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It is true that diet plays a crucial role in managing diabetes and hence, you should be cautious while planning your meals. And the same applies to picking your snacks. When it comes to snacking for diabetics, the key is to choose foods that are high in protein, fibre and healthy fats. Also, make sure that the snacks you choose are dense in nutrients and can keep your blood sugar in check. Read on to know more about evening snacks for diabetes, why it is important and what you can opt for.
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Why Should a Diabetic Opt for Evening Snacks?
Diabetes is a condition where your blood sugar levels are higher than normal. It occurs when your body is unable to produce or use insulin (a hormone that helps regulate blood sugar levels) efficiently. Your sugar levels may slightly vary throughout the day based on your diet. Usually, blood sugar levels spike up after every meal and slowly drop afterwards. A prolonged gap between your meals can increase the risk of low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and lead to symptoms such as fatigue, anxiety, irritability, rapid heartbeat and hunger.
Opting for an evening snack can be a solution to this problem and help in maintaining your glucose levels between meals. There are a number of easy peasy diabetic snacks that can deliver the right amounts of nutrients and also help in keeping your blood sugar levels in check. Let’s take a look at them.
6 Easy Evening Snack Options For Diabetics
1.Hard-Boiled Eggs
Eggs are a super healthy snack for diabetics. You can either choose to snack on two full hard-boiled eggs or three hard-boiled egg whites. You can also add your favourite spices to the eggs to improve their taste and flavour. This is a great antidote to sudden hunger pangs. Eggs are rich in protein and are a filling evening snack option for diabetics. They are a good source of potassium and are also rich in nutrients like gluten and choline that helps in balancing your blood glucose levels.
[Nutrition Facts: 2 Egg Halves – 156 calories, 4 grams total carbs]2.Avocados
Avocados are an example of a perfect, easily digestible snack packed with healthy fats and loads of fibre. It helps prevent your blood sugar levels from spiking after a meal. They add a wonderful dash of omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. It benefits your heart health and reduces inflammation in the body. You can have 3/4 to 1 cup of avocado cubes as your evening snack.
[Nutrition Facts: 1 cup avocado cubes- 240 calories, 12 grams total carbs]3.Roasted Chickpeas
Chickpeas are considered one of the healthiest legumes that also form a perfect evening snack option for diabetics. Roasted chickpeas add protein to your diet and keep you full for a longer time. They are low in carbohydrates and high in dietary fibre. You may use olive oil or coconut oil for roasting chickpeas. This will help to keep your blood sugar levels steady. You should, however, always watch the portion size while snacking.
[Nutrition Facts: ½ cup roasted chickpea – 178 calories, 20 grams total carbs]4.Black-Bean Salad
This is one of the healthiest evening snacks for diabetic patients. Pairing boiled black beans with low-carb veggies will help you stay full for a longer time. It helps your body use insulin more efficiently, preventing your blood sugar levels from shooting up. Black-bean salad is highly packed with proteins, fibres and vitamins, which also help in keeping your hair and skin healthy. This is an energy-boosting high-protein salad with yumminess in every bite.
[Nutrition Facts: 1 cup black bean salad – 190 calories, 16 grams total carbs]5.Homemade Protein Bars
Protein bars form a tasty and healthy evening snack. Homemade protein bars are always a better option compared to the ones in the market as you can modify the ingredients according to your choice. Packed protein bars may contain high amounts of added sugar or other unhealthy ingredients. You can customize your protein bars by adding honey instead of sugar and can also opt for other healthy ingredients such as rolled oats, dates, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, almonds, and cashews. They are high in healthy fats and proteins and thereby help keep your sugar levels in check.
[Nutrition Facts: The nutritional fact depends on the ingredients you choose. Suggested intake: 1-2 finger protein bar]6.Handful of Nuts
Nuts are ready-to-eat nutritious snacks with the perfect balance of fibre, protein, and healthy fats. Regular consumption of nuts can help stabilize your blood sugar levels. Make sure to choose unsalted whole nuts as excess salt intake can lead to other health complications. You can opt for a mix of almonds, cashews, walnuts, peanuts, and Brazil nuts. Go for raw or dry-roasted nuts and also ensure that you limit the portion size to a handful as it can add to your calories.
[Nutrition Facts: Approximately 200 calories. The exact calorie depends on the nuts you choose]Don’t Have Time To Read?
- When it comes to snacking for diabetics, the key is to choose snacks that are high in protein, fiber and healthy fats. Also, make sure that the snacks you choose are dense in nutrients that can help keep your blood sugar levels in check.
- A perfect snack should be a combination of appetite-satisfying protein with a good source of healthy fat and low in carbs. The calorie limit of the snack should be between 150 and 200 calories.
- Opting for an evening snack will help prevent a drop in your blood sugar levels and will maintain your glucose levels between meals.
- There are many Indian snack options for diabetic patients, like hard-boiled eggs, avocados, roasted chickpeas, black bean salad, homemade protein bars, or a handful of nuts.
- You can eat two full hard-boiled eggs or three hard-boiled egg whites. Eggs are rich in potassium and nutrients like gluten, choline, etc., which help to improve brain health and balance insulin production.
- Avocados are a rich source of omega-3 fatty acids and help in lowering cholesterol levels and maintaining cardiovascular health.
- Roasted chickpeas are high in protein and help to keep blood sugar levels steady.
- Boiled black beans with low-carb veggies make a good snack for diabetics and are a good source of protein, fibres, and vitamins.
- Homemade protein bars can be prepared using rolled oats, honey, dates, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, walnuts, etc. They make for a perfect healthy snacking option.
- You may also choose to consume a quarter cup of unsalted whole nuts for a good dose of fibre, protein, and healthy fats.
- Use the Phable Care App to consult India’s leading diabetologists, order medicines, book lab tests, integrate blood sugar monitoring and other devices to get real-time remote care from the comfort of your home. Also, check out our Diabetes Management Program which provides 360º care. Let’s treat diabetes together.
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Friendly Asked Questions
If you are a diabetic, you should choose a snack that is filling, low in carbs, and rich in fibre, which can keep you full and your blood sugar levels steady. The calorie limit of the snack should be between 150 and 200.
A diabetic patient needs to have dinner around 3 to 4 hours before bedtime. If you generally sleep by 10 pm then ideally you should have your dinner by 7 pm. This gives your body enough time to regulate the post-meal spike in your blood sugar levels.
There are a couple of Indian snacks that can be a good option for diabetics. Some of them include mixed fruit-veggie bowls, chickpeas salad, avocados, protein bars, hard-boiled eggs, or apples. The thumb rule is that you should focus on the portion size.
There are no strict meal timings for a diabetic. It is always recommended to have your dinner before 8 pm or at least 2 to 3 hours before you go to bed. This gives your body enough time to regulate the post-meal spike in your blood sugar levels.
Diabetics can consume cheese on a daily basis. However, always remember that moderation is the key. An ideal recommendation would be one serving per day. You can opt for high protein and low-fat options such as ricotta or cottage cheese that will help in keeping your blood glucose levels in check.