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:
- 2 tablespoons of natural peanut or cashew butter with cut up apple or celery
- 2 slices of hard cheese melted on a whole wheat tortilla
- Healthy Nut Mix? See this blog for recipe.
- Mixing a fresh ricotta cheese with berries, cinnamon and a little honey
- A miniature relish plate for kids with pickles, olives, hard cheese and grapes
- Homemade Hummus with carrot and celery sticks
- Ricotta Buckwheat pancakes  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 1/2 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
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 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.
November 30, -0001 @ 12:00 am
Another good idea I have found with many kids is use healthy foods but make sure the presentation is new and unusual. Fruit kebobs are an instant hit. Take a wooden skewer, add a few favorites of fresh fruits (strawberry, banana slice, chunk of apple, wedge of orange or pineapple etc.). Thread them onto a skewer, add a small side of non-fat vanilla yogurt for a dipping sauce and immediately a bland bowl of fruit has become an instant hit.
Another simple idea is red radishes, fresh tomatoes, carrot sticks etc. are just plain boring to a child. But see what happens when they become radish or tomato roses, carrot curls, celery fans etc.. Again a small side of non-fat salad dressing and you will become the best mom with the best ideas of all the parent's on the block.
Kid's don't need or want a lot of food, they just want something healthy–but different.
January 26, 2011 @ 9:35 pm
great post. These suggestions beat top ramon.
February 22, 2011 @ 1:59 pm
This is a nice recipe, a delightful treat for our child patients. I think I'll offer this next week, a present for the children. Thanks Susan.
March 6, 2011 @ 12:26 am
Another good idea I have found with many kids is use healthy foods but make sure the presentation is new and unusual. Fruit kebobs are an instant hit. Take a wooden skewer, add a few favorites of fresh fruits (strawberry, banana slice, chunk of apple, wedge of orange or pineapple etc.). Thread them onto a skewer, add a small side of non-fat vanilla yogurt for a dipping sauce and immediately a bland bowl of fruit has become an instant hit.
Another simple idea is red radishes, fresh tomatoes, carrot sticks etc. are just plain boring to a child. But see what happens when they become radish or tomato roses, carrot curls, celery fans etc.. Again a small side of non-fat salad dressing and you will become the best mom with the best ideas of all the parent's on the block.
Kid's don't need or want a lot of food, they just want something healthy–but different.