Bedtime Snacks for Diabetics Type 2

One of the struggles that come with being diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes is that you’ve got to fill in some hunger gaps during the day and sometimes at night without causing your blood sugar levels to spike. At bedtime especially, this hunger gap can cause problems because stomachs will rumble and the desire to eat can even overwhelm the desire to sleep.

Did you know that a quick snack could help to regulate your blood sugar levels instead of raise them? As long as you choose a snack that fits into your meal plan, you’ll be a-ok to resolve those hunger pains so you can get to sleep. Let’s take a look at your options:

Limit snacks to 15 carbohydrates or less.
The amount of carbohydrates that are in your system at bedtime will make or break your blood sugar for the morning. If you’re having a small snack right before bed, then limiting the amount of carbs to what you’d get from an apple or maybe a slice of bread will help you stabilize without spiking too much. As an added benefit, these will provide you with a boost of nutrition you might need too.

Choose foods that are filling.
The problem with the bedtime snack is that many people lean toward the sugary, high calorie foods that have a low nutritional density. It’s not as harmful if you can keep your pastries or candy bars down to 15 carbs or less, but it still isn’t going to really help you out that much. Look to have something like vegetable or whole grains like oatmeal, or even brown rice that will make your body work to digest it and help you feel fuller for longer.

Look for low calorie options.
When suffering from diabetes Type 2, it can be difficult to manage blood sugars overnight while still getting enough calories to feel full. Limiting your caloric count for a snack to 150 calories is important because otherwise you can cause a spike that can make your on-the-go become don’t-feel-like-going-anywhere very quickly! Your beverages must also fit into this category, so if you just drank a cup of juice, then you might have just had your snack already.

Combine food groups.
One of the best ways to get the most out of a bedtime snack is to combine proteins with vegetables. This gives you:

• A nutritional boost.
• A snack in the low calorie range you may need.
• Will keep your blood sugars down.
• Will help you feel fuller longer.

So what makes a good snack?
Try having a little hummus with some carrots or some cucumber. Some low fat cottage cheese can also make for a good snack, while edamame will help you feel full quickly as long as you don’t have a soybean allergy. Melons, water fruits and vegetables, popcorn, and even blueberries can all provide a decent snack for you.

With a little planning, your bedtime snacks can work for you instead of against you. Use these ideas to plan your snacks and you just might find that your Type 2 diabetes is a little easier to manage.