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What makes for good snacking?

H

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Newbie
We are after some ideas about what works as a in between meals snack for your children which doesn't send the blood sugar into orbit?
We have been giving our son pepperami (sp?) and cheese strings which seem to work well but fruit (apples, pears) and things likehomemade low sugar flapjacks work less well.
It's been about a month since David (9) was diagnosed... he's really happy and very upbeat but we seem to be yo-yoing between good days when his bs is pretty normal and days like when it end's up in the 20-30's.
Anyway, all I'm really after today are some ideas around snacking which seem to work for your kids, I know everyone is different and what works for one may not work for another but we are in desperate need of some alternatives to try out!
Thanks in anticipation.
Tom
 
Hi
I have been a type1 for 36yrs and when i first became diabetic i was 6yrs old. I was always told to either eat a banana (small one), or a couple of digestive biscuits, cream crackers, or even half a sandwich. But this was a long time ago but worth a try.
I am also wanting to volunteer to do work with juvenile Diabetes, as i never did as i was told and suffering for it now. I certainly think i have learnt a big lesson and would like to warn other youngster important to listen to your diabetic health care helpers and follow it as much as they can. Do you live in hertfordshire.
Take care tracey69
 
If your son is not having an injection with the snack (and the snack is not a required snack because he's on a mixed insulin) then his readings will go up with any food that contains carbohydrate. You're not looking at just sugars, you want to count the carbs as they are what affects blood sugar. So flapjacks for example might be low sugar but the oats are high in carbs which is what will be causing his blood sugar to spike. The other foods suggested by Tracey69 will also make his blood sugars go up if he isn't taking an injection to compensate the carbs, they are all high carb foods. If he wants to snack on something that doesn't contain carbs so that he can avoid an injection to cover the carbs then here are some examples:

sugar free jelly
eggs
cold meats (chicken drumsticks, ham)
cheese
celery, cucumber, carrot sticks with a dip like gucamole
avocados
mushrooms
salads with meat (ham, chicken, bacon), eggs or fish (tuna)
tomatoes

These following snacks are low in carbs but not carb free. sometimes you can get away with a low carb snack without an injection but you'll need to test to find out:

berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries)
melon
plain lightly salted popcorn (small portion)
natural yoghurt

Is your son on a basal/bolus insulin or a two injections a day mixed insulin? If basal/bolus then he can have a sandwich for example but would need to inject the right amount of insulin to cover the carbs in that snack.
 
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