Health
Snack Smarter: 3 Keys for Blood Sugar Balance
Health Points
- Snacks featuring protein, fiber, and healthy fat help maintain steady energy and reduce hunger.
- Registered dietitian Grace Derocha recommends aiming for this nutrient trio to avoid blood sugar spikes and crashes.
- Easy combinations include Greek yogurt with berries and nuts, hard-boiled eggs with fruit, and hummus with veggie sticks.
Choosing snacks that provide stable energy and lasting fullness is all about balance. Incorporating protein, fiber, and healthy fat into your snack routine helps you feel your best between meals.
Grace Derocha, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, emphasizes the importance of this trio for maintaining steady blood sugar levels and preventing mid-day fatigue.
“If you eat something that’s only carbs and no protein, fat or fiber, your blood sugar will go high fast and then drop low, fast,” Derocha notes.
With these three nutrients, “you really help manage and balance out blood sugars so that there’s no spikes and no drops,” she explains.
Derocha suggests this approach not just for those watching blood sugar, but for general well-being. Combining carbs with protein, fiber, and healthy fats can help sustain energy and keep you feeling satisfied longer.
Snacks like Greek yogurt and berries, apples with peanut butter, or veggie sticks with hummus are easy ways to start. Switching ingredients to suit your tastes keeps things interesting and satisfying.
Take charge of your snack time by mixing and matching foods with protein, fiber, and healthy fat for steady energy all day long.
