Waltzing the Dragon

If you are looking for low-carb snack and meal options, in general look towards:

The degree to which you go “low carb” is a decision for each individual family. A consistently low-carb diet is often advocated for those with type 2 diabetes who do not take insulin, as their strategy for managing blood sugar relies more heavily on restricting certain foods in their diet. However, carbohydrate-restriction is not a key approach for many individuals with Type 1, especially children, as it may negatively impact their quality of life, and contribute to control issues around food. In short, it’s not necessary to keep your child’s carb intake low just because they have type 1 diabetes, although some individuals with diabetes feel this is a reasonable and effective way to manage blood sugar spikes.

Some things to keep in mind:

With that said, for those times when you want to provide a low- or no-carb snack, here are some ideas for snack components (which can be used to dream up your own low-carb snack combination). The list is not exhaustive, but is a sampling of possibilities, which have been well-received by our sons.

Note: The carb values are approximate, given as relative guidelines only – be sure to calculate your own carb values for the brands and quantities you prepare.

Here are some examples of ways you could combine the above ingredients, for a relatively low-carb snack or meal idea.

• • Mushroom Caps: fresh mushroom, stem removed, topped with cream cheese (plain, salmon-, or tomato-flavoured) and bacon bits, and then lightly baked
  • Celery with: tuna, salmon, chicken salad, egg salad (OR peanut butter OR cream cheese (plain or flavoured)
  • Cucumber slices topped with:

  cream cheese (plain or flavoured – Note: drying the cucumber slice with a paper towel will help the cream cheese to stick), or
  salsa and a cheese slice
  tuna or salmon, or
  deli meat

  • Cottage cheese with nuts and/or berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, for example)
  • Yogurt (plain, or sugar-free flavoured) with nuts and/or berries (raspberries, blackberries, strawberries, for example)
  • Lettuce roll-up: egg salad, deli meat, tuna, and/or veggies, wrapped in a lettuce leaf
  • Meat roll-ups: avocado, cheese, peppers, olives, grated carrots, tomato, etc – wrapped in a slice of deli meat
  • Tooth-pick Kebabs: a variety of the following, cut into cubes and loaded onto a toothpick or skewer: cheese, olives, pickles, hard-boiled egg, carrots, etc)
  • Corn Thin Pizza: using a round Corn Thin as the base, load on pizza toppings (cheese, olives, pepperoni or ham stick slices) and bake until the cheese melts
  • Rice Cake Pizza: as above, using rice cakes as the base
  • Cucumber slices topped with cream cheese (plain or flavoured), salsa + cheese slice, and/or tuna, salmon, or deli meat
  • Rumake: water chestnuts, in a soy-based marinade, wrapped in a slice of bacon, then baked
  • Greek Salad: black olives, grape tomatoes, and cucumber chunks, with oil and vinegar dressing and salt/pepper (for a variation, add mushrooms, too)
  • Homemade Vegetable Soup, with extra veggies: puree if desired; add meat if desired, ex. chunks of chicken or beef

What ideas do you have for low-carb snack ideas? The sky’s the limit…

We welcome the opportunity to expand this list – please email us with your low carb snack ideas! It is especially helpful to other parents if you can specify brands, as some food items may vary widely depending on the manufacturer.

The above information was reviewed for content accuracy by clinical staff of the Alberta Children’s Hospital Diabetes Clinic.

This material has been developed from sources that we believe are accurate, however, as the field of medicine (in particular as it applies to diabetes) is rapidly evolving, the information should not be relied upon, as it is designed for informational purposes only. It should not be used in place of medical advice, instruction and/or treatment. If you have specific questions, please consult your doctor or appropriate health care professional.