Making healthy snack choices

Morning and afternoon snacks may be recommended for people with diabetes, but follow your dietitian’s advice. Options include fruit and vege sticks, low-fat yoghurt and small low-fat muffins. Avoid foods high in fat and energy, such as pies and pastries. Also watch the intake of high carbohydrate foods. ‘Diabetic’ sweets may use sorbitol or fructose which can cause diarrhoea if eaten in large amounts.

Snacks and sweets

BETTER BUYS

• Fruit is an excellent snack
• Vegetable sticks (with/without low-fat dip)
• Wholegrain sandwiches and filled rolls (watch dressings and butter content)
• Wholegrain cereals
• Low-fat milk
• Low-fat yoghurt
• Low-fat wholegrain crackers/crispbreads/ biscuits
• Small-sized low-fat muffins or scones
• Oven-baked pretzels
• Sugar-free chewing gum
• Low-fat mini or bite-size fruit bars
• Plain popcorn.

GOOD TO KNOW

• Fruit, popcorn, bread, biscuits, crackers, cake, yoghurt and potato/rice/corn based snacks are high carbohydrate foods
• Eating too many carbohydrate snacks may raise blood glucose levels above desirable levels
• Morning and afternoon tea snacks may not be necessary, ask your dietitian
• Try mini or bite-sized bars as a snack rather than full-sized bars.

LABEL INFORMATION

Choose muesli bars with less than 10g fat per 100g and more than 6g fibre per 100g.
Beware: Many low-fat muesli bars are high in sugar. Choose a muesli bar with the lowest sugar content as well.

WATCH POINTS

• Chips, corn chips, other fried snacks, reduced cream and sour cream dips, pies and pastries are high in fat and energy
• Lollies, chocolates, roll-ups, dried fruit and muesli bars are all high carbohydrate foods and can raise blood glucose levels above desirable, especially when eaten as extras
  
• Chocolate (including 'diabetic' chocolate) and carob are high in fat and energy
• Diabetic sweets may contain sorbitol or fructose,which, if eaten in large amounts, may cause stomach cramps and diarrhoea
• Banana chips are often high in fat and sugar.

For information on what to shop for in other food categories, see the Food & Nutrition section on the Diabetes New Zealand website (contact details below under 'Further Information and Support').

Related topics

Also see: Reading food labels - 'how to' guide

Original material provided by Diabetes New Zealand, 2008. Edited by everybody, August 2011.