Diabetes might bring with it certain diet restrictions, and making meal plans with such limitations is not easy. However, with a little awareness and deliberation, one can plan a healthy diet rich in nutrients and low in calories and fats. While meals are comparatively easy to put together, snacks are more challenging. To help you with that, here are five natural foods that make great snacks for diabetics:
Fruits
Fresh fruits are an ideal snack for diabetics because they contain fiber, vitamins A and C, and a host of micronutrients. Apples, avocados, berries, grapes, grapefruits, figs, oranges, pears, peaches, cherries, and plums are fruits low on the glycemic index and allow blood glucose to rise slowly and steadily. One can enjoy these fresh fruits as a snack or add their choice of fruits to overnight oats for natural sweetness.
Vegetables
One of the natural foods that make great snacks for diabetics, raw vegetables like cherry tomatoes, carrots, celery, bell pepper, snow peas, and cucumber make great choices for a healthy salad. Mix diced raw vegetables with crumbled low-fat ricotta cheese and sprinkle black pepper powder over this for a healthy diabetic snack. Else, one can have natural, uncooked veggies with a bowl of well-seasoned hummus dip.
Seeds, nuts, and legumes
Delicious and crunchy sunflower seeds contain proteins, vitamins, linoleic acid, and oleic acid, and a host of minerals like copper, iron, selenium, manganese, and calcium. The chlorogenic acid in sunflower seeds controls blood sugar levels. Diabetics can have 2 spoonfuls of dry roasted pumpkin or sunflower seeds as a snack or add them to a bowl of warm soup or their overnight oats jar.
- Loaded with protein and fiber, garbanzo is an excellent snack for diabetics as it can stabilize blood glucose levels and prevent the worsening of diabetes. Enjoy dry roasted chickpeas dusted with turmeric powder, paprika, and just a little salt. One can also mix cooked garbanzo with finely chopped cucumber, raw mangoes, and crumbled low-fat cottage cheese for a diabetes-friendly protein-rich snack.
Popcorn
Low-calorie, fiber-rich popcorn is a natural food that makes a great snack for diabetics. Maintaining a healthy weight helps with stability in blood glucose levels, and popping the corn at home and adding natural flavors is the best way to enjoy a healthy snack that aids weight loss. One can sprinkle freshly popped corn with a pinch of cinnamon powder and paprika powder for a new twist in taste and flavor.
Eggs
Hard-boiled eggs are rich in protein, and having two eggs every day for 3 months has proven to lower fasting sugar levels. The protein keeps a person feeling full and keeps blood glucose levels stable. One can hard-boil the eggs, sprinkle mineral-rich Himalayan pink salt and freshly crushed black pepper, and dig into them when they feel hungry in between meals. Else, one can slather some guacamole on the egg whites and garnish with chives for a delicious and healthy snack.
