Patient Information
Healthy Snacks on the Run
Whether you have diabetes or not, what and how much you eat between meals can have a great impact on your caloric intake and weight gain. Some research by dietitians shows that these extra foods can be equal in calories to an additional meal! We will give you some suggestions for low calorie, filling, and healthy snacks.
If you do have diabetes, you need to be aware of how much carbohydrate you eat at one time, since it is the carbohydrate that raises your blood glucose the most within one hour of eating. If you are exercising or are pregnant or breastfeeding, you may need extra snacks. Consult with your dietitian. For most persons with diabetes, especially
Type 2, it is recommended to snack as little as possible since extra food can cause weight gain. If you have
Type 1 diabetes (requiring insulin injections or the pump) or are a young person, you may need some snacks in order to prevent low blood glucose. Consult with your dietitian. If your triglycerides are elevated, your physician may recommend decreasing your fruit intake.
- First of all, make sure you are eating
three regular meals a day - it may actually keep you from getting so hungry between meals. For example, a typical meal could include a starchy food, several vegetables, a lean meat/protein serving, milk, and a small serving of fruit
(for example, 1/2 –1 c potato, cooked broccoli and salad, 3 oz grilled chicken, 1 c low fat milk, ½ c fruit). Breakfast could include a starch, lean meat/protein, milk, and fruit (1 slice whole wheat bread, an egg or 1 oz low fat ham or cheese or 2 T peanut butter, 1 c low fat milk, ½ c fruit). Fill up on moderate/small portions of healthy foods!
- Secondly, avoid waiting too long between meals. Studies have shown that we do best with 4-5 hours between breakfast and lunch and about 5-6 hours between lunch and supper. Waiting too long between meals can bring out the bear in your appetite causing you to eat whatever is available!
- Drink plenty of water throughout the
day.
- Sit down and slow down when you
eat.
- Exercise and keep busy.
- If you do desire something sweet or
fatty, have a small
amount of it on occasion.
- Eat raw veggies (tomatoes, cucumbers, celery, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, squash) or sliced cucumbers with vinegar or sugar-free gelatin with chopped celery and a few nuts.
- Skip the high calorie dip, try plain yogurt + cottage cheese + small amount dry soup mix.
- Cottage cheese with onion, celery,
and small amount of fruit (you create) can be tasty.
Consider the following choices, about 15 grams of carbohydrate each. If you are trying to lose weight, you may want to have less of the amounts suggested. If you have diabetes, check your blood glucose before the next meal to see the effect of the snack you chose. Enjoy!
Healthy Snacks
- 4-6 whole wheat crackers with small amount (<1 oz) low fat cheese or (1/4 c low fat cottage cheese)
- 4-5 whole wheat crackers with small amount (< 2 T) of peanut butter
- 1 slice toast and <1 oz melted low fat cheese
- 3 c air-popped popcorn, low fat
- 3 gingersnaps or 5 vanilla wafers or 8 animal crackers
- 3-2 ½” sq graham crackers
- 6-12 each or 1 oz tortilla chips and salsa
- 12-18 each or 1 oz baked potato chips
- ¼-½ c cooked dried beans/peas with a small amount of Italian dressing
- ½ sandwich (low fat ham, chicken, fish, not breaded, avoid bologna, hotdogs)
- 1 c low fat milk
- ½ c low fat milk and ¼ c fresh fruit
- 3 pieces of dried fruit
- ½ c fresh fruit
- blended drink of ½ c low fat milk and ¼ c fresh fruit
- ½ c fresh fruit and <1 oz low fat ham (skewered)
- 1 c vegetable/broth soup
- 3/4 c dry cereal (low sugar)
- 1/3 c dry cereal and 1/2 c low fat milk
- ¾ oz pretzels
- ½ of a 2 oz bagel
- ½ English muffin
- ½ pita
- 2 rice cakes
- 1 small roll
- 1 tortilla
- ½ c cooked pasta or rice or potato
- ¼ c regular pudding or ½ c sugar-free pudding
- ½ c regular or no added sugar ice cream
- 1 c low fat yogurt with artificial fruit flavor/sweetener
- 1/3 c frozen yogurt
- ½ c frozen yogurt, no sugar added
- ¼ c sherbet or sorbet
- 1 granola bar
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