From keeping you from getting hangry to avoiding wolfing down the next meal—snacks can offer many benefits. For starters, snacks can deliver essential nutrients to get you closer to meeting critical dietary needs that many people may fall short on. Not to mention, they can help sustain healthy blood sugar levels, a primary part of healthy living for people with diabetes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1 in 10 people have diabetes, and 1 in 3 have prediabetes, a risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes in the future. Whether you have type 2 diabetes or prediabetes, making good meal and snack choices helps keep your blood sugar levels healthy. “High-fiber foods, especially those high in soluble fiber, have been shown to improve glycemic control in people with diabetes,” says Steph Magill, M.S., RD, CD, FAND.
Fiber, the roughage nutrient, is known for its amazing health benefits, from lowering cholesterol levels to relieving constipation. It can further help with inflammation, weight management and better blood sugar control, all important factors in living healthy with diabetes, per a 2020 review in PLOS Medicine. High-fiber snacks also curb your appetite by keeping you full for longer, and they can help maintain a healthy heart. What’s the link between a healthy heart and diabetes? People with diabetes are twice as likely to have heart disease, the leading cause of death in the U.S., per the CDC. The upside is many high-fiber foods carry a slew of beneficial nutrients like antioxidants, protein, unsaturated fats, vitamins, complex carbohydrates and more, so you often get loads more than just fiber. Read on to unwrap our list of nine fiber-filled snacks that are best for diabetes and dietitian-approved!
