IN THIS CHAPTER
Making the right snack choices
Controlling carb counts
Paying attention to nutrition facts on packaged snacks
If you face a long time between meals, sometimes a healthy snack is just what you need to keep your energy levels up. An afternoon snack may curb your appetite enough to make portion control at dinner easier to achieve. If you go into dinner too hungry, it is easy to overeat.
However, too much snacking can sabotage blood-glucose and weight-control efforts. Afternoon snack attacks can lead to elevated blood-glucose levels before dinner, which then climb even higher after dinner. Evening is when many people kick their feet up and relax, which means elevated blood-glucose levels are slower to come back down. Late-night snacking can compound the problem. Effects can be lasting and result in elevated fasting blood-glucose levels the next day.
One fairly common reason for excessive afternoon snacking, or overeating at dinner, is skimping or skipping breakfast or lunch meals. It’s better to have three main meals roughly four to six hours apart to better distribute carbs and help regulate appetite. Chapters 19 , 20 , and 21 provide carb-controlled menu ideas for breakfasts, lunches, and dinners.
On the other hand, sometimes a snack is needed to prevent the blood-glucose levels from dropping, especially in relation to exercise. Blood-glucose monitoring is a critical component of diabetes management. Checking blood glucose will help you determine whether you need a snack, and if so, how much. Monitoring can also show how you respond to snacks. This chapter provides ideas on planning snacks in various carb ranges and tips for choosing packaged snacks.
It’s important to be mindful about what you eat. Shop for and stock up on healthy snacks for the home and the workplace. Don’t go shopping when you’re hungry because it’s much harder to resist temptation, and the wrong things may end up in your cart. When hungry, people tend to want to satisfy hunger quickly. Making the right choices in the moment is easier if you have planned healthy snacks in advance. Pack your own snacks when possible. Prepare and portion appropriately. If you do find yourself buying a packaged snack, take the time to read and compare labels.
If you use insulin, consider the need to cover the carbs in your snacks. Have a discussion with your healthcare provider regarding insulin dosing decisions related to snacking.
Choosing Carb-Controlled Snacks
Many foods are naturally low in carbs or have no carbs at all. For example, meat, fish, chicken, cheese, eggs, nuts, tofu, avocado, leafy greens, nonstarchy vegetables, and olives are all examples of foods with few or no carbs, so these foods don’t have much effect on blood-glucose levels.
Beware, though; some low-carb foods are high in calories and fat. Although meat and cheese don’t have carbs and don’t raise blood-glucose levels, you should be mindful of the fact that they can be significant contributors of calories and saturated fat depending on portions consumed. For example, bacon won’t raise blood-glucose levels, but that doesn’t mean it’s a healthy choice. There are best-bet options within the low-carb foods. Lean meats are better for you than fatty meats when it comes to heart and hips.
This section provides snack ideas. Snack options may be single food items, such as string cheese, or easy-to-assemble snacks, which incorporate a few foods. Each of the snack ideas in this section lists the amount of total carb, fiber, and calories. One table each is devoted to snacks in the following carb ranges: 0–10 grams, 10–20 grams, and 20–30 grams. The following tips can help you choose the best carb range for a given snack:
· If your blood-glucose levels are above target but you are hungry, choose a snack with few or no carbs; see the list with 0–10 grams of carb per snack.
· If you need a bit more carb to tide you over between meals, consider a snack with 10–20 grams of carb.
· For active days, or when you need a carb boost, choose from the list of snacks with 20–30 grams of carb.
The tables provide the total carb count and the amount of fiber. Because fiber does not digest, you can subtract the grams of fiber (in the second column) from the total grams of carb (in the first column). Doing this is especially important if you use insulin-to-carb ratios in order to calculate a more accurate dose of insulin. (Check out Chapter 6 for more about these ratios.)
There may be variability in some ingredients used in the snack ideas, so when indicated, be sure to compare labels to verify pertinent nutrition information such as carbohydrates, fiber, fat, and calories.
|
Snack Ideas, Each with 0–10 Grams of Carb |
Total Carb Grams |
Fiber Grams |
Calories |
|
1 hard-boiled egg |
0 |
0 |
78 |
|
1 ounce part-skim or reduced-fat string cheese |
0.5 |
0 |
80 |
|
1 ounce fresh mozzarella cheese on 2 sliced tomatoes ½ teaspoon olive oil and fresh basil leaves Total |
2 0 2 |
1 0 1 |
82 20 102 |
|
½ cup 1 percent low-fat cottage cheese |
3 |
0 |
80 |
|
25 pistachio nuts |
4.8 |
1.8 |
100 |
|
20 raw pea pods (snow peas or sugar snap peas) |
5.2 |
1.8 |
29 |
|
½ avocado, Hass-California type 1 tablespoon lemon juice Total |
5.8 1 6.8 |
4.6 0 4.6 |
114 4 118 |
|
6 ounces nonfat Greek yogurt (read labels) |
7 |
0 |
100 |
|
3 ounces cooked shrimp 2 tablespoons cocktail sauce (read labels) Total |
0 7.5 7.5 |
0 0.5 0.5 |
84 30 114 |
|
1 stalk raw celery — 12 inches long 2 tablespoons natural peanut butter (no added sugars) Total |
2.1 6 8.1 |
1 2 3 |
9 210 219 |
|
5 baby carrots, 1 cup raw veggies such as sliced bell peppers and celery ¼ cup light ranch salad dressing Total |
6 3 9 |
2 0 2 |
30 80 110 |
|
¼ cup canned pink salmon or tuna, drained 4 whole-wheat crackers (check labels) Total |
0 9 9 |
0 0.5 0.5 |
90 48 138 |
|
½ cup shelled cooked edamame (green soybeans) |
9 |
4 |
100 |
|
2 cups microwave light-butter popcorn |
10 |
2 |
70 |
|
Snack Ideas, Each with 10–20 Grams of Carb |
Total Carb Grams |
Fiber Grams |
Calories |
|
¼ cup hummus 10 baby carrots Total |
8 4 12 |
2 1 3 |
140 20 160 |
|
6 ounces nonfat yogurt; plain or sweetened with sugar substitute (read labels) |
13 |
0 |
95 |
|
1 small apple (4 ounces — the size of a tennis ball) 1 ounce part-skim or reduced-fat string cheese Total |
14 0.5 14.5 |
2 0 2 |
60 80 140 |
|
3 cups of microwave light-butter popcorn |
15 |
3 |
105 |
|
6 round crackers such as whole-wheat Ritz ¾ ounce slice of reduced fat cheese, cut in 6 pieces 2 large pitted olives, sliced Assemble olives and cheese on crackers. Total |
13.2 1 1 15.2 |
1.2 0 0 1.2 |
84 70 15 169 |
|
1 medium orange |
15.4 |
3.1 |
62 |
|
2 graham cracker squares (1 rectangular sheet) 1 tablespoon softened light cream cheese, blended with 1 teaspoon fruit preserves Spread cream cheese and preserve mixture on crackers. Total |
12 1 3 16 |
0.5 0 0 0.5 |
65 35 12 112 |
|
½ whole-grain English muffin, plain or toasted 1 tablespoon natural peanut butter (no added sugars) Total |
12.5 3 16.5 |
0.5 1 1.5 |
60 105 155 |
|
1 cup cubed cantaloupe ½ cup 1 percent low-fat cottage cheese Total |
13.7 3 16.7 |
1.4 0 1.4 |
53 80 133 |
|
2 rice cakes (4-inch diameter) 1 tablespoon almond butter Total |
14 3 17 |
0 2 2 |
70 95 165 |
|
½ cup marinated three-bean salad (read labels) |
18 |
3 |
80 |
|
1 slice of whole-wheat bread (read labels) Egg salad: 1 hard-boiled egg, 1 teaspoon mayo, minced celery/onion to taste Total |
18 1 19 |
2 0 2 |
90 105 195 |
|
Snack Ideas, Each with 20–30 Grams of Carb |
Total Carb Grams |
Fiber Grams |
Calories |
|
4 cups microwave light-butter popcorn |
20 |
4 |
140 |
|
1 ounce baked tortilla chips 2 tablespoons guacamole Total |
22 2 24 |
2 2 4 |
120 50 170 |
|
6 ounces nonfat yogurt; plain or sweetened with sugar substitute (read labels) ¾ cup blackberries Total |
13 11 24 |
0 5.7 5.7 |
95 46 141 |
|
⅔ cup cooked mini pasta shells 1 tablespoon basil pesto sauce Total |
23.4 1 24.4 |
1.4 0 1.4 |
120 70 190 |
|
20 mini pretzels (1 ounce) |
25 |
0.5 |
110 |
|
15 dry-roasted peanuts 1 ounce raisins (mini box) Total |
3.2 22 25.2 |
1.2 2 3.2 |
88 90 178 |
|
2 slices whole-grain “thin-sliced” bread 2 ounces sliced roasted turkey breast 1 teaspoon mustard, lettuce leaf, 2 slices tomato Total |
24 0 2 26 |
6 0 1 7 |
120 60 11 191 |
|
½ whole-wheat pita bread (1 ounce) filled with: ¼ cup hummus 4 cucumber slices, 2 tomato slices, lettuce leaf Total |
15 8 3 26 |
2 2 2 6 |
80 140 15 235 |
|
1 whole-wheat English muffin 2 tablespoons marinara sauce 1 ounce shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese Spread sauce and sprinkle cheese on English muffin, and broil until bubbly. Total |
23 2.5 1 26.5 |
3 0.5 0 3.5 |
120 15 80 215 |
|
1 whole-wheat flour tortilla (8-inch size, read labels) 1 ounce 2 percent reduced-fat shredded cheese 2 tablespoons tomato salsa Sprinkle tortilla with cheese; heat in oven at 350 degrees or heat in pan until cheese melts. Top with salsa. Total |
26 1 3 29 |
3 0 1 2 |
130 80 10 240 |
Picking Packaged Snacks
When it comes to pre-packaged snack foods, picking wisely is critical. Read the Nutrition Facts food labels. Chapter 7 provides label-reading guidelines on how to identify portion sizes, calories, carbs, fiber, sugar, protein, fat, sodium, and cholesterol.
Label claims on the front of the package don’t always tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth! An item that claims to be “carb smart” may end up being high in calories and fat. Something promoted as “low fat” may be a salty or sugary carb catastrophe. The front of the package is designed to hook you and reel you in. Check the Nutrition Facts label for how much you’re going to be eating in terms of portion size and grams of carb. Consider other pertinent information such as calories, fiber, and fat. Read through the ingredients list to see what the product is made of.
One package isn’t necessarily one portion. However, it can be more economical to buy in bulk. The down side of buying the larger container is that it may be harder to limit yourself to eating just one serving. Take, for example, a big bag of pita chips that says there are “seven servings per container.” If you pop the bag open in the car and nibble while driving, it isn’t hard to imagine that the bag could easily be empty by the time you arrive at your destination. One serving of pita chips isn’t a bad choice at all. But seven servings of pita chips could end up being over 900 calories and more than 130 grams of carb. That’s a problem.
If you buy packages that hold multiple servings, divvy up the container into separate portions and put individual servings into small zip-lock bags or appropriate reusable containers. Snacks will be ready to go and portion controlled. Anyone in the household can do this for the person with diabetes. When learning to count carbs, it helps to write the carb count in felt-tip marker on the zip-lock bag, or on a sticky note or label. After seeing the carb count for the portioned amount several times, everyone gets better at estimating carbs.