Choosing Snack Foods

Choosing Snack Foods

If you are a snacker and a diabetic, it can be hard to resist the quick pick-me-ups that you pass on the way to the check-out counter, or that my be lurking on your own kitchen shelves.

The average household has chips, crackers, candy, juices, soda and other fat and sugar-laden products around the house. For the diabetic, these foods can spell fluctuating blood sugars, signs and symptoms of high and low blood sugar, and increased risk for complications.

So, how do you choose the right snack foods? If you follow the guidelines of the American Diabetes Association (ADA), you can group your snacks by their category: carb, fat or protein. Knowing that it is recommended that you eat 50% of your calories in the form of complex carbohydrates, let's start here.

Some good carb snacks include:

* fresh fruit - apples, coconut or
fresh pears make a great snack and
are low in carbs
* vegies - eat all the carrots you
want, and toss in some fresh spinach,
radishes, green beans and salads, too
* whole grain breads - keep it to the
suggested serving size and you will
be fine
* 1 ounce chunks of low-fat cheese, or
yogurt or low-fat cottage cheese,
string cheese is great, too

ADA suggests 30% fats:

* cheese to the rescue, again
* 1 ounce of nuts
* olives are good too, just stick with
the serving size

They also suggest 20% proteins:

* lean slices of ham or turkey rolled
up for a quick grab
* nuts have protein, too, as does
cheese and yogurt

Keep pre-made servings of your favorite snacks in your fridge, for easy grabbing on the run. This way you don't have to think about how much to take, and this reduces your risk of overeating.

Clean out your cupboards and ditch the high fat, high calorie junk foods that tend to populate many peoples' shelves.

Add low-calorie juices, bottled water, and sparkling water to your snack shelves to encourage hydration while you snack.