Healthy snacks for a diabetic with a very sweet tooth...

January 20, 2016 1:02 PM

I have portion control issues, a very sweet tooth, diabetes, and climbing blood sugar levels. I'm looking for recommendations of things I can eat that will feel like a treat without killing me.

I suffer from SAD, which I have a bad habit of treating it with food. Sweet food, pastries and nuts seem to be my go-to.

I've tried replacing it with sweet fruit, but it doesn't seem to do it for me. Semi-dried figs and dates seemed like a solution, but I also have an incredible ability to eat all of everything without really realising what is happening. One fig is fine. A bag of them becomes an issue.

So... I'm looking for suggestions of sweet treats that I can eat without killing myself. Which, I know is pretty much an impossibility, but anything close would be much appreciated.

posted by sodium lights the horizon to Health & Fitness (32 answers total)

This isn't really what you asked, but I've found as I decrease my sugary snacks, I crave them less... so I just have them sparingly. I do not keep pastries in the house, but I'll have a square of dark chocolate if I'm desperate. I just had a 100 calorie Larabar that was delicious and sweet but not pure sugar.

I've also just given in and started buying single-serve packs of things. It costs more, but trying to navigate serving sizes and such in a huge bag isn't worth the hassle.
posted by getawaysticks at 1:07 PM on January 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

My go to - hot chocolate made with almond milk, cocoa powder and agave. Mmmm. And since it's hot - it takes a while to consume thus satisfying the sweet tooth and filling up some time that i would most likely be gorging on other stuff.
posted by Sassyfras at 1:08 PM on January 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

Jols Sugar Free Forest Berries Pastilles or similar.
posted by Jahaza at 1:08 PM on January 20, 2016

OK, but, if you have SAD, do you take your vitaminD? Do that first. When you want sweets it means you are not absorbing the sugar already in your blood. Drink water to increase the water vs fat ratio in your blood, and somewhat make your insulin receptor sites more available for absorption. We generally decrease water consumption in the cold months.

Once you have done this, go for nuts, or nuts with sweet grated coconut in a ratio of 10 x nuts to sweet coconut, add another twentieth dark chocolate chips. Chew well and long, recognise you are eating, when you are eating. Take up baking, make crust with 1/2 whole wheat and almond flour. Make pumpkin pie with plain greek yogurt instead of sweetened, condensed milk. Use sugar to sweeten, but just enough to be barely sweet, spice it well. Use it as a meal substitute. Keep high protein bread around, toast it, top it with a thin layer of peanut butter, and thin sliced apples. Use a half apple for two slices. Call it a meal.

When you first get up, drink twelve ounces of water. Then make your bed, exercise, feed the cat or what ever you do first thing. Always drink water before you answer the impulse to eat sweets. Hunger is often mistaken for thirst.
posted by Oyéah at 1:20 PM on January 20, 2016 [5 favorites]

The cocoa powder covered almonds make me feel like I am cheating on my low sugar diet.
posted by ReluctantViking at 1:21 PM on January 20, 2016 [4 favorites]

Response by poster: Yeah, my vit D was so low it wasn't registering on the tests my Dr did. I've taken 6000UI of D3 a day for the last year or so. I assume it's working.
posted by sodium lights the horizon at 1:26 PM on January 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

Try eating a dill pickle. I know you don't want it, but before you give in to the sweet craving, eat a dill pickle. It is a good trick to take away the craving for sweets. I particularly like those teeny weeny cornichons, which I dish up into a pretty little dish and have sitting next to me while I read and would otherwise be shoving M&Ms down my throat.
posted by janey47 at 1:28 PM on January 20, 2016 [15 favorites]

How's chocolate satisfying for your sweet tooth? Because dark chocolate has a low glycemic index*. The trick to avoiding bitterness is not to go for the cheapest, but the supermarket own-brand 70% bars priced at about £1.50 for 100g (or 85p for 40g) are good bets. The bar I've got in front of me is indeed 29% sugar, but that's tempered by the fact that it's also 12% fibre and 7% protein (and 41% fat). But the real advantage is how I find it makes you lose your appetite for sweeter chocolate.

*I couldn't find any figures for actual dark chocolate, but here's some 40% dark chocolate with a measured GI of 23. And I'd find that sickly sweet, personally.
posted by ambrosen at 1:28 PM on January 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

Ambrosen beat me to it...You might try small squares of very dark chocolate that contain sea salt and/or savory spices. I can sometimes get my brain to enjoy it like I enjoy sweet things.
posted by oxisos at 1:32 PM on January 20, 2016

There are chocolates and other sweets made for diabetics, they are sweetened with Maltodextrin which can have a laxative effect. So if you decide to incorporate them into your diet, heads up.

Do check with your doctor, if you have diabetes, you shouldn't be eating calories of sugar, either from fruit, carbs or candy without understanding how they affect you. Have you been for nutritional counseling? A good dietician (not 'nutritionist') will give you a good food plan to follow and will give you some strategies to help with your sweet tooth.

Do you have a full spectrum light that you use for SAD? That can help an awful lot, and it won't have an effect on your blood sugars. They're around $200 and well worth it!
posted by Ruthless Bunny at 1:35 PM on January 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

If your vitamin D levels are that low, you likely have other related issues. You might try doing additional research.

I have a condition that predisposes me to low vitamin D levels and puts me at high risk for diabetes. You might google up info on diabetes and inflammation. They are interrelated and getting inflammation under control has helped my blood sugar issues.

But, also, I have done a lot of other research. Menthol, like from mint, apparently helps uplift the mood. That has been my go-to thing here lately (in the form of candy canes -- not recommending that for you). I was eating selenium rich foods for a bit there, like sunflower seeds or brazil nuts, for some "I am so FRUSTRATED" mood issue. I have been researching the salt-lithium connection. My condition seriously impacts how my body interacts with salt and I am finding that eating lithium rich foods plus stuff to help stabilize my salt issues has helped to stabilize my mood this winter.

I have been eating candy canes for the mint, but you could try unsweetened mint tea and see if that helps your mood without being so sweet.

Best of luck.
posted by Michele in California at 1:35 PM on January 20, 2016

I'm doing a month-long diet where I have no sugar and no sugar substitutes. But I've found a hot drink that helps satisfy my longing for chocolate: Ground up cocoa beans that get brewed just like coffee. The brand I've been using is Crio Bru, and I've also heard tell of a brand called Choffy.

There's no sugar or sweetener in these. The only ingredient is ground up cocoa beans, and it's not powdery like cocoa powder you'd get on the baking aisle (but I don't know how it otherwise differs from that). It smells like hot chocolate but is totally unsweetened. It tastes like hot chocolate without sugar. Crio Bru has beans from many different countries. My favorite variety of theirs is called Mayan, which has cayenne, cinnamon, and vanilla in addition to the Mexican cocoa beans. I put mine in a French press. You can also brew it in your coffee maker.
posted by ImproviseOrDie at 1:39 PM on January 20, 2016 [9 favorites]

I know this isn't directly what you asked for, but have you tried gymnema sylvestre? I find it's very helpful in helping control sugar cravings and was very helpful in helping me break the "sugar taste = pleasure" link after being on it for a few weeks, and I no longer get the need for the afternoon sugar fix.

I generally don't like sugar free (made with sugar substitute) foods because they are hell on my digestive system. I also found flavored seltzer water/club soda to be great replacements for sugary tasting sodas - after a week of drinking those I don't even miss soda anymore. I don't have diabetes, but my understanding is that dried fruit and fruit juices and even some kinds of whole fruit have high glycemic loads and therefore should be avoided.
posted by Karaage at 1:41 PM on January 20, 2016 [4 favorites]

Just avoid sweet things entirely. You won't miss them eventually.

My current favorites:

Hot chocolate made from _unsweetened_ rice milk and Guittard semisweet chocolate. .6 oz chocolate / 8 ounces rice milk, a dash of vanilla, a tiny bit of salt - heat the milk, let the chocolate melt in it, whisk. (I usually make a quart of rice milk + 1+1/2 bars of the chocolate -- that's half a package). It will be different, but delicious.

Kale chips (you can buy these but they're very expensive and always have extra flavors; if you are serious about avoiding sugar, you might not even find a flavor you like -- so, I generally make my own).

recipe for kale chips:

Allocate a lot of time to babysit the kale in the oven (a couple of hours). Wash a lot of kale. Tear the leafy part off of the thickest stem part and put the leafy bits in a bowl; drain; dry by working a towel over and under the leaves in the bowl, and let it sit with the towel in the bowl for a few minutes. Preheat oven to 275 Fahrenheit. Remove towel from bowl, drizzle a little oil and salt on the kale, massage with clean hands until kale is coated with oil. Spread loosely on cookie sheet(s), wash hands, put kale in oven. Prop open oven door slightly with a small spoon (to let humidity escape -- otherwise this will take forever).
Check the kale chips every 15-25 minutes or so. Maybe turn them over with tongs. Once they're all crispy, take them out of the oven and let them sit five minutes or so to cool.
You will probably get totally addicted to these. As far as I know, that's fine.
posted by amtho at 1:48 PM on January 20, 2016 [7 favorites]

When I eat dates I take four or five out of the container, cut each in half crosswise with a paring knife, and put an almond in each half where the pit was. I find it more satisfying but also, that little preparation ritual makes it feel more like I've made an actual snack and less like I'm mindlessly grabbing something. It helps with awareness. If you just eat straight from the bag you will definitely lose track of how much you're eating, I think that's pretty universal.

I agree with all the suggestions to try a hot beverage; I will cop to liking some of Republic of Tea's "dessert teas" (as barbaric as that probably sounds to a lot of tea aficionados around these parts). There are some rooibos versions with cocoa and/or vanilla that hold up well to milk and a tiny bit of sweetener. Even better if you froth the milk.
posted by mama casserole at 1:59 PM on January 20, 2016 [3 favorites]

The only real way to kill a sweet tooth is by starving it out. Even artificially sweetened things will feed the craving cycle. If you're not ready to transition to different snacks that can be satisfying without being sweet (nuts, roasted seaweed, pickles, cheese, olives, crunchy veggies, etc), you may want to try chewing sugarless gum. It won't get you out of the craving sweets cycle, but at least it's not tons of sugar.

You may also want to get your Vitamin D measured again. With such a profound deficiency, you may need to supplement more aggressively.
posted by quince at 2:05 PM on January 20, 2016 [2 favorites]

I know everyone's like "quit eating sweet stuff, you won't miss it," but sometimes you just really feel like having something sweet. There's a reason things like diet soda and sugar-free Jell-O pudding exist, and those are perfectly viable options, as much as people wrinkle their noses at diet stuff.

Not all sugar-free products are created equal, of course—you want to watch out for sugar alcohols, which can still raise your blood sugar. Some studies have also shown that even totally calorie-free artificial sweeteners can actually kind of prime your appetite for additional food, so you want to watch out for that. But eh. I asked a dietician about this, and she said for me at least, it's more important to cut sugar, carbs, and calories than to worry too much about various study results. Diet stuff is a good tool for that. Your mileage may vary, of course.

If you want something that's sweet but not too sweet, to retrain your palate, diet tonic water is actually pretty great. Pickles are good, too, though of course you want to be mindful of your sodium intake as well if you have the cluster of metabolic syndrome symptoms. Finding low-calorie, low-glycemic-index ways to feel full is probably the best option in the long run—soup, salad, that sort of thing. But short-term, look for sugar-free sweet stuff.
posted by limeonaire at 2:08 PM on January 20, 2016 [4 favorites]

Freeze dried pineapple is crazy pricey, but it works for me when I want candy - it's crunchy and tart. This brand is my fave.
posted by Mchelly at 2:10 PM on January 20, 2016 [3 favorites]

I'm a dietitian, but not your dietitian. I used to work at a diabetes clinic. I don't know the first thing about you, so the following is some of the standard advice that was given to most people with DM2 who didn't use insulin (but often Metformin or other oral antidiabetics):

Any Light product that has few or zero carbs. Soda, yoghurt, dessert, what have you. That's pretty much the only safe bet as far as your blood glucose is concerned, if you really crave the sugary sweetness. Artificial sweeteners have a bad rap that is undeserved, and they are much, much better for your health than having high blood sugar. Some people seem to be more comfortable with stevia, which is a good option. (Keep an eye on calories from fats, though.)

I realize the advice to use Light products is sometimes really hard to accept, because of the current ethos of "naturalness", whole foods etc. It's really unfortunate. But if that's your thing, let's see. Dried fruit is basically candy, it's high on sugar and really easy to overindulge. I've found that unsalted raw cashews have a mild, gentle sort of sweetness to them. Another good one are strawberries, which are relatively low on carbs. Maybe some whole grain crackers with a little cream cheese and a couple of slices of banana, or some jam. If it requires some fiddling, it can be easier to not overindulge.

Do you monitor your blood glucose? Keep an eye on how you respond to different foods, there's a lot of individual variation.

Do you have a regular eating pattern, with 3 meals and 2-3 snacks? Sugar cravings are often especially bad if you've gone too long without eating something. Note that your meals and snacks should contain carbs, too; the purpose is not to avoid them altogether but to divide them evenly between the meals.

It's true what has been mentioned in this thread before, that if you go some time without eating anything sweet, the cravings will diminish and eventually go away completely. That can take anything from a few days to several weeks. It's a huge relief for some people, but others find the process too difficult.

Seconding Ruthless bunny wrt consulting a dietitian. Often the starting point is establishing a regular pattern of meals and snacks and maybe looking into your intake of fiber.
posted by sively at 2:29 PM on January 20, 2016 [9 favorites]

When I ate dairy, unsweetened marscapone cheese always made me feel like I was eating sweets. I also really like plain, unsweetened coconut flakes (the giant ones). My brain associates the flavors of coconut with sweet.
posted by OrangeDisk at 2:38 PM on January 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

I am also a volume eater (but not diabetic). i was on a diet that emphasized the use of oatmeal and I found the following snacks were desert-like enough that they worked for my sweet tooth as well as being very filling and very quick. (Use unsweetened instant oatmeal packets, cook 2 min in the microwave)
- add 2 T cocoa (I like the strong flavor of Hershey's special dark plus 2T artificial sweetener
0r
- 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (like for pumpkin pie), plus cinnamon plus sweetener
or
- 1/4 c egg beaters or other egg product plus a dash of nutmeg plus sweetener (sort of bread pudding flavor). You can also add cocoa to this.
posted by metahawk at 2:57 PM on January 20, 2016

I've been making muffins with whole wheat flour, bran, pumpkin or applesauce, eggs, brown sugar, oil, etc. Search basic muffin for recipes. Fiber, both soluble (fruit/ veg) and insoluble (bran), helps regulate blood sugar. I add walnuts and dried fruit for protein and fiber and taste. I usually have them for breakfast, but also grab them for snacks when I want sweets. I satisfy the sweet craving with real food that isn't super sweet. You can check out the baking version of splenda.

I love cherry pie, and sometimes have canned cherry pie filling, removing most of the corn starch-based glop and enjoying the cherries.
posted by theora55 at 5:49 PM on January 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

Omg seconding Crio Bru; it's so good but the smell will drive you CRAZY... soooo chocolate-y! Yum yum!
posted by bookworm4125 at 6:29 PM on January 20, 2016 [1 favorite]

This mug cake was my go to sweet snack when I was dealing with gestational diabetes (assuming you're OK with an artificial sweetener)

1 tbsp butter - melted
2 tbsp cocoa powder
2 tbsp sweetener (I used splenda as it was easy to get for me.) - can adjust up/down
1 tsp baking powder
1 egg

Mix well in a microwave safe mug or bowl for about a minute.

Top with a homemade whipped cream and it feels like a sweet treat with only about 7 carbs.
posted by MandaSayGrr at 7:17 PM on January 20, 2016 [5 favorites]

Cacao nibs have a very intense chocolate flavor, and no sugar.
posted by yohko at 10:28 PM on January 20, 2016

I can relate. Oatmeal, strawberries (dipped in coconut milk?), and sliced tomatoes or cherry tomatoes (in balsamic vinegar? that adds sugar), and this one delicious plain yogurt I found have all been go-to snacks during various low-sugar efforts of mine. I find peppermint tea and yoga to help with the transition past the first two weeks of cravings. The stricter Whole 30 diet (which wouldn't allow oatmeal, for one thing) was actually easier for me because you get past the cravings instead of constantly fighting it.
posted by salvia at 4:24 AM on January 21, 2016

Have you tried banana ice cream? Throwing a frozen banana or two into the blender with a splash of milk and nothing else will result in something that tastes almost exactly like banana soft serve ice cream. Because you have to actually freeze the bananas first ( peel and chop them first to make your life a bit easier) it's harder to binge on it without planning ahead.
posted by peppermind at 4:32 AM on January 21, 2016

When I quit smoking I was worried about gaining a trillion pounds. I managed to curb my normally voracious sugar cravings with:
-dried pineapple
-dates - medjool dates especially! but also parnoosh dates with peanut butter
-prunes (MMM! Also soooo high in fibre!)
-banana slices dipped in fat-free hot chocolate powder
-mandarin oranges (if you want more substance, add canned mandarins to low fat cottage cheese)
-this is gross, but chewing and spitting sweet gum sometimes helps (like Thrills gum)
-canned fruit cocktail
-jars of sour cherries - add cherries to greek yogurt and a drizzle of real maple syrup
-strawberries, raspberries, blueberries - any berry
-ice cold, crunchy seedless grapes

I try to have a few options on hand at all times. Good luck!!
posted by Dressed to Kill at 7:59 AM on January 21, 2016

My other half is recently diagnosed diabetic and now looks upon tropical fruits with utter horror.

A banana is really high in carbs, typical meal for a diabetic might be under 60g carbs, one banana is 15g carbs so two of them is half a meals worth of carbs, so not a snack! Don't get him started on pineapple and grapes.

His go-to dessert is now full fat greek yoghurt with a spoonful of peanut butter (one with no added sugar). He never liked greek yoghurt until he cut out the sugar in his diet and has now developed a taste for it. People have said upthread that you soon stop missing the sugar if you cut it out and its been our experience also.

He'll also eat strawberries and blackberries on occasion, they're among the lowest sugar fruits, think northern hemisphere fruit, not tropical.

He bought an ice cream maker and has made some awesome desserts that meet his carbs and sugar criteria using creme fraiche and greek yoghurt flavoured with dark chocolate or pistachios. You need an ice cream maker tho, just freezing yoghurt results in a unpleasant-to-eat icicle.
posted by Ness at 8:11 AM on January 21, 2016 [1 favorite]

I've similarly been working on reducing my intake of refined sugars. When I'm in the mood for a sweet or a snack, my go-tos have been:

-2% Fage yogurt with granola or muesli that include nuts and dried fruits
-A handful of raisins and walnuts, sometimes with a smidge of dark chocolate
-An apple with a tablespoon of almond butter
-I drink a smoothie with milk, frozen banana, flax seed, ice cubes, and cocoa powder. Vanilla extract optional.
-A glass of 2% milk with a fraction of a teaspoon of honey, the current honey option has lavender in it for a bit of extra flavor.

I generally try to pick options with a decent amount of protein and minimally processed within reason. The protein helps keep me feel and the portions smaller.
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 9:27 AM on January 21, 2016

I meant to write:

"A glass of 2% warm milk with honey".
posted by Goblin Barbarian at 9:44 AM on January 21, 2016

I have a serious sweet tooth too. Mixing fruits with avocado satisfies it for me, particularly mango and pineapple. Throw some red chile pepper and lime in there and it still tastes sweet, but satisfying like a meal.
posted by chickenmagazine at 6:45 PM on January 21, 2016 [1 favorite]