When you’re hungry before bed, you need some tried and true diabetic bedtime snack ideas to turn to. It’s important not to interrupt sleep, which diabetes can certainly do from time to time. So you need to know what you’re eating before bed will keep healthy blood sugar levels in a good range while you snooze through the middle of the night. And hopefully that makes diabetes management a little easier.
What kinds of healthy snacks are recommended as diabetic friendly late night snacks? This post will provide several ideas of healthy options that are overall:
- high in protein
- low grams of carbs or added sugar
- some healthy fats
- healthy fiber content
Why Consider Diabetic Bedtime Snack Ideas?
There are several reasons you may want to consider a snack before bed. First of all, you may just be hungry! Perhaps you’ve had a lighter dinner, which is a good thing, but it may not keep you satisfied through the night until breakfast in the morning.
Second, you may need a snack to keep your blood sugar stable while you sleep. The challenge becomes choosing something that will keep you from having a low blood sugar overnight, but also not give you high blood sugar levels either. We need stable blood sugars to sleep well. It’s a fine line we walk, isn’t it?
There isn’t a definite yes-or-no answer on whether someone with diabetes “should” eat a bedtime snack or not. You can do a quick Google search and find arguments on both sides of the issue. It’s really a choice for you to make based on your individual needs after discussing the health benefits with your healthcare team.
What to Look for in a Good Bedtime Snack for DiabeticS
What is the perfect bedtime snack? As I mentioned above, we need to look for a few different things in these best bedtime snacks. Most generally, you want to choose things that are low on the glycemic index. Let’s take a look at what that means:
- First, we need to choose something with a good amount of protein. Protein helps to keep us full until our next meal, and also helps promote stable blood sugar levels.
- We also need to make sure our late-night snacks are low in carbs or added sugars. High-carb snacks of pasta noodles or chips are not the ideal bedtime snack. Neither is a banana (on its own). These kinds of foods will promote blood sugar spikes after eating. And that’s no good, especially when you’re headed to bed for the night.
- Healthy fats are important to consider as well. Something like the fat in avocado or nuts is perfect.
- And finally, fiber is a good idea to have before bed as well. Veggies or whole grains will do the trick for this one. Fiber takes longer in our digestive systems, so it helps slow digestion and avoid the blood sugar spike.
Diabetic Bedtime Snack Ideas and the Glycemic Index
Each of these four considerations above help us choose foods that are low on the glycemic index. The lower the food is on the glycemic index, the more gentle it is on blood sugar. On the flip side, foods high on the glycemic index will support a blood sugar spike after eating, because those foods are typically digested very quickly. So the goal is picking the right foods accordingly.
The other consideration worth mentioning is portion size. With our first diabetic bedtime snack idea below, the suggestion of mixed nuts is a handful — not an entire can. The last thing we want when we go to sleep is a stomach packed full of food.
Can Eating a Late Night Snack Help Dawn Phenomenon?
Many people with diabetes experience what is called the “dawn phenomenon” — when the blood sugar increases in the wee hours of the morning. Many people will eat a snack before bed to stabilize blood glucose levels overnight and help alleviate that early morning rise.
Remember, diabetes is such an individualistic disease. What works for you may not work for someone else. And what works for me may not work for you.
So let’s get on to our 15 diabetic bedtime snack ideas!
15 Diabetic Bedtime Snack Ideas
1. Mixed Nuts
Mixed nuts work super well as one of our great bedtime snacks for diabetics. And they’re one of the best ways to get healthy fats in a snack. The ones in my pantry contain 14g of healthy fats and 6g of protein per serving. Plus, they only have 6g of carbs per serving, and 4g fiber.
The other thing that makes me enjoy nuts as a snack is their crunch. Sometimes if I eat something like greek yogurt by itself, I don’t feel like I’ve eaten. But if I can crunch on something, I feel more satisfied.
2. Hard Boiled Egg
Hard boiled eggs are another great late night snack idea for diabetics. Packed with 6g of protein per egg, they are a great source of protein and a great choice for just before bedtime. They are definitely low in carbohydrates and they have some healthy fat as well.
Another reason I will vote for hard-boiled eggs is that you can make several ahead of time and eat them from the fridge when you’re ready. What an easy bedtime snack! Or next time, you could scramble the eggs. Or you could also make deviled eggs with just some mustard and a bit of mayo and pickle. Be sure to count your carbs, but there won’t be many.
3. Cheese and Whole Grain Crackers with Olives
Who doesn’t love cheese and crackers as a snack? My approach if it’s right before bedtime is to choose only a few whole grain crackers (good in fiber), and choose some low-fat cheese and meats. That way you have some fiber from the whole-grain crackers, and some protein and fat from the meat and cheese.
Looking for some variation? Throw in some zero carb olives or a pickle.
4. Veggies and Hummus
I’m not a huge fan of hummus myself, but I know some people are really into it. And if it’s your favorite, you’re in luck. It can make for a great bedtime snack. Hummus has some healthy fats from chickpeas, is low in carbs, and has a couple grams of protein.
Add in some extra fiber by dipping into the hummus with either slices of non-starchy vegetables like bell peppers, tomatoes, or carrots.
5. Apple and Nut Butter
This is an idea I originally shared with you in my Super Bowl snack ideas post. And that’s because it’s good any time! The juicy crunch of the apple, and the nutty creaminess of the peanut butter has me craving this some days.
For bedtime, choose a small apple. Apples are a great source of fiber, and the fat and protein from the peanut butter (or any nut butter you prefer) rounds out to be a very balanced bedtime snack idea for diabetics.
Looking for a great kid-friendly, blood-sugar-friendly snack with apples and peanut butter? Try my Apple Nachos recipe!
6. Greek Yogurt and Granola
This is one I think my kids could live on. Well, this and the apples and peanut butter above. There’s something about the creaminess of the greek yogurt and the crunch of the granola.
The greek yogurt contains some fat and protein, and you get some fiber from the granola and berries. (You get a lot of fiber from raspberries, by the way.)
Make sure you are choosing plain greek yogurt for this. It tends to be lower in carbs and sugars than traditional yogurt.
7. Whole Grain Toast with Avocado and Egg
This is a recipe I shared in my quick and easy breakfast ideas blog post. But it would make a tremendously good bedtime snack. Why? Dave’s Killer bread thin slices is packed with good whole grains and fiber. Then the avocado adds even more fiber and super healthy fats. And then the egg rounds it all out with protein.
Feel free to customize as you wish with various forms of protein, fat, and fiber on top of the toast, but this combination is a winning recipe in my book.
8. Cottage Cheese and Berries
This would be the perfect diabetic bedtime snack idea for summer. It’s light, cool, refreshing, and the berries are in season!
This makes a great choice for a late night snack for diabetics because of the protein in the cottage cheese, to start with. There are 13g protein in just a half cup serving. The berries provide good fiber as well.
9. ham and cheese rollups
Another excellent choice is a ham and cheese rollup. This was also a recipe idea I shared in my Super Bowl snack ideas post. It’s definitely low in carbs, and has no added sugars. It’s really just a matter of protein and fat. And quite honestly, that’s a great combination to keep blood sugar control steady overnight.
These little roll ups are an appetizer I’ve loved as long as I can remember. They are one of the best diabetic snacks! The salty ham, cream cheese, and crunch of a cold pickle just makes a delightful combination. And if you don’t like pickles, you can always roll up a piece of string cheese in some ham too!
10. pears and cheese cubes
When it comes to fruit, at my house I think pears are overlooked. But they are packed with fiber! Each typical sized pear offers 5.5g of fiber.
Now there are natural sugars in pears — 27 g carbs make up an average pear. So you definitely want to make sure you have fat and protein to eat this before bed to help offset those natural sugars even more. Cheese would be a great choice.
11. Celery Sticks and Nut Butter
Much like the nut butter shown above on the apple slices, the combination of celery and nut butter is another classic. One stalk of celery has just 1g of carbs and a half gram of fiber. It’s mostly nothing to eat it on its own, but pair it with peanut butter and you have a classic snack.
With the addition of the peanut butter (or almond butter or whatever nut butter you choose), you are adding protein and fat. That will provide you a well rounded diabetic bedtime snack.
Another great option is to use carrot sticks instead of celery — your choice!
12. TRail Mix
Trail mix was also a snack I mentioned in the 20 Best Diabetic Snacks for Kids. But it’s definitely a good bedtime snack for diabetics as well. The mixture of nuts, depending on what you use, typically is low carb, high protein, and full of healthy fat. It’s really ideal! My caution is to watch the dried fruits you include — they can be full of sugar.
Another reason I like trail mix as a snack is that I can have a handful and walk away, so it’s portion control friendly too. And I can make a trail mix in advance to keep in an airtight container until I’m ready for it.
13. Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars
This is a recipe I love to make because it’s easy and delicious. And if you’re looking for more of a “treat” before bed, this may satisfy your sweet tooth. (And it would allow you to eat chocolate before bed too!)
These Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Bars boast 5.5g of fiber and 8g of protein. And if you wanted a smaller portion size, you could totally cut it that way. Just be sure to refigure the nutrition facts!
14. Whole Grain Chips and Guacamole
As I mentioned above, avocados are a good source of fiber. And if you use a whole grain chip (for fiber) to eat guacamole, you could theoretically have chips and guac before bed. I would suggest throwing in some black beans to help with more fiber and protein.
But I would recommend putting a small serving size of guacamole in a ramekin or prep bowl, and just set out just a handful of chips so you can keep portion sizes appropriate before bed. Chips and guac can be addictive if you’re like me, and then the whole bag of chips is gone!
15. Cucumber bites
Cucumber bites is another good option for bedtime. They are super low in carbs, which is key before bed. I would suggest pairing it with some cream cheese and everything bagel seasoning to add in some fat and protein with the cheese.
Another idea is to julienne the cucumber (or other vegetable sticks) into strips and roll them up in some lunchmeat and a slice of cheese. The creamy cheese and bite of the crunchy cucumber are a great combination!
CARBS FOR Diabetic Bedtime Snack Ideas
There are definitely carbs in these diabetic bedtime snack ideas. They vary from one idea to the other, so be sure to count the carbs in the snacks you choose. (Need help counting carbs for your recipes? Check out my blog post with step-by-step instructions!)
Also, be sure to work this into your diet how you best manage your diabetes with your healthcare team.
Have You Tried Any of these Bedtime Snacks for Diabetics?
Does a late night snack work its way into your bedtime routine? If you’ve tried any of these snacks, would you please let me know? I would love to hear from you! Let me know what you’ve found is the right bedtime snack for you.
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NOTE: I am not a certified nutritionist or registered dietician. Nothing here should be taken as professional medical advice. Any nutritional information provided should be used as a general guideline and estimate only. For the most accurate information, please calculate based on the specific ingredients and brands you use, as well as any changes you make to the ingredients.
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