I am looking for suggestions for snacks for a 4 year old newly diagnosed, especially complex carbs. Thanks. Martha
Some easy snacks I can think of are sugar free pudding cups (they still have about 6 carbs) or sugar free jello (cups or the finger jello variety). My mom will make a batch of sugar free jello and put it in serving size containers before she refrigerates it so you can just grab one and go…You can also put cool whip on it and that has very few carbs too. She actually makes them for my dad’s diet that he is supposed to be on, but they work good for me too =). Other snacks that shouldn’t raise her blood sugar too much would be “ants on a log” (celery with peanut butter and raisins). Raisins have carbs so you would have to keep track of how many she is eating, but celery and peanut butter has very few carbs at all.
Hopefully some other people have some more ideas…especially with regards to complex carbs, I’ve never really differentiated between the two…just between foods that need insulin and “free foods.”
Considering he or she is newly diagnosed, it all depends on the control of his or her diabetes. If in control, at that age with t1d the options for complex carbs to snack on is very limited. If you can get the child to eat almost anything, I would suggest maybe a “kids” yogurt with more protein than fat and sugar. It’s hard to think back on what I ate at that age, but I believe I was eating cereal already. I know for a fact that companies like General Mills has made whole grain cereals (great for complex carbohydrates & for breakfast with respect to a child). Also I believe there are “KIDS” energy bars available in many different tasty flavors at the average grocery store. Other than this I mean your options are basically the usually snacking for diabetics. Fresh Fruits, Vegetables, High Fiber Breads/Cereals, Dairy and Lean Meat!
Hope this helps!
Cheese sticks or any kind of protein. Go-gurt yogurt. It’s not realistic to avoid anything with carbs between meals though. Kids are going to snack, especially as they prepare for a growth spurt.
When I did shots I’d have peace with just having higher blood sugars until my next meal since it’s not realistic to shoot up every time you eat. A few pretzles or triscuit crackers or a small peanut butter sandwich are unlikely to skyrocket blood sugar. Work with your doctor and dietician and come up with a realistic eating plan.
By the way, I was diagnosed age age 4 too and am now 40 and complication-free. I have a non-diabetic son, a nice husband, and a pretty average existence. Know that your daughter’s life will be a little different with diabetes but it won’t keep her from having a great life. Take care. -Jenna
Some healthy options may include:
raw veggies and hummus
nut butter w/ banana or whole grain crackers/sprouted grain bread
plain yogurt with fresh fruit
string cheese
whole grain muffins made from whole wheat, spelt, oats or buckwheat so they are naturally high in fiber and have a decent amount of protein
My daughter is 18 months and she loves all of those foods - repeated exposure can do wonders for our tastes to adapt to new flavors and healthier alternatives.
Also, hard boiled eggs are another option we do a lot. I have T1D, not my daughter, but all of the foods I mentioned have not had adverse effects on my BG unless I completely overdo it on portion size or don’t count carbs accurately.