When you live with type 2 diabetes, every snack counts: one cookie can spike your blood sugar, another can soften it. Many patients seek a snack to lower blood sugarquick, simple and which does not ruin the shopping budget. For a long time we were especially advised to “not snack”. But the research is starting to tell a slightly different story.
Type 2 diabetes often develops silently: the need to urinate more often, constant thirst, marked fatigue, weight loss for no reason, itchy intimate parts, wounds that heal poorly or blurred vision can be warning signs. To limit the damage caused by sugar spikes, caregivers focus on diet, including snacks. And a very affordable, everyday food has been tested in the laboratory with results considered promising.
Type 2 diabetes: why a well-chosen snack changes everything
Blood sugar rises after each meal, then gradually falls again. In people with type 2 diabeteshowever, this curve tends to remain too high, which exhausts the body and increases cardiovascular risk. A planned snack, taken 2 to 3 hours after the meal, can avoid a sudden dip but also limit a new peak, provided it is structured and not excessively sweet.
Diabetology teams often recommend around 15 g of carbohydrates per snack, combined with fiber, proteins and so-called “good” fats. A whole fruit, a little wholemeal bread, natural yogurt, a small handful of nuts or almonds fall into this category. The idea is not to eat more, but to distribute energy better to stabilize blood sugar and cut cravings.
Almonds: the economical snack tested to smooth blood sugar levels
A team from the University of Otago, New Zealand, followed 100 adults aged 18 to 65. Each participant received, on different days, approximately 42.5 gd’almonds
untoasted, or a sweet biscuit providing the same number of calories, taken two hours after a standard breakfast.
“Our study showed that almonds attenuated the glycemic response after snacking”explained Rachel Brown, professor of human nutrition, quoted by Get Surrey.
The researchers measured blood sugar levels and the feeling of hunger during the 90 minutes following the snack: the curves were lower on almond days than on cookie days.
Rachel Brown added: “This is important because consistently high blood sugar levels after a snack or meal may be associated with an increased risk of heart disease.”. The volunteers who ate almonds also consumed on average 150 fewer calories during the day, or, if the habit continues, almost 0.5 kg of weight loss per month, an appetite control effect already observed when a snack of 42 g of almonds is taken mid-morning. In a 40 g portion, that is to say a small handful, almonds remain an accessible product, especially purchased in bulk or in private label.
Simple snack ideas to lower blood sugar without breaking the budget
In real life, what does that look like? An apple with a small handful of almonds, a natural yogurt with frozen red fruits and a spoonful of chia seeds, a few carrot sticks dipped in homemade hummus or a slice of wholemeal bread spread with a thin layer of peanut butter.
These snacks rely on the trio of fiber, protein and unsaturated fats, keep you satisfied for a long time, are prepared with minimally processed products found in supermarkets and cost a few tens of cents per portion.
Taken 2 to 3 hours after a meal, they can help limit sugar peaks, especially if combined with 10 to 15 minutes of active walking in the following hour, as suggested by recent work from the University of Lyon, all without replacing essential medical monitoring in the event of diabetes.