Takeaways

• If you have diabetes, snacks high in refined carbohydrates and added sugars aren’t suitable as they could cause large blood sugar spikes. A healthier alternative? Answer: low-carb and low-sugar snacks.

• Low-carb snacks you can eat on the go include nuts, muesli bars, and hard-boiled eggs.

• Quick-and-easy low-sugar snack options include canned fish, low-fat or no-fat yogurt, soup, edamame, egg or tuna salad with wholegrain crackers, and fortified soy milk.

• Low-sugar hawker snacks include beancurd (tau huay), popiah, grass jelly, small chicken bao, a small piece of egg dosa, and a slice of peanut butter toast.

When craving a snack, it is easy to indulge yourself in easily accessible options such as chips, cookies, and crackers. While they may be satisfying, these snacks contain a large number of carbohydrates and sugars. They are unsuitable for persons with diabetes who may experience a huge spike in their blood sugars with these snacks. Check out our list of tasty but low-carb and low-sugar snacks, that are likely to satisfy your cravings, but still keep your blood sugars in check.

Snack on the Go

Nuts

Nuts are an ideal nutritious snack. Despite being relatively high in fat, they are very filling. Nuts provide the perfect balance of healthy fat, protein, and fibre. On average, 1 handful of mixed nuts contains around 180 calories - so while they are healthy, be sure to watch your portions so you don’t over consume. Aim for no more than 1 handful at any point in time.

Muesli Bar

Muesli bars are a good snack option. They are small, tasty, and convenient to consume.

However, choose your muesli bar wisely because many muesli bars available commercially are full of added sugar and low in fibre - which means they will not keep you full for long. That said, there are some muesli bars that could work for you. Here is a list of guidelines to choose a healthy muesli bar:

• Less than 10 grams of sugar

• Less than 30 grams of carbohydrates

• At least 5 grams of protein (this will keep you full and prevent sudden spikes in blood sugar) 

• At least 3 grams of fibre

• Less than 250 calories

Hard-boiled Eggs

Hard-boiled eggs are great because they are so easy to prepare and carry with you. One hard-boiled egg contains 6 grams of protein and only 80 calories. Its high protein content will help you feel full and it contains a variety of other nutrients that are good for you. The best part? They contain 0g of carbohydrates - which means they are excellent for persons with diabetes. Boil a couple of hard-boiled eggs and carry them around with you in a small container in case you ever need to reach for a snack.

Quick and Easy

Canned Tuna/Salmon/Sardines

Tuna, sardines or salmon are an excellent source of omega-3 fatty acids, a special type of fat that has powerful anti-inflammatory properties and is especially beneficial for heart health. Enjoy them straight out of the can or pile them on hearty crackers for a filling snack. Spreading 1 can of tuna over 1 packet of whole wheat biscuits (around 3-4 biscuits) provides you with almost 22g of protein and only 21g of carbs!

Low/No-fat Yoghurt 

Sometimes, all you really need is a chilled snack for a quick fix. Low-fat or no-fat yoghurt would be a perfect snack for those days. It’s also great that they contain a good amount of protein and calcium! If you find plain yogurt too boring, try adding your favorite fruits to it and freezing it to give it an interesting and delicious twist.

Soup

Nothing beats a bowl of hot soup when it’s raining outside and your home is freezing cold. Clear soup such as vegetable or chicken broth makes for an excellent, healthy snack! Although it might take a few minutes of cooking time, a bowl of vegetable soup will keep you full for longer due to its fibre content. Having some meat or tofu with your soup will help to smoothen out your blood sugar profile after drinking the soup.

Edamame

One serving (½ cup) of beans will provide you with a good amount of protein, fibre, and antioxidants. If you’re looking for a quick snack, boil ½ a cup of edamame and season it by sprinkling it with a pinch of salt and some black pepper.

Egg/Tuna Salad with Wholegrain Crackers

Another quick and easy snack to prepare would be egg or tuna salad. The egg/ tuna salad provides a good balance of fat and protein while the wholegrain crackers provide a bit of fibre to help keep you full for longer. If you’re feeling particularly hungry, try mashing up 2 hard-boiled eggs and 4 wholegrain crackers into a salad for a crunchy finish.

Low-fat Milk or Fortified Soy Milk

Cow’s milk offers vitamins like B6, B2, B12, D, and minerals like phosphorus, iodine and calcium. On top of that, it also provides a good source of protein. Low in calories, 1 cup (250mL) of low-fat milk or calcium-fortified soy milk contains only around 130 calories and around 8-10g of protein.

Salad 

Throw a few different non-starchy vegetables together to make your own salad! Try to add vegetables and fruits of different colors to your bowl whenever possible to spice up the number of nutrients you get from your snack. If you need a bit more punch to your snack, add in a low-calorie dressing. There are a ton of recipes online for it and you can also find a good selection of low-calorie dressings in the supermarket. Dressings consist of protein and fat that can help to make you feel full and also keep your blood sugar under control.

Hawker snacks

At times, you may feel like getting out of the office or house for a snack at your favorite hawker or coffeeshop. Although our hawker centers are best known for the oily and carbohydrate heavy local delicacies, there are still a few options for healthy snacks!

Soy Milk or Beancurd (Tau Huay)

Try a nutritious and soothing cup of soy milk or a bowl of bean curd with soy milk. These are high in protein and important vitamins and nutrients. However, while generally healthy, watch out for the amount of sugar syrup in your tau huay. Between a bowl of tau huay with syrup (around 142 calories and 27g of carbs) and one without syrup (53 calories and 4.5g of carbs), the one without syrup will definitely help with better blood sugar control!

One Piece of Cut Fruit

Fruits are a great source of many essential nutrients, including potassium, dietary fibre, vitamin C, and folate (folic acid). Even with diabetes, you are able to still enjoy fruits like watermelon, durian and mangoes - the key is portion control. Keep to no more than 1 seed at a time for durians, 1 slice of watermelon, or 1 handful of mango.

Popiah

A roll of popiah is a perfect choice if you are looking for something wholesome. The protein from its ingredients will help to prevent a sharp spike in your blood sugar. Try to omit the extra lard (extra calories) and sweet sauce which will send your blood sugars high!

Grass Jelly (Chin Chow) without Syrup

Grass jelly is a traditional beverage or dessert served in Asian countries. Grass jelly can be suitable for people with diabetes if you eat it without the syrup or add in sugar-free soy milk for that additional protein boost!

Small chicken bao

You can find a small chicken bao pretty much in any hawker center or coffee shop so this is a very accessible option. It contains 165 calories and has a good amount of protein in it which will help to prevent sharp sugar spikes.

Small Piece of Egg Dosa

An egg dosa contains 169 calories with 18g of carbs. Again it has a good amount of protein in it which will help with blood sugar control after consuming it. If you want to have it with curry, opt for dhal curry without coconut milk. Just remember to go easy on the curry!

A Slice of Peanut Butter Toast with Teh O Kosong

Instead of the usual kaya butter toast, go for a peanut butter toast for it’s lower calorie count and higher protein content. Since most hawker centers serve toast with 2 slices, bring a good friend along to share the toast and catch up over your teh o kosong.