. All we need to learn is how to eat smart snacks. Below there are a few tips that can help with that, read on to find out.
Tips for Smart Snacking
Understand How Carbs Affect Your Health
Smart snacking starts with understanding how your own body reacts to carbs and insulin. It is vital to know the amount and kind of carbs you are eating in order to avoid possible dangerous drops and spikes in blood sugar.
Carbs which might lead to a bigger spike in blood sugar in comparison to other carbs are foods with a high glycemic-index.
Those foods are bread, regular soda, white-flour pasta, and candy bars. Remember to count the number of carbs in your snacks.
Plan Ahead
Prepare a healthy snack and carry it with you in your bag, purse, in the car, or at work. This will help you prevent hunger strikes and also it will help you resist the urge to stop at the nearest fast-food restaurant or vending machine.
The healthy snacks prepared at home will be beneficial not only for your blood sugar levels but for your waistline and wallet as well. You should always carry healthy snack options such as blueberries, almonds, and hard-boiled eggs.
Also when you are at home, you can keep raw-cut vegetables in the refrigerator, and when you want a snack, you will be prepared.
By being prepared, you will avoid buying unhealthy snacks that are high in fat, sodium, and calories like cookies and chips.
Consult Your Doctor
Consult your doctor or registered dietitian to find out which exact snacks you should eat and at what time.
Your snacks will be according to your:
- Low blood sugar pattern
- Diabetes treatment plan
- Lifestyle
- Physical activity.
Often, your snacks should be foods that are easy to digest and which have from 15 to 45 g of carbs.
Snacks that have 15 g of carbs are one apple of medium size, half banana, canned fruit – half cup or around 107 grams without the syrup or juice, and melon balls – one cup or approximately 173 grams.
Snack Mindfully
Remember you need to think before you reach for a snack. Are you bored? Are you really hungry? Munching out of boredom in front of the TV is a guaranteed way to gain weight and disturb your diabetes management goals.
Do not worry; you can still eat in front of the TV all you need to do is to choose a healthy option.
Plan for Yourself
A diabetes management plan involves planning. Therefore this can be an excellent approach for all areas of your health. You can make weekly grocery lists and menus. In that way, you will know when you will have a specific snack.
Although this might seem like a hard job, it is actually not if you are well organized. All you need to do is to take one day on a weekly basis and organize everything.
In no time you will create a habit of taking prepared snacks on a daily basis. The bonus from planning will be the control over your health and your diabetes.
