Diabetic Snacks - 4-Ingredient Recipes

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Are you looking for healthy diabetic snacks? Plain vegetables and fruits are great, but they're not the only answers. Sometimes life does need a little extra flavor. Just because you are diabetic doesn't mean you have to live on boring foods. These healthy snack recipes are all diabetic-friendly. Plus, each of them requires only 4 ingredients, so they can help save your time and money, as well as lower your stress levels in case you have to prepare a bunch of them for a party. Interested? Keep reading!

Why Snacking?

Whether you are diabetic or not, snacking could actually be a way to help you lose weight. The advice "Don't eat between meals" is just an old wive's tale. Say you have lunch at noon and won't have dinner until 7 p.m., your stomach will probably growl at some point during those hours in between. Instead of letting yourself go starving and end up overeating at dinner time, have a light snack at about 4 or 5 p.m. to curb your hunger. In addition, if you are on diabetic medications that can cause a blood-sugar low between meals, your doctor will likely suggest that you grab some healthy snacks in the mid-afternoon to keep your blood glucose steady and avoid hypoglycemia.

It does not mean you can snack on whatever you wish, though. To control your weight and blood glucose levels, choose low-fat, low-carb snacks that contain only about 150 calories or less. Also, watch the portion size. For example, it is wise to put a small portion of potato chips on a plate, seal the bag and put the rest away. Munching them straight out of a bag often leads to "over-snacking."

Instead of fatty cookies or clichéd granola bars, fulfill your mid-afternoon hunger with some crispy tortilla chips and this "little bowl of vitamins." Sweet and tangy, this 4-ingredient salsa recipe is one of my summer-time favorites.

Ingredients for Mango Salsa (for 1 serving)

• 2/3 cup thinly cubed mango
• 1 tbsp. finely chopped red onion
• 1 1/2 tbsps. lime juice
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Place all the ingredients in a bowl and toss together well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Serve with low-sodium tortilla chips.

Click here for a more fancy version of mango salsa.

This diabetic snack has it all: protein, vitamins, essential fatty acids and antioxidants. Plus, they are low in carbs but pretty high in yumminess. What a delight!

Ingredients (for 2 servings)

• 2 firm bananas
• 1/2 cup sugar-free dark chocolate chips
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted peanuts
• 1/4 cup chopped roasted almonds

Preparation

Melt chocolate chips in a microwave by warming it on HIGH for about 2 - 4 minutes. Peel bananas and trim the ends. Insert a popsicle stick into an end of each banana. Coat the bananas thouroughly with melted chocolate, then sprinkle roasted peanuts and almonds over them. Refrigerate for 15 - 30 minutes.

The original banana rumaki recipe requires real bacon and many other ingredients, but since this is supposed to be an easy and healthy diabetic snack, I have tweaked and simplified it a little. The yummy factor is not at all minimized by the modification, though.

Ingredients (for 12 bites)

• 2 firm bananas (sliced into 1-inch pieces)
• 6 slices lean turkey bacon (halved crosswise)
• 1/4 prepared pesto sauce
• 1 tbsp. chopped parsley

Preparation

Spread the pesto sauce over bacon. Wrap each banana slice with a piece of bacon, then fasten with a toothpick. (You may also arrange your rumaki pieces on small skewers.) Put all rumaki bites on a baking sheet. Bake in a preheated 400-degree F oven for about 12 - 15 minutes or until the bacon is crisp. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with chopped parsley.