If your child has type 1 or type 2 diabetes, it can be difficult to find kid-friendly diabetic snacks that they’ll enjoy. Trying to balance their taste preferences and blood sugar is tricky!
Often, most kid-friendly snacks are ultra-processed, high in carbohydrates, and will ultimately lead to a blood sugar spike for your child. And the snacks we feed our kids matter! One study found that snacks take up one-third of a child’s overall calorie intake (1).
To make snacking simple, let’s round up a list of kid-friendly diabetic snacks that your little ones AND their blood sugar will love.
Reading a Nutrition Label for Diabetes
As always, we want to be educated consumers when reading a nutrition label. Knowing what to look for on a label is the best way to ensure your child’s food is healthy and safe for their diabetes.
Here are the top things to identify when you read a nutrition label on a kid’s snack:
Added Sugar
Ideally, you want added sugars to be as close to 0 as possible. Added sugars will have a bigger impact on blood sugar levels than natural sugar (like fruit), so this is the first place our eyes should go on the nutrition label.
Realistically, I look for the added sugar content to be less than 5 grams. However, watch your child’s blood sugar response after snacking and lower your sugar limit if needed.
Protein to Carbohydrate Ratio
A higher protein snack can help minimize a blood sugar spike after eating. This is because protein slows down digestion and the breakdown of carbohydrates.
A good rule of thumb is at least 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein per serving. So if a snack has 20 grams of carbohydrates, you want to look for 10 grams of protein. I’ll link my Ultimate Protein Guide for Kids here for more protein snack ideas!
If the snack does not meet this protein ratio rule, just make sure it has less than 15 grams of total carbohydrates.
Fiber
The more, the better! Just like protein, fiber helps to slow down digestion and can minimize a blood sugar spike. Fiber comes from fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes.
Now that we know what to look for on a nutrition label, let’s find some diabetes-friendly snacks for your kids!
Kid-Friendly Diabetic Snacks
Homemade
1. Hard Boiled Eggs
1 egg – 0g carbs, 6g protein
2. Deli Roll-Ups
4oz turkey, ham, or roast beef deli meat, cheese, pickle spear | 1 wrap – 16g carbs, 24g protein
3. Carrots with Hummus
15g carbs, 3g protein
4. Celery with Guacamole
8g carbs, 2g protein
5. Celery with Peanut Butter
10g carbs, 8g protein
6. Rice cake with Nut Butter
15g carbs, 8g protein
7. Yogurt Parfait
Plain yogurt with ½ cup berries | 16g carbs, 21g protein
8. Protein Smoothie
1 cup cow or almond milk, 1 cup yogurt, ½ cup berries | 17g carbs 22g protein
9. Chia Pudding
2 tbsp chia seeds, ⅔ cup almond milk, 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup [great single-serve chia pudding recipe here] | 15g carbs 4g protein
10. Egg Muffins
[easy and quick recipe here] | 1g carb, 7g protein
Want more high-protein foods for picky eaters?
Download the Ultimate Guide now!
Get access to 90+ high-protein food ideas, 40+ recipes, and tips to get your picky eater to eat more protein.
Store-bought
1. Trail Mix
¼ cup – 5g carbs, 8g protein
2. Popcorn
1 package – 10g carbs
3. Beef Jerky
1 mini chomp stick – 0g carb, 4g protein
4. Yogurt
1 pouch – 6g carbs, 4g added sugar, 5g protein
5. Cottage Cheese
½ cup – 3g carbs, 13g protein
6. Chocolate Covered Almonds
1 pack – 6g carbs, 2g added sugars, 3g protein
7. Cheese Stick
1g carb, 7g protein
8. Edamame Crunchy Snack
6g carbs, 11g protein
9. Mini Perfect Bar
9g carb, 5g added sugars, 6g protein
10, Cheese Whisps
1g carb, 6g protein
11. P3 Nut and Cheese Pack
4g carbs, 9g protein
12. IQ Bar
12g carbs, 0g added sugar, 12g protein
13. Nut Butter Pouches
5g carbs, 6g protein
14. Protein Smoothie Pouches
7g carb, 12g protein
15. Catalina Crunch Snack Mix
½ cup – 10g carb, 7g protein
I hope this list makes snacking easier for your child with diabetes! If your kids are struggling with picky eating and avoid the foods listed above, check out my Ultimate Guide for High Protein Foods with Picky Eating for more info.
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