Healthy Snacks for Diabetics

Being a diabetic, you have to really watch-on what you eat. The good part is that many foods come in healthy, diabetic-friendly variants these days. So what are the healthy snacks for diabetics? Lets discuss a list of foods for diabetics to eat.

Basics of a Diet for Diabetics

A person who has diabetes should keep an eye on some things while planning out his diabetic diet. The most obvious of them all, is how much sugar you consume. Even 5 year-old's, these days, know that a diabetic will take the turn for the worse, if the he consumes sugar. But something which people do not know is that consuming excess simple carbohydrates too may be harmful for you. This is because many carbohydrates are broken down into sugars in the liver and dramatically spike up the blood sugar levels. Hence, it is essential that diabetics also keep an eye on their carbohydrate consumption. Alcoholic beverages and fried items are diabetic foods to avoid. So with these things in mind, let me tell you some healthy snacks for diabetics. Read on for diabetic meal planning.

Healthy Snacks for Diabetics

Thus we can see that a healthy snack for diabetics would be one which reduces the consumption of simple carbohydrates and sugars. So where does a diabetic turn to fulfill the 4 O'clock craving? Unknown to most people, it is this craving where a lot of calories and sugars are ingested by unsuspecting snackers. Hence, it is essential to keep a list of healthy snacks for diabetics, which will guide them to healthier snack options which are rich in protein and complex carbohydrates. Read on for a comprehensive diabetes control diet.

Go Nuts!
Jokes apart, nuts are one of the best snack options for everyone, especially diabetics. Almonds are one of the best nuts to eat and a really healthy diabetic snack. But make sure you have only a handful of those as they add a lot of calories. So they should be consumed in moderation.

Whole Grain Crackers
Whole grain crackers buck you up with complex carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates take more time to be absorbed in the body and hence keep you feeling full for a longer amount of time. Whole grain crackers do just that. You can get them in various flavors too, so look out for those!

Fruits
Not being allowed to consume sugar concentrated foods, it severely restricts the choices of fruits for diabetics, but there are some fruits which are specifically recommended for diabetics like apple (with skin), grapefruit, blueberries and apricots. But stay away from others like dates, grapes and watermelons which have a high sugar content. Fruits ought to be eaten in moderation. Dry fruits are a complete no-no.

Meet the Meat
Good news for meat loving diabetics, is that white meat is not at all harmful to diabetics. So you can whip up a simple boiled turkey/chicken sandwich with brown bread. You could also have chicken salad. A brown-bread tuna sandwich is also a cool option.

Popcorn
Another good news is that you need not restrain yourself on popcorn the next time you go for a movie. But make sure that they are air-popped and do not have too much salt. Popcorn make a low calorie, low sugar snack.

The Unclassified Others
Other unclassified foods which make a great healthy snack for diabetics are: low fat yogurt, low fat cottage cheese, whole grain crackers, skim milk, low-sodium low-fat tortilla chips, raw vegetables like carrots, cucumber, broccoli, cauliflower, etc. You could boil the raw veggies and sprinkle some black pepper powder on them to make them a bit tastier. For more on what recipes are good for diabetics, read diabetic diet recipes and healthy recipes for diabetics.

So, now you know about the healthy snacks for diabetics. Always remember that, most un-sugary foods are okay as long as you eat in moderation. It is not advisable that you go on a binge-eating spree, just because you are eating high fiber foods. Eat well and eat in moderation. Break up your meals into 5 meals a day so you do not end up overeating.