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Managing Diabetes Magazine - diabetes

Snack Attack
Wise choices help control diabetes

Do you wake up feeling very hungry or find yourself ravenous at the end of the day? Perhaps your blood glucose is high in the morning, even though it was within target levels before bed. If so, you may need snacks throughout the day to help control hunger and blood glucose levels.

The word ‘snack’ may make you think of convenience foods or pre-packaged items. However, a snack can be just as healthy as a meal. Choose a serving of healthy foods from one or two of the food groups for a great snack at any time of the day. When planning snacks, reflect on how often you eat in a day. You should eat something every four to five hours. This is especially important if you increase your amount of physical activity or find yourself skipping meals, since both affect blood glucose levels.

Some conditions, such as irritable bowel syndrome or gastroparesis, may cause tummy upset or bowel problems if a large amount of food is eaten at one time. If you experience pain or discomfort after big meals, try eating smaller amounts more often throughout the day.

If you often need to snack to avoid low blood glucose, this may signal that your medication or insulin dose is too high. Depending on how your medication or insulin works, it may be wise to eat something small within an hour of bedtime. A light snack at the end of your day tells your liver there is no need to pump more glucose into the body. Include a source of carbohydrate and one of protein to control both blood glucose and appetite. Contact your doctor, diabetes educator or pharmacist with questions about changing insulin or medication doses.
Consistency is key! Skipping meals and snacks can be dangerous if you are taking certain medications. For instance, if your insulin dose is calculated to include an afternoon snack but you do not eat, you risk having low blood glucose.

Snack Ideas

Include one or two of these foods in each snack. A Glucerna™ bar or nutritional / meal replacement drink can also be a great snack.

Vegetables and Fruit	Grain Products	Milk and Alternatives	Meat and Alternatives
- Fresh fruit - Pre-cut vegetables - Fruit bars and fruit cups/cans, made with its own juice - Dried fruit, 100% fruit leather and fruit/veggie bars (no added sugars) - Apple and fruit sauces (no added sugars) - Washed and ready-to-eat produce, prepared salad mixes - Vegetable soup - Vegetable or tomato juice	- Half of an English muffin or bagel - Nutri-grain bar - Non-dipped low fat granola bar - Dry cereals - Half of a large homemade muffin - Two plain cookies	Flavoured or plain yogurt in single servings or portioned into smaller containers - Milk puddings - Cottage cheese - One cup of skim or 1% milk	Nuts and seeds (no added salt or seasonings) - Trail mix - Peanut butter - Hummus (as a dip) - Roasted soy beans - Tuna or salmon snack pack

Snack satisfaction - using the glycemic index (GI)

Choosing foods and amounts appropriate to your dietary needs at snack time can help you feel satisfied until the next meal. Since the body digests fibre and protein more slowly, these foods cause a smaller increase in blood glucose. Generally speaking, foods high in fibre or protein are lower on the glycemic index. Choose snack foods with a low GI number to help keep your blood glucose in target range.

Stocking up – keep healthy items handy

• In your fridge – washed and pre-cut veggies, cut fruit in small containers, and single servings of yogurt
• In the cupboard – small plastic containers or snack-size sealable bags filled with trail mix, nuts, seeds and fruit sauces
• In the freezer – frozen vegetables, frozen berries or grapes, and leftover meals
• On the grocery list – remember to include healthy snack items.

Healthy snacking helps control appetite, prevents the risk of having low blood glucose, and helps meet Canada’s Food Guide to Healthy Eating (www.healthcanada.gc.ca/foodguide). Keep healthy options handy and your snack schedule consistent.

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While effort is made to reflect accepted medical knowledge and practice, articles in Family Health Online should not be relied upon for the treatment or management of any specified medical problem or concern and Family Health accepts no liability for reliance on the articles. For proper diagnosis and care, you should always consult your family physician promptly. © Copyright 2019, Family Health Magazine, a special publication of the Edmonton Journal, a division of Postmedia Network Inc., 10006 - 101 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 0S1    [DI_MDa10]