The Best Snacks to Eat If You Have Diabetes

When you have diabetes, it can be difficult to know what snacks are okay to eat.

The gist is to choose snacks with high fiber, protein, and the good kind of fats. Snacks like these will manage your blood sugar levels.

It’s also best to consume foods rich in nutrients that make you healthy.

This article gives you 21 snacks you can eat if you’re diabetic.

1. Boiled Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are a great snack for diabetic people because they’re high in protein.

One boiled egg gives 6 grams of protein, which is great for diabetics because it keeps your blood sugar from shooting up.

In a study of 65 people with type-2 diabetes who ate only two eggs in a span of 12 weeks. At the end of the study, they showed significant decreases in their blood sugar levels. They also had a lower hemoglobin A1c count, a measure for long-term control of blood sugar.

2. Yogurt

Yogurt, especially with a side of berries, is a great snack for diabetics for many reasons.

The antioxidants in the berries reduce body inflammation and stop the damage of pancreatic cells, the organ that’s responsible for hormones that lower blood sugar.

Yogurt is known for how it lowers blood sugar levels. This is because of the probiotics it contains, which improves the body’s capability to metabolize foods that have sugar.

Yogurt is also rich in protein.

3. Almonds

Almonds are not only easy to consume, they’re also really nutritious.

A handful of almonds gives us more than 15 vitamins and minerals, which includes a significant percentage of our daily need for manganese and magnesium.

There are studies that show that almonds control blood sugar in diabetic people.

But almonds are known to be high in calories, so it’s best to limit intake to a handful.

4. Vegetables and Hummus

Hummus is a spread made out of chickpeas. It’s great with a side of raw vegetables.

Hummus is a great source of protein and fiber, which benefits the control of blood sugar in diabetics.

You can enjoy dipping many kinds of vegetables in hummus like carrots, cucumber, and boiled broccoli.

5. Avocado

Avocado helps you manage your blood sugar as a diabetic.

Its high fiber content and ability to prevent blood sugar spikes make it an ideal snack for diabetics.

You can consume it in its dip form—guacamole. But because avocado is high in calories, limit intake to about half an avocado.

6. Apples and Peanut Butter

Apples taken with peanut butter are a great way to have a healthy snack if you’re diabetic.

Apples are known to be rich in B vitamins and vitamin C. While peanut butter is rich in vitamin E and magnesium.

Both of these foods are rich in fiber. Scientists have looked into how apples can help manage diabetes.

Peanut butter can also be paired with other fruits like pears and bananas.

7. Beef Sticks

Beef sticks are diabetes-friendly. And the best part about them? They’re portable.

They’re low in carb content and high in protein.

Although it’s important to know that beef sticks are high in sodium, which leads to high blood pressure when eaten in excess.

8. Chickpeas

Chickpeas or garbanzo beans are incredibly healthy. They’re rich in protein and fiber.

There are multiple studies that show that chickpeas help in preventing the extent of diabetes.

There’s a study of 19 adults who ate only chickpea meals for six weeks and their blood sugar and insulin levels lowered significantly.

An easy way to enjoy chickpeas is to roast them. They’re great with olive oil and seasonings.

9. Turkey

A great turkey meal is a turkey roll-up. They’re breadless sandwich wraps with turkey slices wrapped with cheese and veggies.

Turkey roll-ups are rich in protein, and they’re low-carb.

Turkey roll-ups also lower your appetite which is great for weight management.

10. Cottage Cheese

A half-cup of cottage cheese gives about 13 grams of protein and 4 grams of carbs.

Studies show that it can manage your blood sugar. They attribute it to its high protein levels.

11. Cheese and Crackers

Cracker Sandwiches are an easy pro-diabetic snack. It’s only whole grain crackers with slices of cheese.

Crackers are known to be high-carb, but the fiber in it, as well as the fat in the cheese can prevent your blood sugar from spiking.

Choose your crackers wisely as many brands have too much refined flour and sugar, which can affect your blood sugar negatively.

12. Tuna Salad

A tuna salad can be as simple as mixing tuna with celery, onions, lettuce, and mayonnaise. This dish is rich in protein, and almost no carbs.

Tuna is full of omega-3 fatty acids, which has been researched to help diabetes control. You can make the tuna salad better with yogurt and cheese instead of mayonnaise.

13. Popcorn

Popcorn is a great whole-grain snack food. It’s been branded as one of the best foods for diabetics. A cup of air-popped popcorn only has about 31 calories.

Popcorn is also rich in fiber. But many prepackaged popcorn products have too much salt and trans fats. It’s still best to air pop them on your own.

14. Trail Mix

A trail mix snack can be made up of nuts and seeds. You can even add in dried fruit. The nuts and the seeds will give you healthy fats and fibers.

If you’re going to add dried fruit, don’t add too much as the high-sugar content can harm you.

15. Homemade Protein Bars

Homemade protein bars are great for diabetics for the reason that they’re high in protein and you’ll get to be more in control of how much sugar you’re consuming from them.

Homemade protein bars can be made from peanut butter, whey protein, and oat flour. You can also add a little honey and a few chocolate chips.

A great commercial brand of protein bars for diabetics is Lara Bars.

16. Celery Sticks

You can get into the habit of chomping off celery sticks or adding them to your meals. Celery is rich in flavones, and is scientifically proven to lower blood sugar levels.

17. Egg Muffins

A great egg muffin recipe is mixing in your favorite kinds of vegetables in eggs and putting them in the oven in a muffin tin. It’s a great snack for diabetics.

Eating egg muffins can manage your blood sugar levels.

The Bottom Line

There are still many snacks to select from even when you have diabetes. The general rule is to go for snacks that are rich in protein, fiber, and the good kind of fats, and observe whether or not your blood sugar spikes.