June 27, 2023
Healthy Late-Night Snacks for Type 2 Diabetes
Enjoying a late-night snack while living with type 2 diabetes may feel impossible at times. Cravings are inevitable, and restricting yourself leaves you feeling miserable. There are many late-night snacks that can be eaten to help subside the cravings, as well as maintain a healthy lifestyle. Reaching out to your region’s lifestyle coach to discover when it is necessary to consume certain snacks to manage blood sugar levels is the first step.
At night, blood sugar tends to rise or drop due to certain circumstances. Blood sugar can drop due to the need for a late-night snack, taking too much medication or insulin with dinner, or exercising strenuously before bedtime. Blood sugar can rise due to sickness (cold or flu), not taking enough medication or insulin with dinner, or because stress levels are high.
Certain foods can keep blood sugar levels stable overnight. Those foods include anything with high levels of protein, measured carbohydrates, and healthy fats in moderation. Balance truly is key to maintain blood sugar and cure the cravings.
Best bedtime snacks include:
• Vegetables and Hummus. These contain low sources of calories, fats, and carbohydrates, while simultaneously containing high sources of protein and vitamins. Dip your carrots, celery sticks, or cucumber slices in hummus for a nutritious snack before bed.
• Apples and peanut butter. Both provide a range of nutrients to cure cravings. Apples offer a wide variety of minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants; peanut butter is rich in protein, healthy fats, and fiber.
• Greek yogurt with berries. This is a good source of protein and fiber. Greek yogurt contains half the carbohydrates as regular yogurt, while supporting better digestive and heart health.
• Air popped popcorn with a mix of nuts. This snack is savory as much as it is healthy. Packed with vitamins, minerals, fiber, and protein, air popped popcorn is a perfect go-to.
Contact your ENCD healthcare team to see if late night snacks are beneficial for your health journey. We are here to help.
Sources: