The Best Snacks For Any Time Of Day

To snack or not to snack?

Often times, it feels like there’s a wide variety of opinions when it comes to ‘eating healthy’.

So let’s keep it simple.

When we have snacks planned throughout the day, we’re not as hungry when we arrive to our next meal. And when we’re not as hungry, we’re less likely to overeat.

Ok, ok…pretty straight forward. No surprises there.

But what we often forget, is that snacking has the power to also stabilize our blood sugar from going too high or too low between meals.

And while this all sounds good on paper, sometimes the most difficult part is knowing WHAT to eat as a snack.

We have enough to think about each day, let’s not overcomplicate something that’s intended to be enjoyed, while providing great benefits to our health.

Here’s exactly what we need to know about snacking when it comes to diabetes…

1. ASSESS.

There’s a number of reasons why we get hungry throughout the day, so it’s good to be aware and to listen to our body. Sometimes we may not be as hungry as we think, but we tend to eat out of habit, boredom, or stress at work.

I like to assess with a test…by first drinking a glass of water. Strange advice, right? Well, slight dehydration (which is very common) can make us feel hungrier than we actually are.

2. TIMING.

The types of snacks we choose can be better determined based on the time of our last meal. If it has been less than 3 hours since we ate, we’ll want to choose a snack that contains non-starchy vegetables, healthy fats, and proteins.

Good options to try:

• 2 cups of sliced cucumbers and bell peppers with 1-2 tablespoons of guacamole.
• ¼ cup of unsalted nuts or seeds (almonds, walnuts, pecans, sunflower seeds)
• 1 hard boiled egg + 1 cup chopped veggies of choice
• String cheese
• Plain Greek yogurt

If it has been more than 3-4 hours since your last meal, we can create a balanced snack by combining a serving of carbs (~15 grams) with a healthy protein.

Good options to try:

• 1 tablespoon of natural almond butter with 1 small apple
• 1 cup of blueberries and ¼ cup almonds
• 1 ounce of natural cheese with 1 serving of whole wheat crackers
• ½ turkey sandwich on whole wheat bread with tomato and lettuce
• 1/2 cup of shelled edamame
• 1/2 cup of roasted garbanzo beans
• 1 cup of strawberries with 1 hard boiled egg
• 1 cup of sliced vegetables with 1-2 tablespoons of hummus

And what about the mysterious “bedtime snack”?!

We’ve all probably been told, at one time or another, that eating after dinner is a bad idea…but it actually depends on what we’re eating.

It’s best to not go more than 10 hours between the last time we eat in the evening and the first time we eat the next morning.

With that in mind, a bedtime snack (about 1-2 hours before we go to sleep) can actually help reduce fasting blood sugar levels. 

Bedtime snacks should have 10-15 grams of carbs and include a healthy protein source (refer to options above).

We each have different schedules and unique needs, so be sure to evaluate your individual meals throughout the day to determine which snacks work best for you.

But most importantly, don’t forget to listen to your body and eat if you’re hungry

If you’re craving some additional snack ideas, these Spring Strawberry Salad Wraps and Sweet Potato Fries are a couple of my crowd-pleasing favorites!