Many people think that diabetics must live a very austere life with little or no gastronomic pleasure. The fact is, a carefully planned diabetic diet can be very enjoyable and tasty. After all, herbs and spices contain no carbohydrates or sugar! Creative cookery can result in a diabetic diet that will benefit everyone in the family. Surprisingly, one of the most important aspects of a satisfying diabetic diet is snacks. Knowing what you can grab quickly to satisfy your hunger between meals goes a long way toward staying happy and satisfied. Read on to learn what you should have on hand when you feel a mite peckish.
When choosing healthy diabetic snacks, it is important to make choices that are low in simple carbohydrates and contain less than 150 calories. While you may think it would be a good idea to go to the diet, low fat or diabetic foods aisle in the grocery store and just stock up on 150-calorie packaged snacks, nothing could be further from the truth. All of those pre-packaged snacks are just processed food. They generally contain lots of chemicals and artificial ingredients and very little nutrition. Ideally, your snack and meal choices should be natural, healthful and consist of whole foods that provide complex carbohydrates.
One excellent snack and meal idea is homemade vegetable soup. Find a simple recipe to follow and use organic veggies if you can. If you cannot, just do your best with fresh produce or even frozen produce. Read up on herbs and spices and tweak your recipe to make it your own. Keep a pot in the fridge to dip out a cupful as a snack or make a big pot on the weekend and freeze individual portions to take to work or enjoy in the future.
Remember that it is important to get enough protein to keep your blood sugar levels stable and to give you extended energy. A couple of ounces of dry roasted nuts or a small serving of peanut butter and crackers can satisfy your appetite and help you through until your next meal.
Keep carrot and celery sticks cut up and stored in a jar of fresh water in your refrigerator. Enjoy them with homemade hummus dip. This is easy to whip up in your blender using a can of garbanzo beans and chopped garlic, onion and olive oil to taste. Garbanzo beans are an excellent source of protein.
String cheese is also a low fat, high protein snack that is very tasty with an apple or pear. This is a fine snack to have between meals or just before bed to help stabilize your blood sugar levels.
Fresh fruit is always and excellent, healthful, natural snack. In the summertime, it is great to enjoy frozen fruit such as bananas and grapes.
It is a good idea to establish a regular schedule of meals and snacks. Generally speaking, having light meals at breakfast, lunch and dinner and planned, healthful snacks in the middle of the morning, mid-afternoon and an hour or two before bedtime will help keep your blood sugar levels stable and your appetite satisfied. Be sure to take the time to sit at the table with your food on a plate when you eat. This will give you a good break. You will enjoy your meal or snack more and derive greater satisfaction from it.
Creating a healthy food plan when you have diabetes is the smart thing to do. Your efforts will go far to helping you keep your diabetes under control. If you have children, your proactive steps toward wellness will help them avoid diabetes in the future. Follow the tips presented here to enjoy healthy snacking, even with diabetes.
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