What's Your Favorite Diabetic Snacks? Here are My Faves and Why...

For diabetic snacks to qualify as "perfect" to me, they need to meet the following criteria:

• Quick and Easy - I'm very busy and I guess I'm lazy too.
• Low Carb - All carbs raise blood sugar so I like to pick diabetic snacks that are very low carb. In fact, the lower the better. I also like low carb balanced with high protein as this is less likely to elevate blood sugar.
• Low Glycemic Index - Some carbs, like those found in some veggies and fruits, take longer to break down. These types of carbs don't raise blood sugar as much.
• Healthy & Nutritious - I don't want empty calories. As a diabetic, I want every calorie to count and I want good nutrients from natural sources in my body.
• Filling - I can't concentrate as well if my stomach is talking and I don't want to have to snack all the time. I want the snack to keep the tummy growls away until the next meal-time.
• Less Processed - The less additives, artificial ingredients, and preservatives the better. An increasing number of studies show that processed food brings on diabetes and makes it worse.
• Tasty - After all, it is a snack! Diabetic snacks don't have to be dull and boring. They can be delicious too.

While there are lots of good options, these are my personal top 5 picks that meet all the criteria above making them absolutely perfect diabetic snacks:

• Nuts & Seeds - Overall, this is my very favorite diabetic snack. I like the fact that these don't have to be refrigerated. You can even keep a can of these at work or in the car.
• Cottage Cheese - 1/2 cup of Knudsen Cottage Cheese (made from cows not treated with hormones) has 13 grams of protein, a good dose of calcium, and only 5 grams of carb. Cottage cheese is a versatile food. If you have a sweet tooth, you can add a small amount of lower carb fresh fruit like blueberries. You can also add herbs, nuts, olives, and peppers. I like to add fresh dill.
• Raw Veggies & Low Carb Dressing/Dip - Radishes, cucumbers, celery, red peppers, yellow peppers, and green peppers are all excellent low carb choices. Sometimes I crave raw veggies and I try to keep them on hand in the fridge for when this happens. These days it is easy to find low carb dressings at the store but if you look around the net, you'll find many home-made recipes for low carb high protein dressing which lasts for more than a week and tastes fabulous.
• Hard Boiled Eggs/Deviled Eggs - I usually keep hard boiled eggs on hand in the fridge. I like them with just a bit of salt and pepper or I devil them up.
• Low Carb Yogurt - This is easy to get these days in a variety of natural flavors and is a really convenient diabetic snack. Be sure to pick one with active cultures to help the good bacteria win out over the bad bacteria in your body.