3424: Type 2 Diabetes Friendly Snacks for When You're Short on Time by Jacquelyn Cafasso with Healthline

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[00:00:55] This is Optimal Health Daily. Type 2 diabetes friendly snacks for when you're short on time. By Jacquelyn Cafasso with Healthline.com. And I'm Dr. Neal Malik, your very own personal narrator. This is where I read to you from some of the best health and fitness blogs on the web. Kind of like an ongoing audiobook. And always with a bit of my commentary at the end.

[00:01:19] Now, I'm really excited to read this article to you. Helping those with type 2 diabetes was one of my practice areas and a topic which I spent quite a bit of time researching. But I'll talk more about that at the end during my commentary. So, for now, let's get right to today's post as we optimize your life.

[00:01:42] Type 2 diabetes friendly snacks for when you're short on time. By Jacquelyn Cafasso with Healthline.com. Overview. Having type 2 diabetes means you should be mindful about what you snack on. You'll need to do your best to keep your blood sugar levels under control. If you're carb counting, a bag of potato chips or a few cookies isn't going to cut it. But snack time doesn't have to be complicated or boring.

[00:02:09] Here are some grab-and-go snacks that can be healthy picks when you have type 2 diabetes. 1. A handful of nuts. Nuts are an excellent source of protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals. Plus, they're super easy to grab when you're in a rush. Pecans, macadamia nuts, peanuts, walnuts, and almonds are all terrific choices. While nuts are low in carbs, they're also high in calories.

[00:02:37] So you'll need to watch your portion size. One serving of nuts is roughly 1 ounce or 28 grams. This means roughly 24 almonds, 12 macadamia nuts, or 35 peanuts. Studies show that having at least 5 servings of nuts per week is significantly associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. So, feel free to make this your daily snack. 2. Veggie sticks and hummus.

[00:03:07] Carrots, bell peppers, cucumbers, and celery sticks are great for dipping into hummus. These colorful veggies are full of antioxidants and fiber. Hummus is made from chickpeas, making it high in both protein and fiber. Chickpeas have a low glycemic index, which means that hummus won't cause a spike in your blood sugar. 3. Peanut butter and celery sticks.

[00:03:33] Celery contains virtually no calories, but lots of fiber and antioxidants. Dip some celery into a tablespoon or two of peanut butter for extra protein to help keep you full and help control your blood sugar. 4. Plain, low-fat Greek yogurt with berries. Greek yogurt is high in protein and a great source of calcium. Make sure you choose plain, unsweetened yogurt. Limit flavored or sweetened yogurts,

[00:04:02] as they likely contain lots of sugar and carbohydrates. Top your yogurt with a few raspberries, blackberries, or blueberries to add some sweetness. These berries are high in antioxidants and fiber, but surprisingly low in sugar. 5. Popcorn. Air-popped popcorn is a great snack option for those with type 2 diabetes. The amount of fiber in popcorn will help keep you full and prevent you from giving into cravings for sweets.

[00:04:30] Keep in mind that most of the calories in popcorn come from carbohydrates, so be sure to watch your serving size. Aim for about 3 cups of popped popcorn, which contains roughly 19 grams of carbohydrates and 165 calories. You can buy pre-popped popcorn, but make sure to check the nutrition facts. Avoid hydrogenated fats and added sugars. Stay away from movie theater-style popcorn too,

[00:04:58] as it contains a lot of unhealthy fats and salt. 6. String cheese. You can purchase pre-packaged low-fat string cheese for when you're really in a rush to get out the door. Cheese is high in protein and contains very little carbohydrate. Cheese can be high in sodium though, so make sure to read the label. Sodium can elevate blood pressure and lead to heart problems. Try to choose a low-sodium option when possible.

[00:05:25] The United States Department of Agriculture, or USDA, recommends that you eat less than 2,300 milligrams of sodium per day. 7. Hard-boiled eggs. Boiling eggs takes just 10 to 15 minutes, and you can prepare them ahead of time for your busy week. Eggs are a wonderful source of protein and contain only a half a gram of carbohydrates. 8. Sliced apples and almond butter.

[00:05:53] This snack is super quick and easy to make. Cut up an apple and dip the slices into a tablespoon of store-bought almond butter for a healthy and filling treat that's high in fiber and protein. If you're worried about controlling your portion size, you can buy individual almond butter packets to make it easy to measure a serving size on the go. 9. Olives. Olives contain a ton of healthy fats, along with iron, calcium, fiber, and vitamin A.

[00:06:23] Olives are also abundant in phytonutrients, which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. A quick snack of 5 to 10 olives could be enough to satisfy a food craving. A serving of 8 kalamata olives only has about 2 grams of carbohydrates and 90 calories. 10. Frozen fruit. If you're craving some ice cream, you might be able to satisfy your craving with a cup of frozen fruit.

[00:06:51] Mango, grapes, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries taste amazing, whether they're fresh or frozen. 11. Avocado toast. Avocados are low in carbs and loaded with healthy fats and fiber. In fact, the monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated fat present in avocados may help raise your HDL or good cholesterol levels and reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke.

[00:07:20] Avocados are also low in carbohydrates, which means they won't cause a spike in blood sugar. Spread about half of an avocado on a piece of toasted wheat bread for a satisfying snack. 12. Sugar-free gelatin. Sugar-free gelatin doesn't really contain anything nutritious, but if you're in the mood for something sweet, you can grab one of these snack packs on your way out. You can add a dollop of sugar-free whipped topping for a more flavorful treat.

[00:07:49] If you're making your own at home and to make it a bit more filling, add up to one cup part-skim ricotta cheese. 13. Plain water. Before you grab a snack, take a few sips of water. You may easily mistake thirst for hunger. Once you're hydrated, you may find that you don't need a snack after all. The takeaway. When you have type 2 diabetes,

[00:08:14] you can snack smart by aiming for items high in protein and fiber, but low in sodium and sugar. Know your portion sizes beforehand, and don't forget to count the carbohydrates into your overall meal plan. The American Diabetes Association advises that a diabetes-friendly snack should have under 20 grams of carbohydrates. You just listened to the post titled,

[00:08:43] Type 2 Diabetes Friendly Snacks for When You're Short on Time, by Jacqueline Cofaso with Healthline.com. And I'll be right back with my commentary. If you're a small business, the right hire can be make or break. Hoping the right people see your job posting isn't the best growth strategy. When the pressure's on and you need the right hire, this is a job for sponsored jobs. Join the 3.3 million employers worldwide that use Indeed to connect with quality talent that fits their needs.

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[00:10:10] Eligible students get a year of Microsoft 365 Premium and a year of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate with a custom color Xbox wireless controller. Learn more at windows.com slash student offer. While supplies last, ends June 30th. Terms at aka.ms slash college PC. Dr. Neal Malik here for my commentary. As I mentioned at the beginning, type 2 diabetes was an area I specialized in for my research and it was a specialty area for me when I was a practicing dietician. Now I should mention that type 2 diabetes

[00:10:39] is just one form of diabetes, hence the name type 2. There's also a type 1, also known as insulin-dependent diabetes. And there's actually another form of it called gestational diabetes that affects only pregnant women. Okay, so even though there are these different diabetes types, they all have one thing in common. Too much sugar floating around in the bloodstream. That's what type 2 diabetes means. In fact, the full name of the disease

[00:11:07] is diabetes mellitus or mellitus. What that basically translates to is sweet-tasting urine. That's how they used to diagnose it way back in the day, thousands of years ago. Doctors would taste the patient's urine to see if it tasted sweet, which meant there was a disorder with regards to their sugar metabolism. Gross, I know. Luckily today, we have blood tests to test for diabetes.

[00:11:33] So, the bottom line is we don't want a whole lot of sugar floating around in the blood. That means there's a problem with sugar metabolism. Now, all of the snack suggestions in today's article were perfect for keeping blood sugar levels in check, which is again what we want with any form of diabetes. In fact, one takeaway that I would tell my patients, I would say, if there's one thing you need to remember from you meeting with me today, it's this.

[00:12:02] Anytime you have a carbohydrate, like crackers, rice, pasta, cereal, fruit, doesn't matter if it's a carb, have some protein with it. Anytime you have a carb, if you have a cracker, top it with some sort of nut butter or cheese. If you have fruit, have some cheese with it. Have an apple with peanut butter. Carb protein. This will help keep blood sugar levels in check and adding the protein is the trick.

[00:12:31] Now, if you were to listen again to the snack tips from today's article, you'll find that most of the suggested foods were good sources of protein. So, for those with diabetes, the one tip that can make a huge difference when it comes to better management of the condition, anytime you have a carb, have a protein with it. All right, that'll do it for the Monday episode. I hope you're having a great start to your week and I'll be back here tomorrow as usual where your optimal life awaits.