What are some good shelf-stable snacks for diabetics?

@laureth I was starting an answer, but I’m not diabetic, so it’s best if I share your question with my favorite MD.

I should have known I’d get the “ask the doc” answer. I’ve given that out myself, but usually for more medically sensitive questions than “what are some shelf-stable protein-based snacks.” ;) Perhaps I should have asked which snacks are suitable for Atkins dieters, I bet the answers would have been similar enough.

I was starting with the breakfast bar area, especially whole grains, etc. Read the labels carefully for sugars, fats, and sodium, and watch the servings per container versus the dietary guidelines. There are also some good trail mixes and granolas at health food stores. Buy them in bulk, it’s alot cheaper. How’s that?

Since I have problems with both sugar AND salt ( high BP ), it’s difficult in the extreme to find things I can eat with impunity. I have managed to find a decent breakfast oat meal though. It’s John McCann’s steel cut oat meal, which doesn’t too taste bad with non-sugar sweetner and cinnimon.

There are some low-carb crackers. Wheat thins have about 1 gm of carb per cracker so you can have about five with peanut butter. The Kellogg’s bran crackers are about the same.

Peanut butter or almond butter.

Carrots with a small container of ranch dressing.

@marinelife

Too much salt in most crackers, white OR wheat. Same thing with peanut butter. : ((

I know you mentioned nuts already… but you can get big bags of unsalted nuts at the grocery store. It is very easy to roast them yourself in the oven. You can make little snack baggies and take them to work. I believe these will last. And there are plenty of all-natural peanut butters out there (or you can make your own).

I always thought popcorn had carbs, but my diabetic grandmother eats homemade unsalted unbuttered popcorn as a snack, so maybe that’s an option.

Yes it is. It’s one of the few things I can snack on. Once in awhile, I’ll have some peanut butter, but not very often… it has 120 mg of salt per serving, which is usually 2 tablespoons.

Generally, I haven’t worried about sodium quite as much as carbs (which raise blood sugar). Doc says to eat more protein, less carbs. Thanks for the advice!

Nuts, especially almonds; bean cakes; whole grain, salt free crackers; whole grain Cheerios, dry or with skim milk.

To clarify, “shelf stable” means that a food can sit at room temperature for a largely indefinite amount of time, and not spoil. While I appreciate the recipes (and would probably add them to my recipe stash), sadly, things like carrots and ranch, (and bean cakes) would probably prefer refrigeration. This is not to disrespect the suggestions or the people mentioning them, it’s mostly that I would be unable to just toss them in my desk drawer at work for days or weeks. Well, I could, but ewww. ;)

@YARNLADY

Add in veggies I steam myself and you just about have my entire diet! Sigh!

I’m diabetic, and I always snack on Regular Lime flavored tortilla’s, Crunchy (my choice) Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and fruit. There really isn’t anything special that we can eat, I have eaten some candy at the doctors office with no consequence, but I’m not gonna push going out to buy a bag on fruit chew just because I got ballsy.

I made that mistake once, thinking that because things were going well, I could fall off my diet. Not good! : (

There are no restrictions for educated insulin-dependent diabetics. Otherwise use protein power bars.

Luckily, I’ve no need for insulin! I’m trying to keep it that way, too.

Many type 2 diabetics feel this way and I can understand that. However, long term if recommended by doctors insulin shots should not be seen as a catastrophe, but a blessing for improving health and the quality of life.

@Adirondackwannabe Aww. I’m blushing, now.

I know a very good brand of soy chips called “Revival.” I personally love their honey mustard flavor. It has only one gram of sugar and three grams of fat, and it’s 110 calories for a small bag. I buy mine at a local diet center, but you may be able to get it elsewhere. Their website is www.revivalsoy.com.

@laureth Now isn’t that a much better answer than mine? I know where to find the good stuff. :)

I also eat Microwavable wings from walmart. The seasoned wings have less than 1 gram of sugar in them, don’t get the sauced ones like BBQ. Sauce has tons of hidden sugar in them. Dorito’s are ok for an occasional snack, but I beg of you to stay FAAAAAR away from any frito lay brand chips (Lay’s, funyuns, munchies). Try going to your local grocer and picking up some fresh fruit platters. They only cost 5 bucks at walmart (not trying to plug them) and there are variety packs out there so you wont get bored. The only fruit I can think of right now that you HAVE to avoid is pineapple, other than that I haven’t bitten a bad piece of fruit yet.