Diabetes type 2 diet: Three snacks to have through the day to control blood sugar levels

Diabetes type 2 is a condition where the body can’t control the amount of sugar in the blood, and the main symptoms to look out for are urinating more often than usual, particularly at night, feeling very thirsty, unexplained weight loss and blurred vision.

If the condition is left untreated it can lead to other health problems, such as heart disease and stroke, so it’s important to recognise the signs.

What you eat can impact on your blood sugar levels, and regular snacks can have a negative effect.

If you do get peckish between meals, health experts recommend three health snacks.

Diabetes UK says it usually isn’t necessary to eat snacks between meals if you aren’t taking any medication for your diabetes type 2. But if you treat your diabetes with certain medication that put you at risk of hypos (low blood glucose), you may need to snack.

Eating a healthy diet is an important part of controlling blood sugar levels and preventing the development of diabetes type 2, but regular snacks can make it difficult to maintain a healthy weight, and this can affect your diabetes management in the long term.

If you do get peckish between meals, the charity says the healthiest snack choice is:

• A piece of fruit
• Rice cakes
• Fat free yoghurt

The key to controlling blood sugar levels and preventing the development of the condition is a healthy diet - these are what foods you should eat. 

Another snack option for a diabetes diet is nuts.

Nuts are a good source of fibre and are low in digestible carbs - although some have more than others.

Furthermore, research carried out on different nuts has shown regular consumption may reduce inflammation and lower blood sugar.

A study published this year in the Journal of Metabolic Syndrome and Related Disorders discovered that a group of type 2 diabetes sufferers with raised cholesterol levels experienced benefits to heart health when they ate more almonds.

And macadamia nuts are recommended too. 

The NHS lists the main symptoms of diabetes type 2:

• Urinating more often than usual, particularly at night
• Feeling very thirsty
• Feeling very tired
• Unexplained weight loss
• Itching around the penis or vagina, or frequent episodes of thrush
• Cuts or wounds that heal slowly
• Blurred vision – caused by the lens of the eye becoming dry

Stuck what to have for breakfast? There are four healthy food swaps to have at breakfast to keep symptoms at bay.