Healthy snacks for diabetics
Unsalted nuts, plain yoghurt, fruit, or veg sticks with hummus. But if no diabetes medicine puts you at risk of hypos, you may not need a snack at all.
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What are healthy snacks for diabetics?
Unsalted nuts, seeds, plain yoghurt, fruit and veg. Diabetes UK says to choose these instead of crisps, chips, biscuits and chocolates. Watch your portions too.
Carrot or cucumber sticks with hummus is another of its picks.
| Snack | Carbs | Calories |
|---|---|---|
| 1 chopped boiled egg | 0g | 79 |
| Half an avocado (70g) | 1g | 133 |
| 115g pot of sugar-free jelly | 1.2g | 8 |
| 30g almonds | 2g | 184 |
| 30g hummus with 80g sliced peppers | 5g | 104 |
| 1 kiwi fruit | 5g | 25 |
Source: Diabetes UK: healthy snack swaps
These figures are a guide. Brands and sizes differ, so check the label.
Pick two for your next shop. For meals as well as snacks, see the type 2 diabetes food list.
Do diabetics need to snack between meals?
Not always. Diabetes UK says you don’t need to eat snacks if you take no medicine for type 2 diabetes.
Some medicines can push your blood sugar too low. This is called a hypo. It’s common on insulin, and can happen on other diabetes medicines such as gliclazide.
So the real question is your medicine.
| Your situation | Snacks |
|---|---|
| Type 2, no diabetes medicine | You don’t need to snack |
| Insulin, or another medicine that can cause hypos | You may sometimes need a snack between meals, with some starchy carbs |
| Snacking a lot to stop hypos | Talk to your diabetes team |
Sources: Diabetes UK: type 2 diabetes and food; Diabetes UK: healthy snack swaps
Got hypo signs, or a reading below 4mmol/L? Have something fast first, like a small glass of fruit juice or 4 large jelly babies. Check again after 10 to 15 minutes.
Still below 4? Have another and check again after 10 minutes. Once you’re above 4, eat something that lasts longer, like a sandwich or your next meal.
Snacking can also make a healthy weight harder to manage. If you don’t need one, skip it. Check your readings against diabetic blood sugar levels.
What are good low calorie diabetic snacks?
Fruit, veg and small pots of dairy. A small apple has 37 calories, and 80g of blueberries has 32.
25g of cottage cheese with a quarter of a cucumber comes to 37 calories. 125g of natural yoghurt with 80g of raspberries is 119.
Source: Diabetes UK: healthy snack swaps
Nuts and seeds are high in fat. Diabetes UK says to watch the portion if you’re trying to lose weight.
So count out 10 almonds rather than eating from the bag. More ideas in healthy snacks for weight loss.
What are diabetic friendly snack swaps?
First, skip snacks labelled “diabetic”. Diabetes UK says there’s no evidence they offer a special benefit. They can still affect your blood sugar, and some can give you diarrhoea (a laxative effect).
| Instead of | Try |
|---|---|
| A packet of crisps | Plain popcorn, with cinnamon for a sweet taste |
| Salted nuts | Unsalted nuts |
| Bombay mix | A small handful of unsalted pumpkin or sunflower seeds |
| Cheese and crackers | A couple of wholemeal crackers and 20 to 30g of mature cheese |
| Milk chocolate | Two or three squares of dark chocolate |
| Sweets | Frozen grapes or frozen blueberries |
Source: Diabetes UK: healthy snack swaps
Mature cheese and dark chocolate taste stronger, so you need less.
Start with the swap for the snack you eat most. Cutting carbs as well? See high protein low carb snacks.
What can diabetics snack on at night?
If you’re hungry, a piece of fruit or some veg sticks. Diabetes UK also suggests oatcakes, unsalted nuts or unsweetened yoghurt.
Keep it occasional. Too many late-night snacks over time can lead to weight gain and make your diabetes harder to manage.
Your diabetes snack checklist
- Ask yourself why you’re reaching for a snack. Are you hungry, or bored or anxious?
- Not hungry? Call a friend, read a book or go for a walk.
- Thirsty? Have water, or tea or coffee without sugar.
- Choose unsalted nuts, seeds, plain yoghurt, fruit or veg.
- Check nut butter labels for added sugar, salt or palm oil.
- Snacking a lot to stop hypos? Talk to your diabetes team.
Sources: Diabetes UK: healthy snack swaps; Diabetes UK: 10 ways to eat well
Put a bowl of fruit where the biscuits used to be.
When to speak to a GP
Speak to your GP or diabetes team if:
- You’re having to snack a lot to prevent hypos.
- You get hypos often, you’ve had severe hypos, or you’ve had hypos at night.
- You don’t always notice the signs of a hypo.
- You think you may have type 2 diabetes.
Never stop or change a prescribed medicine without your prescriber.
Call 999 if someone has very low blood sugar and isn’t responding normally or is unconscious. Do this if a glucagon injection (an emergency medicine that quickly raises blood sugar) isn’t available or you don’t know how to use it.
Also call 999 if they haven’t recovered within 10 minutes of a glucagon injection, or they’ve been drinking alcohol.
Think your blood sugar is high? Call 999 or go to A&E if you feel sick, are sick or have stomach pain.
The same goes if you breathe or your heart beats faster than usual, or you feel drowsy, confused or find it hard to concentrate. Or if your breath smells fruity. Or if a test shows high ketones in your blood or pee (chemicals your body makes when it can’t use sugar for energy).