Healthy Snacks Diabetes: Tips And What To Avoid Try In 2025

When someone has diabetes, eating healthy and nutritious food is a significant factor in controlling blood sugar levels and staying well. Choosing the right foods can help with preventing chronic diseases that can come along with uncontrolled diabetes.

There are certain foods diabetes should and should not eat. For example, snacking on foods with a low glycemic index is one thing to intentionally do to help with blood sugar control and fuel for the day.

What are good snacks for diabetes? The best snacks come from whole foods, not ultra-processed or full of sugar. Finding nutrient-dense foods to snack on with vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats can help keep blood sugar stable.

This article will review ten delicious healthy snacks for diabetes, snack foods to avoid, and a few tips for healthy snacking. It also applies to the health-conscious without diabetes and those who want to prevent it.

Best Snack For Diabetes

1. Oatmeal
2. Popcorn
3. Nut butter
4. Pumpkin seeds
5. Trail mix
6. Avocado
7. Vegetables
8. Olives
9. Fruit
10. Sardines

10 Healthy Snacks Diabetes: People Should Try

Snacks that promote optimal health for people with diabetes will generally be low in carbohydrates (carbs), high in protein, and full of healthy fats. It’s not necessary to cut out all carbohydrates since they become essential fuel for the body.

When you choose carbs, they need to be good complex carbohydrate food sources that are high in fiber while low in sugars and starches since these can spike blood sugar levels.

Here are ten diabetes snack ideas that may help keep blood sugar levels stable while at the same time keeping you full and satisfied until your next meal.

Oatmeal

Oatmeal is a filling snack for any time of day that is heart-healthy and provides a wide range of health benefits^[1] related to blood sugar control, weight management, and gut health.

Snacks rich in soluble fiber foods like oatmeal can help improve glucose tolerance and lower insulin resistance. This is great news if you’re looking for snacks for type2^[2]diabetes (T2D), which impairs and resists insulin, and type 1^[3] diabetes (T1D), which destroys insulin-producing cells and is also known as insulin-dependent diabetes.

Fiber helps to slow down the digestion process and the rate at which sugar is absorbed into the bloodstream. Since it slows digestion, this helps to keep you feeling fuller longer.

You can eat oatmeal hot or prepare it ahead of time, like overnight oatmeal. You can add chia seeds to increase the amount of protein and healthy fats it provides.

There are many ways to adjust the flavor. For example, you can add a few berries to your oatmeal to increase its sweetness and add more fiber, or add nut butter to pack in the protein.

Popcorn

Popcorn is a quick and healthy snack made from whole grains. You can take this on the go or fill up on this while you work. It fits in nicely for evening snacks for diabetes, too.

This is a very low-calorie snack; each cup of air-popped popcorn is only 31 calories. This snack contains fiber, B vitamins, potassium, and iron to help support digestion and maintain stable blood sugar levels.

If you air-pop your popcorn kernels, you can choose which toppings to use. For example, there are spices like nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavor without dairy or olive oil for a robust, healthy fats flavor instead of butter. Be aware that store-bought popcorn can contain high amounts of salt and sugar.

Nut Butter

This satisfying snack has a low glycemic index^[4]that can help maintain healthy blood sugar and is excellent for a high-protein diet. Nut butter contains healthy fats and fiber to help reduce cravings.

This is a great on-the-go snack by itself, or you can pair it with vegetables or low-carb crackers. A few types of nut butter are

• Almond butter
• Peanut butter
• Brazilian nut butter
• Cashew butter

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are a nutrient-dense food that makes a great snack to help with controlling blood sugar levels and weight management. They are full of omega fatty acids and fiber. Just one cup of pumpkin seeds can provide up to almost 50%^[5] of your daily fiber needs.

You can roast your pumpkin seeds and add olive oil for added health benefits. You can also buy these at the store, but you may need to check for options of low sodium before consuming them.

Trail Mix

Trail mix is a great snack you can make yourself. Nuts are high in healthy fat, fiber, protein, and antioxidants to support your health goals.

Use plain nuts instead of honey roasted, add some sunflower seeds, healthy dark chocolate of over 70% cacao, and a little dried fruit like dried banana chips or raisins for a fiber-filled, diabetes-friendly on-the-go snack.

Avocado

Avocados are a superfood and also a good choice of snacks for gestational diabetes.

These are full of fiber, protein, and heart-healthy monounsaturated fats to help maintain healthy blood sugar^[6]. It’s also one of the best low-sodium snacks for diabetes.

You can use avocado as a tasty snack in many ways besides just eating it by itself. For example, you can stuff this with tuna or mash it and mix it with chicken for an avocado chicken salad.

Avocado also makes guacamole, a tremendous sugar-free dip. Just smash it up and mix in a little chopped garlic, lime juice, and a tiny pinch of salt. Use vegetables and low-carb chips to dip away.

Vegetables

Vegetables are one of the best snacks for diabetes, types 1 and 2. This crunchy snack is full of fiber, helping to manage body weight and reduce your risk^[7] for heart disease.

Vegetables like corn and potatoes will have a higher carbohydrate count, so make sure to take this into account when planning.

Here are a few ways to enjoy this healthy snack:

• Hummus or charcuterie board loaded with veggies
• Celery sticks stuffed with peanut butter
• Pickles, if you aren’t on a low-sodium diet
• Raw veggies dipped in guacamole
• Cauliflower rice or smashed cauliflower as a rice or potato low-carb replacement
• Leafy greens in a salad topped with fruit
• Grilled or roasted vegetables with extra virgin olive oil and spices

Olive

This superfood contains healthy fat that can help manage diabetes and keep your heart healthy. The olive oil it contains can help reduce the risk^[8] of type 2 diabetes.

Olives also have high amounts of polyphenols like oleuropein^[9] which can help facilitate the pancreas to secrete insulin to stabilize blood sugar. You can find olives packaged in small to-go portions and stuffed with pimentos or cheese.

Fruit

Eating fruit in moderation can be a refreshing snack for diabetes since it contains essential vitamins and minerals. The sugar from fruit is a complex carbohydrate and digests differently than the simple, refined sugars that can cause a blood sugar spike.

This study^[10] shows that consuming at least three servings of specific whole fruits, like apple slices, blueberries, and grapes, can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Choose low-sugar fruit like berries, melon, and unsweetened applesauce; alternatively, mango and grapes have some of the highest amounts of sugar. You can also enjoy fresh fruit, frozen fruit, canned fruit without added sugars, or jams and jellies without added sugar.

Sardines

Sardines are a healthy option if you’re on the hunt for zero-carb snacks for diabetes. These have 0 grams of net carbs and come in cans that are easy to take on the go and are already portioned out for you.

Sardines contain vitamins, protein, and omega-3 fatty acids. These make a great snack for diabetes since they help to increase hormones that help to break down glucose.

Sardines that come in water make the best choice, while others may be in unhealthy oils or sugars. Adding a low-sodium hot sauce is one way to add flavor to this snack.

Other fish like salmon and tuna are also safe to consume when dealing with diabetes.

Snacks To Avoid

As there are foods that can help with diabetes and its symptoms, there are foods that can increase problems for diabetes like blood sugar resistance and neuropathic pain. Avoiding these foods can help protect your heart health and control blood sugar.

Refined And Processed Sugary Snacks

For starters, diets high in processed sugar like fructose can do plenty of harm like raising blood sugar levels, promoting insulin resistance, and weight gain, and increasing the risk for diabetes complications. Obesity and diabetes are a dangerous combination.

Furthermore, sugar can cause inflammation^[11] in your body and prevent your immune system^[12] from functioning correctly.

Unhealthy sugars can be found in products like

• Flavored yogurt
• Candy
• Milk chocolate
• Ice cream
• Sweet cereals
• Sweetened fruit juice
• Packaged snacks

Refined Grain Snacks

Refined grains are usually low in fiber and higher in carbs compared to whole grains. People who consume less refined grains lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Studies find that people with diabetes and depression who eat high-carbohydrate foods experience a decrease in their brain function^[13] along with raising their blood sugars, supporting the brain-body connection^[14].

Some refined grains include

• White rice
• White bread
• White flour
• Packaged snacks like crackers and pretzels

Since regular flour can significantly increase blood sugar levels after it’s broken down into sugar, there are alternatives you should choose from instead. For example, healthy pasta alternatives are available now, like those made with chickpeas or lentils, which are high in protein and fiber.

Snacks With Trans Fat

Trans fat foods are one to avoid for anyone, regardless of diabetes status. Studies show these have the potential to cause multiple health concerns^[15] like increased belly fat^[16], weight gain, inflammation, and insulin resistance^[17]. They can also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering good cholesterol levels.

Foods that commonly have trans fats may show “partially hydrogenated” on the label. You can also find trans fats in

• Potato chips
• Fried foods
• Crackers
• Doughnuts
• Mayonaise
• Vegetable Oil
• Shortening
• Margarine

Tips For Healthy Snacking

Snacking with diabetes doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are a few tips to intentionally get the most out of adding snacks to your day when you need to maintain healthy blood sugar.

• Drinking water instead of sugary drinks, along with your snacks, will help you maintain adequate hydration and avoid blood sugar spikes.
• Have a protein-filled snack before exercising. You may need one afterward, too!
• Checking the ingredient label should become a habit to avoid unhealthy ingredients and keep up with your carb count. Knowledge is power.
• Having a plan and prepping your snacks ahead of time can help with portion control and ensure you’ll have healthy food waiting for you when you need it.

The Takeaway

Your choice of foods can significantly affect your health, especially for people with diabetes. In addition, there are snacks you can choose that will help you maintain the best quality of life and others that could add to insulin resistance.

With a bit of planning to find healthy alternatives, snacks for diabetes can be something to look forward to eating and help manage blood sugar levels. Staying away from refined grains, sugars, and unhealthy fats can help maintain a healthy weight and prevent high blood sugar from being a common occurrence.

Eating smaller meals often, via snacking, can help reduce dramatic ups and downs of blood sugar and keep you feeling full.

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+ 17 Sources

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