The Seven Best Snacks For The Diabetic On The Go

If you’re someone who’s dealing with diabetes, it’s important that when it comes to mealtimes, you always have a game plan. While others may simply be able to ‘wing’ it when they go out as long as they select relatively healthy options, this may not be the case for you.

You need a game plan in place so that each and every time you put food into your body, you know that it’ll serve you well and keep your blood glucose levels precisely where you need them to be.

Snack time is one of the hardest times for any diabetic. It’s a time when simply picking up something like a granola bar to curb your hunger is all too easy. With so many processed options around, you might find that you’re hard pressed to choose something that will suit your needs.

So, what are the best snack foods to choose from? With a little planning, you can definitely get some snacks in order that’ll make you – and your blood sugar – happy.

Here are seven great ones to start out with.

Low-Carb Protein Bars

With so many people shopping for convenience foods these days, it has not gone unnoticed by the supplement industry. Now we see an array of different protein bars available to those who want something high in protein but low in carbs.

With keto diets so popular as well, it’s easier than ever to find very low-carb items. You don’t necessarily have to stay extremely low carb on a diabetic diet, but you should definitely choose wisely. One option is to look into the lower-carb protein bars that are now available.

Find one with around 200-250 calories, at least 15-20 grams of protein, and no more than about 10 grams of carbs. Fats should make up the rest of the calories.

This will keep your blood glucose levels stable, satisfy any sweet cravings you might have, and help give you an ultra-portable snack on the go.

Whole-Grain Crackers And Cheese

A popular choice among diabetics is whole-grain crackers and cheese. This is a great go-to snack option that you might want to consider. You do want to find the cracker variety that has the highest overall fiber content here, and then pair that with some reduced-fat cheese. Any cheese variety works here as long as you keep your portion size under control.

Cheese provides both protein and fat and will help stabilize your blood glucose with the carbs you’re getting from the crackers.

Cottage Cheese And Peanut Butter

Cottage cheese is often overlooked as a protein source by those who are following diabetic diets, but it’s one that you want to take note of. The nice thing about cottage cheese is that it contains protein that’s very slow to digest, meaning it’ll stick with you for hours at a time. This is great for combating hunger and for keeping blood glucose levels stabilized as well.

Pairing it with peanut butter helps even more because the peanut butter also provides some healthy fats and protein, further ensuring that you keep things right where you want them to be. Of course, the peanut butter also provides a great dose of flavor to the cottage cheese, which is a food that many people aren’t so fond of to begin with.

Apples And Almond Butter

Fruit can be a good snack for the diabetic provided it’s paired together with a protein or a healthy fat. Fruit on its own is questionable for many diabetics because fruit does contain primarily carbohydrates. You will get some fiber with those carbs, and the fact that it’s a naturally occurring sugar does tend to mean it’s not as detrimental as, say, eating a candy bar. However, it will impact blood glucose levels none the less.

So, eat your apples but pair them with some almond butter. This is a great combination that will not only please your taste buds but ensure that you get all three macros into this snack just like you need.

Just watch how much peanut butter you spread over the apples because it is a calorie-dense food, and those calories can add up quickly if you aren’t careful.

Protein Powder And Coconut Milk

Protein powder is perhaps one of the easiest solutions for on-the-go snacks because you simply mix and it’s ready to drink. Most protein powders are just 100% pure protein (or close to it). However, they aren’t what you’d consider ideal for sustaining you for any length of time.

Fix that by making your own quick and easy smoothie. Simply mixing the protein powder with some coconut milk instead of water will do the trick. Coconut milk will provide some medium-chain triglycerides, which are healthy fats that act more like carbohydrates in the body, releasing their energy quickly.

These are great for those on a reduced-carb diet who need quick energy but don’t want to deal with the spike in blood glucose levels that typically accompanies the extra carbs.

Avocado And Turkey Sandwich

Sandwiches can be a good diabetic choice provided they’re made properly. With your sandwich, the main thing to focus on here is preparing it using a relatively healthy form of deli meat that is low in fat, along with whole-grain bread and some type of healthy fat. Mayonnaise does not count here.

Avocado, on the other hand, is the perfect fat to keep blood glucose levels stable and ensure you do your body proud. Pair this with turkey deli meat, Ezekiel bread, and a little mustard to top it all off and you have a sandwich you can feel confident about eating.

If you’re worried it has too many calories for your diet plan, simply eat half and save the other half for later.

Protein-Packed Overnight Oats

Overnight oats are fast and easy to make and can be done the night before. You’ll mix together a third of a cup of oats with one or two scoops of protein powder. Then add some form of healthy fat. Peanut butter, almond butter, or dried, unsweetened coconut all work wonderfully.

Add in some water or unsweetened almond milk and mix everything together. Let this mixture sit in the fridge overnight.

Now you can reach for it at any point in the day when you need a boost. This oatmeal recipe isn’t just for breakfast but can also double as a snack anytime during the day.

So, there you have some wonderful snack ideas that you can use to fuel yourself as needed on your diabetic diet. Don’t leave snacks up to chance or you might just find that you don’t fuel your body nearly as well as you should.