Guest Blog Post: 10 Natural Food Snacks That Are Easy on Blood Sugar

Below is a guest blog post from Amanda Austin. For questions or comments about this posting, please contact Amanda via the contact information in the "About the Author" section at the bottom of the post.

When many people think about snacks, they consider high-sugar treats and food with added fat (think cookies or potato chips or any other vending machine goodie out there.) However, for people with imbalanced blood sugar, these types of snacks are not only fattening, they can cause blood-sugar spikes that have dangerous consequences for their health. The best snacks are pre-portioned and low in carbs; planning snacks can help you make better choices when you feel hunger pangs coming on. Here are 10 foods to try for your next snack break.

Peanut butter treat – Peanut butter has protein and unsaturated fat, which can give you long-lasting energy. Combined with the crunch of celery sticks and baby carrots, this treat will keep you from getting hungry and satisfy a craving for crunch. Three celery sticks, five baby carrots and one tablespoon of peanut butter is about 130 calories and has less than 10 grams of carbs.

Fruit Salad – The best part about this snack is that you can customize it with the type of fruit you like or the freshest in-season fruit. Mix ¼ cup fresh blueberries, one small apple, and ½ medium banana, then portion into ½ cup servings. This mixture is about 10 grams of carbs and 100 calories per serving.

Cottage cheese – Cottage cheese is another protein-packed snack that can be paired with many different kinds of fruits for a fresh, cool afternoon treat. Try ¼ cup cottage cheese and ½ cup of freshly cut peaches for a snack that is less than 10 carbs and about 90 calories per serving.

Caprese salad – Caprese salad is a delicious savory snack for afternoon cravings. Slice five cherry tomatoes and mix with 1 tablespoon low-fat mozzarella cheese. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil and dash with a bit of basil. This snack has about 10 grams of carbs and less than 100 calories.

Tuna salad – Tuna is a nutrient-dense food, filled with high-quality protein and vitamins. For a quick tuna salad snack, mix a ½ can of tuna packed in water with 1 tablespoon low-fat salad dressing and ½ tablespoon sweet pickle relish. Portion into ¼ cup snack size, then spread on four saltine crackers. This snack is about 15 grams of carbs and 150 calories.

Turkey wraps – For the hours between lunch and dinner when you want something substantial to tide you over, try these easy turkey lettuce wraps. Take one slice of deli turkey and wrap in a large leaf of romaine. Add mustard for an extra bite. Each wrap has about 2 grams of carbs and less than 70 calories.

Pistachios – This “super nut” has a high level of phytosterols, a natural plant compound that may help lower cholesterol, and have the lowest calories per nut of any other kind. Twenty-five pistachios have 100 calories and 5 grams of carbs.

Edamame – An exotic name for green soybeans, edamame are fiber-rich and have protein and Omega-3 fats. Simply steam a cup, open the pods and enjoy! One cup has about 150 calories and 12 grams of carbs.

Hummus – Hummus is made from high-fiber chickpeas, and is great for snacking. Pair ¼ cup with broccoli, cherry tomatoes or carrots for a snack that is about 120 calories and 13 grams of carbs.

Oranges and Almonds – This energy boosting combo has about 150 calories and 21 grams of carbs. Oranges can give you a little extra water (and vitamin c) and almonds provide a protein punch.

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About the Author:

Amanda is a social media manager for a health care organization by day and a blogger and freelance writer by night. She's also a mom to an amazing 2 year-old boy and wife to a great guy who indulges all her celebrity gossip. Amanda loves coffee, fashion, Twitter, makeup, nail polish, and cats (not always in that order.) Her work has been published on family.com and blogher.com. She has written for many websites including Now Foods. For more celebrity gossip, fashion, beauty and DIY, visit Amanda's blog, It's Blogworthy (http://itsblogworthy.com) or follow her on Twitter and Google+.