Overview
Diabetes and snacks low in carbohydrate
This information is intended for people with diabetes. It gives ideas for snacks that are low in carbohydrate or do not have any carbohydrate. These can help if you are trying to keep your blood sugar levels stable or within a target range, but feel hungry between meals.
Treating low blood sugar (hypoglycaemia or a hypo)
A low blood sugar level is called hypoglycaemia or a hypo. You have a hypo if your blood sugar level drops below 4mmol/L.
If you have a hypo, do not try to treat it with snacks low in carbohydrate. You need to follow these steps immediately.
- Have a sugary drink or snack. A suitable drink is a small 150 to 200ml glass of non-diet fizzy drink or fruit juice. A suitable snack is 15 to 20g of a fast-acting carbohydrate. Examples are 3 to 4 jelly babies, 4 to 6 glucose tablets or 1 tube of glucose gel.
- Test your blood sugar level after 10 to 15 minutes. If it has improved and you feel better, move to step 3. But if there is little or no change, have another sugary drink or snack. Measure your blood sugar level again after 10 to 15 minutes.
- You need to prevent your blood sugar level from dropping again. Eat your next meal if it is due and contains a starchy carbohydrate, such as bread, pasta, potato or rice. Otherwise, have a snack that contains a slow-release carbohydrate. Examples are a slice of bread or toast, 2 digestive biscuits or a glass of cows’ milk.
If you take insulin or diabetes medicines that put you at risk of hypos, you may sometimes need a snack between meals. These snacks help to keep your blood sugar levels up and should contain some starchy carbohydrate.
However, if you frequently need carbohydrate snacks between meals to prevent your blood sugar levels from dropping low, speak to your healthcare team. They may need to review the amounts (doses) of insulin or diabetes medicines that you take.
If you are pregnant, it is important to read food safety advice before preparing and eating some foods. We have highlighted any foods that you need to take extra care with during pregnancy. Your dietitian or healthcare team can give you more information about this.
If you have any more questions or concerns, please speak to your dietitian or a member of your healthcare team.
Snacks with very little or no carbohydrate
Here are some ideas for snacks that have a very low amount of carbohydrate or no carbohydrate. You can combine these snacks with our ideas for snacks with 10 to 15g of carbohydrate or less.
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Snacks with 10 to 15g of carbohydrate or less
Here are some ideas for snacks with 10 to 15g of carbohydrate or less. Try to avoid having more than 1 of these snacks between each meal.
If you read food labels, you can find out how much carbohydrate is in a snack. For example, the label might tell you how much carbohydrate there is in each cracker or each serving of yoghurt.
Aim for no more than 15g of carbohydrate in each portion that you eat.
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More information and support
Diabetes UK
Diabetes UK is a charity for people living with diabetes in the UK. It gives information and support to help people with diabetes manage their condition effectively.
Phone: 0345 123 2399 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm)
Email: [email protected]
Resource number: 3917/VER3
Last reviewed: March 2023
Next review due: March 2026
A list of sources is available on request.
