Protein Snacks for Diabetics

When diagnosed in early stages, treatment for diabetes is mainly based on making changes in diet, eating habits and lifestyle. In case of late diagnosis, these approaches coupled with medications are recommended to maintain blood sugar level close to normal readings. Thus, from the day a person is diagnosed with diabetes, he/she can no longer enjoy the regular diet. While the main restricted food ingredient is sugar, strict diabetic diet guidelines are imposed for the serving amount and calorie intake. Here, we shall focus on high-protein snacks for diabetics that are healthy as well.

Healthy Protein Snacks for Diabetics

Mention snacks and the first thing that comes to our mind are calorie-laden foods, like potato fries and cupcakes. For diabetic patients, the objective for snacking is to adopt healthy eating habit, i.e., consume small servings at regular intervals. This brings a balance in the energy supply, without causing fluctuations in the blood sugar levels. Thus, 1-2 times snacking is a basic part of dietary guidelines for diabetics. And for achieving health goals, it is essential to serve only good diabetic snacks in correct amounts. With this brief highlight, high protein snacks for diabetics are listed below.

Go Fruits
One of the healthy protein snack ideas for diabetics is serving a small bowl of fresh fruits. The best fruit choices are strawberries, apples and blueberries. Measure ½ cup amount and add in a bowl. Sprinkle 2 ounces of grated cottage cheese, toss well and serve. Avoid fruits that contain high natural sugar.

Vegetable and Bean Salad
Similar to fruits, vegetable items are some of the healthiest protein snacks. Vegetable choices that can be included in the salad are cucumber, broccoli heads, celery stalks, artichokes, lentils, green beans and carrots. To improve taste and flavor, serve with low-fat dressing like raspberry vinaigrette.

Vegetable Soup
Another way of enjoying vegetables is making soup out of healthy, non-starchy greens, like spinach, squash, celery, spring onion, etc. One can use vegetable (or chicken) broth in the soup recipe for diabetics. This vegetable soup is rich in fiber and proteins, but low in carbohydrate content. Also, consider adding protein rich soy milk to make a creamy texture to soup.

Healthy Nuts
The tree derived nuts (e.g. almonds and walnuts) are excellent sources of proteins, carbohydrates, dietary fibers and other essential nutrients. Thus, they make healthy snacks for diabetics, provided that the serving amount is kept minimum. Remember that nuts contain high amounts of calories.

Yogurt and Crackers
Low-fat yogurt contains both protein and carbohydrates in moderate amounts. Serve yogurt with 3 Graham wafers. The crackers provide dietary fiber (lacking in the yogurt). Thus, yogurt with crackers make healthy and tasty snacks for diabetics.

Peanut Butter and Crackers
Whole grain crackers are indeed healthy snacks for diabetics, as they are loaded with dietary fiber along with proteins. Consume a few cracker pieces with peanut butter, instead of devouring more crackers with no side serving. This peanut butter can be replaced with low-fat humus dip and low-fat cheese.

Bread and Turkey
This is for those who crave for non-vegetarian foods. Take 2 slices of whole grain bread and stuff them with baked turkey (strictly 2 ounces). Top sandwich with slices of tomato, lettuce leaf and mustard leaf. Here, baked turkey can be substituted with roasted chicken for creating variety.

Egg Whites
The albumen portion of eggs is excellent for serving as low carb snacks for diabetics. They contain high amounts of protein with low-calorie content (egg white from 1 egg equivalent to 17 calories), negligible saturated fats and cholesterol. Scramble it or make omelet, and serve with whole grain bread.

Banana and Peanut Butter
A simple yet tasty snacks for diabetics is serving a medium-sized banana with peanut butter. If desired, one can serve banana with almond butter. This nut-based butter contains negligible amounts of sugar, salt and cholesterol. However, check the serving amount, as both peanut butter and almond butter are loaded with calories.

Cooked Beans
Included in the list of high protein foods are beans and lentils. Also, they are low in fat and high in dietary fiber. Thus, beans make good snacking options for diabetic patients. Cooked beans can be served alone with flavorful herbs, or they can be used in making soups and salads to create variety in the diabetic diet.

While selecting the best snack foods for diabetics, there are certain things that one should keep in mind. The food items should be moderate in carbohydrates, moderate in protein content and high in dietary fiber. Also, healthy sources of carbs, like fruits, whole grains, and vegetables are preferred over others. Likewise, protein snacks for diabetics are exclusively based on lean protein. A simple trick is to consume snacks that contain 1-2 ounces protein, 1 ounce carbohydrate, and the total calorie count should not exceed 150 per serving size.