Healthy Snacks for Diabetic Children

Understanding diabetes is the first step in planning healthy snacks for diabetic children. There are 2 types of diabetes that children can be diagnosed with – type I and type 2. With type I the child’s pancreas stops producing insulin usually due to a combination of genetic and environmental issues.

With type 2 the child has sensitivity to carbohydrates. A diet high in processed and refined carbohydrates combined with inactivity and a family history of diabetes can cause the insulin the child makes to become “sluggish” and eventually lead to high blood sugars. So type I is an absence of insulin, and type 2 is a resistance to the insulin that is there.

Both types need to monitor amounts of carbohydrates and choosing healthy carbohydrates from real whole food sources paves the way to choosing healthy snacks.

Healthy sources of carbohydrate include:

• fruits and vegetables
• low fat plain dairy products
• nuts, seeds and nut butters
• whole grains such as brown rice and quinoa
• beans/legumes
• buckwheat

How do we translate these choices to healthy snacks for those with compromised blood sugars? Sticking to foods that are in their whole form, rather than packaged foods is the first step. Following are a few ideas to get you started:

1. 2 tablespoons of natural peanut or cashew butter with cut up apple or celery
2. 2 slices of hard cheese melted on a whole wheat tortilla
3. “Healthy Nut Mix” – recipe from blog 4/1/09
4. Mixing a fresh ricotta cheese with berries, cinnamon and a little honey
5. A miniature relish plate for kids with pickles, olives, hard cheese and grapes
6. Homemade Hummus (recipe below) with carrot and celery sticks
7. Ricotta Buckwheat pancakes (see blog 7/14/09) with Apple Blueberry Compote (recipe and picture in this blog)

Use your imagination and even take your child shopping to get them involved in picking our wholesome healthy food at the grocery store or farmer’s market. Their involvement in the process of healthy eating encourages healthy consumption!

Apple Blueberry Compote

Servings: 6 ½ cup servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

4 medium apples, peeled and diced

(mix of Golden Ginger, Gala, Pink Lady, and Fuji)

1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

⅛ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1 tablespoon butter, cut in little pieces

Preparation:

Preheat oven 400 degrees.

Mix apples, blueberries and spices in glass dish. Dot with butter. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove and then stir. Mixture will turn purple with stirring.

Per Serving

Calories 85

Protein 0 grams

Total Carbohydrates 18 grams

Total Fat 2 grams

Fiber 4 grams

Sodium 0 mg.

Crunchy Wheat-Free, Gluten-Free Snacks

Years ago wheat-free snacks lacked taste and crunch. There has been an explosion of snacks in the last 2 years which are tasty, crunchy and made of nuts, seeds, vegetables and spices. These make an excellent snack choice for those with carbohydrate sensitivity, diabetes, celiac disease and other medical issues.

My favorite variety is Wheat Free Crusts by Mauk Family Farms. These “crackers” are made of sunflower, sesame and flax seeds along with spices and will make an wonderful substitute for crackers.

Another company that makes many varieties is Lydia’s Organics. These “crackers” are usually made of almonds, sesame seeds, vegetables and spices. The Luna-Nori, Italian and Sunflower “Bread” have a great taste and pair well with cheese or peanut/almond and cashew butters.

Finally Matter of Flax is a excellent choice that makes their “crackers” of flax seeds, pumpkin seeds and spices which make them each a little different – Italian, Mexican, and Indian are a few of the flavors.

They all have a little kick and will satisfy that carby crunchy need without breaking your “carb” bank.

What about those Snacks?

In this morning's LA Times Family Circus cartoon Billy asked his Mom "how much of a snack do I get to eat before it becomes a meal?" This question comes up frequently with clients. Is snacking okay? How many calories constitutes a snack before it becomes a meal? Is it okay to snack, or am I supposed to wait till the next meal?

Snacking is an important part of eating. If you go more than 5 to 6 hours between meals it is essential to have a snack to prevent a drop in your blood sugar or overeating at the next meal. The size of snacks depends on your activity level, weight, and age. In general, snacks fall in the 200-350 calorie range while meals are over 500 calories.

Examples of healthy snacks are:

1. 1 ounce of raw or unsalted dry roasted nuts (about 15-20) with a medium piece of fruit


2. 1-2 slices of cheese with and medium piece of fruit


3. 1-2 tablespoons of natural peanut butter with fruit or celery


4. 1/4 cup of guacamole with cut up vegetables


5. 1/2 cup of plain yogurt or cottage cheese with nuts or nut mix (below)

My upcoming nutrition book with recipes has a healthy delicious nut mix that is a flavorable topper for plain yogurt or cottage cheese, and works well by itself for a snack.

Healthy Nut Mix

Serves: 10 ¼ cup servings

¼ cup raw steel cut oats
½ cup of raw pumpkin seeds
¼ cup of raw sunflower seeds
¼ cup of unsweetened dried coconut
½ cup of coarsely chopped raw cashews
¼ cup of sliced raw almonds
1 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1.5 tablespoons of extra virgin coconut oil
1 teaspoon of honey

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together and spread on cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees till golden brown, about 20 minutes, stirring once through the cooking process. Remove from oven and let cool on the cookie sheet. Store in airtight container for up to 5 days or in the freezer for a month.

So thank you Billy for posing the question for our blog today and no need to feel guilty about snacking. It is important to health, vitality throughout the day, and reasonable eating!