Inexpensive and Diabetes-Friendly Snacks

Having diabetes doesn't mean that you need to purchase “special” food!Snacks for people with diabetes are foods that can work for the entire family. While watching quantity and portion size is important for people with diabetes, it doesn’t mean that what you eat has to taste bad.Here are some simple, inexpensive snacks for people with diabetes.Apple and Cheddar CheeseSkip the expensive apples that are sold by weight and buy a whole bag of apples instead. The apples in these bags are generally smaller and cost much less than the other apples. Plus, they’ll last for a while when stored in a cool place. It’s helpful if you include some protein with your carbohydrates, in order to keep your blood sugar stable.?Try pairing a slice of cheddar cheese with that apple. One small apple can be cut into 4 wedges. Cut one ½ inch slice of cheese from a bar of low-fat cheese (bars are less expensive than cheese slices and will last a long time in your refrigerator), and add it to the apple. Each wedge with cheese is about 30 calories, with around 5 carbs per snack.Assorted VegetablesCarrots and celery are inexpensive and keep well in the refrigerator. Paired with a little peanut butter, which also stores well, they’re a healthful snack that fills you up! If you have room for a garden, try growing your own carrots and celery. Not only does it save even more money, but it provides you with the added bonus of exercise when planting, weeding, and harvesting. Plus, the end results are delicious, inexpensive vegetables that you grew yourself! These vegetables are basically carbohydrate-free. Peanut butter has approximately 100 calories per tablespoon and 8 grams of carbohydrate. A little peanut butter goes a long way when vegetables are dipped in it instead of spread with it.Sugar-Free GelatinSugar-free gelatin is inexpensive and stores well. You can basically eat as much as you like (within reason) since there are no calories or carbohydrates in this food.Frozen GrapesYes, frozen! Wash red, seedless grapes and place them on a cookie sheet. Put the sheet in the freezer until the grapes are frozen, then take the grapes off the sheet and store them in a sealed freezer bag. They’ll keep for months in the freezer. Roughly 20 average-sized grapes have 70 calories and 18 grams of carbohydrate.By Karla Logston, RN, BS, CDEWhat do you think? Would you like to see all that great information on a single, handy-dandy handout? Well, your wish is my command! Here's a free handout with a guide to diabetes-friendly snacks. Get your copy today!And, as always, the Nutrition Education Store is full of health and nutrition education materials. Check out these wonderful resources for living with or preventing diabetes...