Diabetes, the most prevalent lifestyle disease is nowadays found in almost 6 out of 10 people in the world. Lack of physical activity, stress, changing lifestyle and junk food might lead to diabetes. When you don’t burn calories, extra sugar gets accumulated in your body which leads to uneasiness and thereby affects the heart, blood vessel, nerves, eyes, and kidney.

What to avoid during diabetes?

Things you should avoid if you have diabetes are- nachos, coffee drinks, biscuits, sausage gravy, battered fish dinners, fruit juice beverages, deep-fried snacks, rice, cinnamon rolls, bread and sugary food. Well, type 2 diabetes is caused by the excess of bread, sweet substance, milk, pasta, spaghetti, starchy vegetable and anything that raises sugar level of the body. Foods like candy, cookies, soda lack nutritional value but increase the sugar level at one go.

Which food can I eat if I have diabetes?

Food which is low in calorific value is recommended for diabetes. Foods rich in antioxidants, fiber, vitamins, and minerals are the best suggested for people with diabetes. The foods that can be recommended for a diabetic person are- asparagus, avocado, tomatoes, broccoli, walnut, oats, leafy vegetables, watermelon oats.

Well, you should have an individual diet plan if you have diabetes. Apart from medication and regular exercise, if you can follow some tips, you can avoid diabetes. Let’s have a look at some low-calorie snacks that will help you avoid diabetes.

Snacks you can eat if you have diabetes

If you have diabetes, you must have food at regular intervals. Eating after long gap can increase or decrease your blood sugar level and you might fall sick. So, you should eat snacks, but keep in mind, avoid the foods mentioned above that increase the level of sugar in the blood. The overall calorie of food (as per serving) should be 100-200 calories.  The total carbohydrate level should be within 50 calories.

Whole grain crackers with cottage cheese, grapes: Whole grain contains fiber and that reduces sugar level in blood. I teaspoon of cottage cheese with a handful of grapes will be a good choice of snack for a person who has diabetes.  Calories: 139, total carbohydrates: 21.2 gm, dietary fiber: 1.5 gm, sugar: 1.9 gm.

Lean meat and pineapples: Chicken or lean part of red meat could be considered as lean meat. Shred pieces of chicken and then stir fry in olive oil, add sesame seeds and then mix with chopped pineapples.  Calories: 140.5, total carbohydrates: 17.5 gm, dietary fiber: 3.3 gm, sugar: 10.24 gm, sodium: 1.175 mg.

Green beans and apples: Toss some dull and unexciting green beans in olive oil. Add garlic flakes and then serve with chopped apples for taste. This snack will be easy, tasty as well as of low calorie.  Calories: 200, total carbohydrates: 20.4 gm, Dietary fiber: 4.9 gm, sugar: 7.2 gm.

Mushroom and avocado: Boil button mushrooms, toss with olive oil and serve with sliced avocado.  You may garnish with chopped spring onions and add salt for taste. Mushroom is low calorie but protein-rich food item. Calories: 100, Total carbohydrates: 16.4 gm, Sugar: 6.5 gm.

Homemade popcorn:  Popcorn is a high fiber food and without an additive. Take popcorn in the heavy-bottomed medium pot. Heat oil, bring the popcorn, cover the container with a lid and allow cooking for 2-3 minutes. The popcorn will burst into fluffy white grains and then you may enjoy as a snack. Add little parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and allspice for taste. Calories: 50, Total carbohydrate: 5.9 gm, Dietary fiber: 1.4 gm and sugar: 0.2 gm.

Leek and carrot, yogurt dip: Carrot is rich in carotene and other vitamins. The raw vegetable is rich in minerals, protein, and vitamins. Yogurt is protein-rich and helps in stabilizing hunger pangs, maintains blood sugar, and provides calcium for healthy bones.  A simple dip can be created with yogurt which can be enjoyed with vegetable. Calories: 45, Total carbohydrate: 5.4 gm, dietary fiber: 1.5 gm, sugars: 2.6 gm.

Oats pulao: Oats is rich in fiber. A combination of carrot, bell pepper, sweet corn, and spring onions will make it a delicious dish. Chop the veggies and dash them in a frying pan. Toss all the vegetables together and then add oats. The oats should be pan-fried before adding. Add water in small proportions. Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves. Calories: 90, total carbohydrates:  6 gm, dietary fiber: 3.4 gm, sugar: 1.5 gm.

Mixed vegetable and sweet corn salad: Consume raw vegetables for better results. It contains vitamins, antioxidants, minerals, and protein. Chop carrot, bell pepper, spring onion, tomato, cauliflower and steam a bit to make them soft. Toss a bit of olive oil and black pepper. Add sweet corn and then mix with the entire content. Squeeze lime juice all over, and then enjoy the tantalizing snack. Calories: 75, Total carbohydrates: 7 gm. Dietary fiber: 1.2 gm, sugar: 2.4 mg.

Zucchini and cheese: Grate zucchini; add grated garlic, cheddar cheese, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, mix the content and make smaller dough. Now flatten the dough and place them inside the oven. Bake them for 15 minutes on either side. Resultant zucchini and cheese cutlet is ready to be munched.  Calories: 80, protein: 3 gm, total carbohydrate: 8 gm, protein: 2 gm, sugar: 3.4 gm.

What are the advantages of a low carbohydrate snacks?

Theories are supporting a low carb diet for diabetics. While fat is essential for the body, carbohydrate is a big ‘no.’

• Advantage on blood sugar and insulin level: By curbing down on the amount of carbohydrate, it has a positive effect on the blood sugar level, and also the insulin level is maintained. High sugar is detrimental in all cases of type1 and type2 diabetes. It’s even a threat to cancer and dementia.
• A diet which is high in healthy fat keeps the hunger cravings away for a long time.  People preferring low carbohydrate diet suffers lesser from hunger cravings.
• Low carb diet proves to be good for the heart as it stimulates lower triglycerides and increased level of HDL. It causes weight loss and reduces systematic inflammation.
• Low carbohydrate diet promotes weight loss: It’s seen that a person, who undergoes low carb diet for some considerable time, undergoes weight loss in a lesser period.

Thus, we can see from the above read that low carb snacks are undoubtedly one of the productive eating options that diabetics have to keep themselves fit despite the implied restrictions. Moreover, the low carb snacks especially those mentioned above also help diabetics to contain their blood sugar level thereby encourage them to lead a normal life effectively.