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Healthy Snacks and Sweet Treats

Lara Rondinelli RD, LDN, CDE

To snack or not to snack with diabetes — that is the question. Snacks may be necessary for some people with diabetes on certain oral medications or insulin. For example, someone on a mixed insulin regimen may find that a morning snack after breakfast keeps blood glucose levels stable and prevents mid-morning hypoglycemia. Other people may find they need an afternoon snack before exercise to keep blood glucose levels from dropping. And some people are just hungry and want a snack, but they don’t want to raise blood glucose levels too much so they are looking for lower-carbohydrate snacks.

Here are some examples of snacks with around 15 grams carbohydrate:

• 6 whole-wheat crackers with peanut butter


• 1 small pear and a small handful almonds


• 6 ounces of yogurt


• 2 cups of popcorn


• 1/2 cup of sugar-free pudding


• 1/2 cup of no-sugar-added ice cream


• 1 cup of berries and 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese


• 1 small protein bar with around 15 grams carbohydrate


• 1 small apple with peanut butter


• 1/2 turkey sandwich on whole-wheat bread


• Veggies dipped in hummus

Here are some examples of some lower (under 15g) carbohydrate snacks:

• Handful of almonds, walnuts, or pecans


• Celery stalks with peanut butter


• String Cheese


• 1/2 cup of low-fat cottage cheese


• Hard boiled egg


• Veggies and low-fat dip


• Sugar-free jello

When a person first gets diagnosed with diabetes they may be fearful that sweet treats are gone forever. High-sugar, high-fat foods such as regular cakes, pies and candy are definitely not recommended, because these foods will spike blood glucose levels and are full of artery clogging fats. People with diabetes can still have sweet treats and desserts, but they must learn how to make healthy substitutes. When buying products at the store look for sugar-free versions of fudge bars, jello, pudding, and ice cream bars, but remember these foods can still contain carbohydrates, so read labels. When baking your own desserts, use sugar substitutes in place of sugar to decrease carbohydrates.

Make fruit the base of your sweet treat and you will be off to a good start. Fresh fruit, such as strawberries or raspberries, can be mixed in with sugar-free pudding, yogurt, or sugar-free jello for a quick treat. Grilling fresh fruit is a great way to bring out its natural sweetness. Try grilling peaches or strawberries and top with some light whipped topping and you’ll have a mouthwatering treat. Quick breads such as pumpkin bread, can be made using sugar substitutes and whole-wheat flour (substitute for half of the all-purpose flour) to decrease carbs and add a fiber boost. A lower carb cheesecake can be made using sugar substitutes — then top with fresh blueberries or raspberries. You can make a reduced-sugar fruit topping by heating some sugar-free jam over low heat with fresh fruit – this can be poured over sugar-free ice cream or cheesecake.

Try this Banana Split Cake for your next sweet indulgence.

Banana Split Cake
Makes 16 servings

6 1/2 graham cracker sheets
1-ounce sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
2 cups fat-free milk
8 ounces light cream cheese
10 ounces canned, crushed pineapple, packed in juice, drained*
4 medium bananas, sliced*
8-ounce container light whipped topping
3 tablespoon pecans, chopped

1. Cover the bottom of 9x13 inch pan with graham cracker sheets.
2. In a medium bowl, prepare pudding 2 cups milk, according to package directions. Add cream cheese to pudding and whip together. Spread pudding mixture over graham crackers.
3. Spread the crushed pineapple over the pudding layer and top with bananas, then whipped topping. Sprinkle with pecans on top.

* If you are would like to use lower-carb, lower glycemic-index fruit, you can omit the bananas and pineapple and substitute 1-2 cups sliced strawberries.  The vanilla pudding mixed with the berries will still be a scrumptious treat.


Nutrition Information: 156 Calories, 6g Total Fat, 4 g Saturated Fat, 11 mg Cholesterol, 194mg Sodium, 21g Total Carbohydrate, 1g Dietary Fiber, 11g Sugars, 3g Protein

Copyright © American Diabetes Association from Healthy Calendar Diabetic Cooking. Reprinted with permission from The American Diabetes Association. To order this book, please call 1-800-232-6733 or order online at http://store.diabetes.org/.