Kid-Friendly Diabetic Snacks

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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