Always searching for healthier substitutes
Although my family and I are highly aware of the benefits of eating low-carb for blood sugars, we also have to consider the “needs” of a picky toddler. Therefore, we don’t eat as low carb as we first did at diagnosis when she was barely 16 months old and are open to trying new foods. Having her wear a Dexcom continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and the Animas OneTouch Ping Insulin Pump also aides in tighter control over blood glucose levels daily.
You’ll find snacks on this page that we constantly circulate in between our pantry, backpack, and suitcases when keeping up with Adorable Coral. As a T1dmom, it’s important to remember to add new and fun snacks into the mix since toddlers tend to get bored easily. At almost three years of age, her preferences and tastes are always changing and she no longer cares for the super healthy snacks I used to try and give her. Almost all the snacks listed here are non-GMO, gluten-free, and/or made of natural or organic ingredients unless otherwise specified on each individual packaging. Always refer to the company’s website for more information on nutrition facts.
SIDE NOTE: Be sure to know your or your Type 1 diabetic child’s insulin to carb ratio (I:C) so you know how many carbs will effect their BG and exactly how much and when to bolus them prior to eating anything with carbs.
FIND IT AT SPROUTS
- Nature Box
- Mini Belgium Waffles – 19g carbs and 2g protein for 6pcs
- Asagio Cheddar Crisps – 14g carbs and 6g protein for 10pcs
- BONUS – they list the nutrition facts and ratings of each of their products!
- Skinny Popcorn
- Popped Popcorn – Original flavor, 12g net carbs, 2g protein for 3 3/4 cups
- Popcorn Mini Cakes – Sharp Cheddar flavor, 14g net carbs, 3g protein for 20 mini cakes
- Popcorn Cakes – Maple Brown Sugar flavor, 12g net carbs, 2g protein for 2 cakes
- YumEarth
- Gummy Bears – Assorted flavor packs, 15g carbs, 1g protein for 1 (mini) snack pack
- NOTE – I only give Coral about 3-4 pcs if her BG is dropping from 100mg/dl (that’s why having a Dexcom CGM helps big time)
- Fruit Snacks – Tropical flavor packs, 14g carbs, 0g protein for 1 (mini) snack pack. We haven’t been able to try these yet since it may be stocked seasonaly at local grocers, but it’s currently available on their site as of 9/30/17.
- Halo Top – a popular ice cream among most T1ds on Instagram. Here are some of the flavors we’ve tried so far. We don’t always subtract fiber if less than 3g. However, we do minus the sugar alcohols since those don’t have any effect on BG.
- Mint Chip – 9g net carbs, 5g protein for 1/2 cup
- Birthday Cake – 9g net carbs, 5g protein for 1/2 cup
- Red Velvet – 11g net carbs, 5g protein for 1/2 cup
- Sea Salt Caramel – 10g net carbs, 5g protein for 1/2 cup
- Arctic Zero – probably the most healthiest brands of ice creams out there and needs more love across social media. You guys will catch on sooner, I hope. Founder, Greg Holtman, developed this awesome brand as he cared for his Type 1 diabetic mother. Their products are lacotse free, non GMO, and low glycemic (for real). The texture is similar to “guri guri” (Hawaiian sorbet) or creamy shaved ice due to the “lack of lactose” (pun intended). Definitely our favorite brand since I never have to worry about her BG spiking after eating any of their products so far – great bedtime snack. Here are some flavors we’ve tried so far, and like the printed label says, best to let it sit for a couple minutes before scooping:
- Hint of Mint – 7g carbs, 3g protein, 0g fat for 1/2 cup
- Toasted Coconut – 7g carbs, 3g protein, 0g fat for 1/2 cup
- Salted Caramel – 7g carbs, 3g protein, 0g fat for 1/2 cup
- Vanilla Maple – 7g carbs, 3g protein, 0g fat for 1/2 cup (I swear I’m not copy N pasting these nutrition facts)
- Brownie Blast – 11g carbs, 3g protein, 1.5g fat for 1/2 cup (Definitely one of my favs)
- Snickerdoodle Dandy – 11g carbs, 3g protein, 1.5g fat for 1/2 cup
- Enlightened – we have better luck with BGs after eating this brand of ice cream and bars versus Halo Top. Try each of the three ice cream brands I’ve listed and feel free to leave a comment to let me know how your BG did about 30 minutes afterwards. I personally prefer this brand over Halo Top and will alternate between brands if I can’t find a flavor I’m looking for since they nearly offer the same selection. Minus erythritol from total carbs along with fiber if over 3g. We’ve tried almost all their flavors and are rarely ever disappointed:
- Banana Foster
- Birthday Cake
- Caramel Oatmeal
- Sea Salt Caramel
- Cold Brew Coffee – my absoute fav! Goes great with Mint Chip
- 4g net carbs, 6g protein
- Mint Chip – 6g net carbs, 7g protein
- Fudge Brownie
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
- Red Velvet
- Strawberry Cheesecake
- Triple Chocolate
- Frozen Hot Cocoa
- Brazi Bites – Brazilian cheese bites, crispy on the outside and chewy in the middle (5g carbs each)
- Happy Family Brands – Organic Yogis and Creamies are tasty, simple snacks, ready for on-the-go in zip pouches
- Walden Farm’s pancake syrup – medium density and smooth consistency, pourable over your favorite brand of pancakes like The Diabetic Kitchen, Simple Mills, or Flapjacked. It’s also available on Amazon.
- Think Thin – Protein Bites, High Protein bars, and Protein Cakes are our go-to snack when out adventuring. Low carbs and high in protein and fiber will keep Coral’s BGs more stable than just repeatedly preventing lows with simple high fructose or glucose snacks (gummies or lollipops).
FIND IT ON AMAZON
- NutiLight – Hazelnut spread and Dark Chocolate flavor is a great alternative to Nutella with only 1g net carbs and 12g protein (you may have seen this on my Instagram account)
- Zollipops – made with xylitol, carb-free! Just don’t give your child too much since it may upset their stomach
- Crispy Green – dried fruits averaging about 8g carbs per packet and great for traveling
- Pork Rinds – such as Mission, Epic, or Baken-Ets brands (any you can find without MSG). They’re delicious, crunchy, and most are carb-free! *Grind up the pork rinds to make a “panko-free” substitute for fried chicken or pork cutlet.
- Joseph’s Sugar Free Maple Syrup – it’s made with maltitol and tastes as close to real maple syrup compared to any thing else we’ve tried. It’s even thick and dense like maple syrup. It’s definitely sweater than Walden Farm’s which is usually our go-to pancake syrup since we can easily find it at sprouts.
- Good Dee’s Mix – most of her mixes have 1-2g net carbs per piece. So far, we’ve tried the brownie mix and snickerdoodle cookies. Both have the distinguished cooling sensation of erythritol – which is her main sweetener alternative in all her mixes. Try a bag and see for yourself. Great “free” treat that we don’t need to bolus for, but do note how and if it affects your blood glucose.
- Vitalize Mints – made with xylitol (a sugar alcohol that doesn’t affect BGs, but consume in moderation to avoid stomach aches), tastes like Ice Chips or crystals similar to rock candy
- Velamints – made with Stevia (preferred natural sweetener) and has texture of a typical solid hard mint, also sold at Trader Joes, Coconut Lime and Blood Orange flavors are our fav!
T1dLife 
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