Nothing will ever come between you and your snacks. You'll choose a night in with Netflix and snacks over a night out with friends. But just because you need to switch to low-sugar, low-carb snack options doesn't mean you can’t have fun. Let the hunt for diabetic snacks commence.
Your snacking escapades aren't about to slow down now that you need to bring the carb count down a bit. You're cool with ditching the Cheetos, Animal Crackers, and Cheez-Its. But ditching snacks altogether? Please, don't joke of such things.
To help you keep your composure, we're diving deep into the best snacks for diabetics. These high-fiber, high-protein, high-flavor foods are sure to keep your inner snack demon (or diva) satisfied.
Tips for Building Healthy Snacks for Diabetics
If you — or someone close to you — is diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, finding a healthy snack option can be tricky. Your goal should be to keep your blood sugar levels stable, which requires the right combination of fat, protein, fiber, and carbohydrates. Too many carbs at once can cause a blood glucose spike, which leads to insulin resistance.
The American Diabetes Association recommends eating 45-60 grams of carbohydrates per meal, and 15-20 grams of carbohydrates per snack. To build a healthy, diabetic snack, you should try to incorporate protein (whether it comes from animal- or plant-based sources), fats (from nuts, seeds, or olive oil), and vegetables (including broccoli, celery, and kale) or low-sugar fruits (such as berries or avocado).
Chances are, many of the snacks you already consume are perfectly healthy foods for diabetics. These include:
- Hard boiled eggs
- Celery sticks with peanut butter or almond butter
- Homemade trail mix with fresh berries, almond slivers, and cashews
- Homemade granola with oats, cashew butter, and blueberries
- Half of a banana smothered in peanut butter, then wrapped in a whole wheat tortilla
- Low-sugar pepperoni and cheddar cheese slices
- Small apple slices with brie cheese on multiseed crackers
- Hummus with cherry tomatoes
- Smoked salmon and cream cheese atop cucumber slices
- Fresh olives and string cheese
- Red bell pepper strips and guacamole
- Plain yogurt with pumpkin seeds and raspberries
- Avocado slices wrapped in prosciutto
- Homemade smoothies with plenty of greens, berries, and coconut butter
- A handful of pistachios and dried fruit
- A rice cake smothered in peanut butter and 80% dark chocolate chips
- Refried black beans topped on a tortilla with hot sauce and a fried egg
- Cottage cheese and peaches
- A slice of whole wheat bread with cream cheese diced cauliflower and broccoli
- Roasted chickpeas sprinkled with taco seasoning and olive oil
10 Healthy DIY Diabetic Snacks
If you’re looking for a healthy, low-carb snack option, these ideas should get you started. The following recipes are completely diabetes-friendly and loaded with protein, healthy fats, and nutrients while being low in carbs.
1. Low-Carb Buffalo Baked Zucchini Chips
Image: Simply So Healthy
If potato chips have always been — correction, will always be — your ultimate vice, you might want to try these baked zucchini chips. Made with zucchini slices, almond flour, parmesan cheese, cayenne, and all your favorite spices, they’re a crunchy snack option with an added kick. (Hey Doritos, take a hint).
2. Roasted Curry Chickpeas
Image: Great Food Lifestyle
You know, sometimes low-carb snacks are really lacking in the crunch department. String cheese and hummus are all fine and dandy, but you want your snacks to chomp, crackle, and pop. These roasted chickpeas are packed with protein are low in carbs, and certainly deliver in that audible crrrrunch you’re craving.
3. Homemade Sugar-Free Granola
Image: Maria Ushakova
Here’s something you may or may not know: Granola can be made without honey, maple syrup, or half a pound of chocolate. We know, our heads our still spinning too. This healthy granola recipe is made with almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, and cooking oats. The sweet secret sauce? It’s sweetened with applesauce and held together with coconut oil, making it diabetic-friendly.
4. Super Easy Chocolate-Peppermint Popcorn
Image: Ricki Heller
Oh, what is this? A sugar-free chocolate popcorn? For a festive holiday treat (that you can enjoy year-round), mix organic popcorn with dark chocolate, peppermint stevia, and coconut butter. The result? A lick-your-fingers treat, without the sneaky sugar rush.
5. Black Bean Dip
Image: Kitchen Nostalgia
For a low-carb snack option, you usually can’t go wrong with fresh veggies and a homemade dip. This healthy black bean dip is made with black beans, olive oil, lemon juice, paprika, and salt for one of the tastiest, crowd-pleasing diabetic snacks. Serve alongside guacamole with tortilla chips or fresh bell pepper slices.
6. Ham and Cheese Roll-Ups
Image: Seeking Good Eats
We’re rolling up on here with this healthy, low-carb snack idea. These ham and cheese roll-ups require less than five ingredients and take less than 15 minutes to prepare. Made with olives, ham slices, cream cheese, and horseradish, they’re the perfect blend of protein, fat, and carbs.
7. Keto Cheese Crisps
Image: Hurry Up I’m Hungry
Cheese makes everything better. Don’t like veggies? Smother ‘em with cheese. Boring lunch sammie got you down? Add cheese. Cheese is so deliciously wonderful that these little keto crisps require just one ingredient: cheese. Simply shred some cheddar, mozzarella, or parmesan, line on a parchment-lined baking sheet, then bake until golden brown and crisp.
8. Keto Shrimp Guacamole and Bacon Appetizers
Image: Jennifer Banz
Here’s a crafty cooking tip for you: Any main dish can be made into a snack with the use of toothpicks. Meatballs? Stab ‘em with a toothpick. Buffalo chicken? Grab your toothpicks. Little smokies? Of course. These shrimp stacks combine bacon, guacamole, and seared shrimp on a single toothpick, making gourmet diabetic snacks you’ll love.
9. Creamy Coconut Chia Pudding
Image: Neurotic Mommy
Not familiar with chia pudding? Allow us to introduce you to this creamy, delectable treat. Chia seeds are high in protein and fat, and expand when submerged in liquid. Therefore, you can make an easy pudding without too much effort. This low-carb chia pudding combines coconut cream, chia, unsweetened coconut, and sugar-free sweetener to make a velvety vanilla treat.
10. Cheesy Keto Broccoli Cauliflower Tots
Image: Cheap Recipe Blog
Saying goodbye to your favorite starchy sides doesn’t mean you have to give up tots forever. These cheesy no-tater tots are made with broccoli and cauliflower, giving you a sneaky dose of veggies and fiber. And since they’re mixed with almond flour, parmesan, and garlic powder, they fit perfectly into a diabetic-friendly meal plan.
Schoolyard Snack Packs Make the Perfect Diabetic Snacks
Want perfectly portable, perfectly portioned diabetic snacks that won't raise your blood sugar levels? Don't worry — we got you.
Schoolyard Snacks makes healthy eating — not just healthy snacking — incredibly easy for diabetics. With 16 grams of protein, 1 gram of fat, and 1 gram of carbs per serving, it's the low-calorie, low-fat, and low-carb snack you've been waiting for. Plus, they come individually portioned, so you can toss them in your desk, purse, or backpack for a quick, on-the-go snack.
And since Schoolyard Snacks is sweetened with monk fruit, it contains zero grams of sugar per serving. Therefore, it's perfectly safe for diabetics to consume. Give it a try. We’ll ship a few bags straight to your front door.
