Missing crunchy snacks

gerimom17
gerimom17 Posts: 24 Member
Hi all. I am a newly diagnosed diabetic and I am learning what I should not eat. Although I was never one to just eat snacks all day, I did enjoy pretzels once in a while. I haven't been craving anything crunchy lately until yesterday. The closest thing to a salty snack I had in the house was popcorn (air-popped of course). I ate 4 cups! My BG showed it too. It is amazing how the mind will make you crave something (like potato chips - which I seldom eat) just because you cannot have it. Please give me some ideas for crunchy, salty snacks that I can eat.

Replies

  • travisseger
    travisseger Posts: 271 Member
    I usually turn to a handful of almonds or a serving of Chile Pepper-flavored Triscuits Thin Crisps whenever I have those cravings. Neither one of those, in moderation, spike my BG. I love popcorn, but it spikes me higher than I like, so I avoid it.
  • clarafitnesspal
    clarafitnesspal Posts: 24 Member
    I love special K's new crisp chips, you get a lot for a serving and I have some protien with them like a cheese stick or almonds.. they dont seem to spike my BG.
  • Sharonks
    Sharonks Posts: 884 Member
    Almonds come in all kinds of flavors. I eat salty ones (fav is the wasabi ones) and cocoa powder coated ones. Wasa crackers are good too.
  • Lisa_222
    Lisa_222 Posts: 301 Member
    Nuts are high calorie. You can eat a few, but its easy to get carried away. Honestly, there is nothing crunchy that you can eat a lot of that either isn't high calorie or will make your blood sugar go crazy. A small bit of granola, a cup of popcorn, and that's it, and be sure its early in the day, not late. I've resigned myself to nothing but decaf tea at night. Crunching on anything is only a tease. Once you get that evening blood sugar up, all it does is spark hunger that seems to go on all night long.
  • EinTX
    EinTX Posts: 104 Member
    First Whole almonds, the crunch is hard enough that it will satisfy that need before you overdo it too much.

    Second, Pork Rinds. They are high in calories but no carbs and they satisfy that salty crispy desire. They are dry, so I don't typically overdo it too much.

    I will also cut a cheese stick into six slices and microwave it on a piece of parchment paper until it is crisp and snack on that.

    Turkey Pepperoni I will microwave until it is crisp and snack on that.

    The good thing about these is you can have your snack without triggering any carb cravings or messing up your readings.

    High in calorie? Yes, but they satisfy the urge, keep your BG down and don't trigger any further carb cravings. I have them whenever I feel like I need them but looking back right now haven't had any "snack" items for probably 3 weeks or better. So I really don't overdo it with them.

    I can revert to craving carbs very easily, even if I ingest them accidentally, I could never control just eating a few crackers; they always lead to more and more. Protein or fat based snacks don't do that. I have the snack and I'm done, I can move on with no cravings nagging me.
  • LauraDotts
    LauraDotts Posts: 732 Member
    Celery dipped in no sugar added peanut butter, hummus, ranch dressing, etc.
  • Retiredmom72
    Retiredmom72 Posts: 538 Member
    Have you tried Pretzel Crisps? They come in different flavors and they are crunchy.
  • tquinn424
    tquinn424 Posts: 24 Member
    When I am craving chips I usually make some kale chips. Just bake some kale with a little olive oil and salt. Hope that helps :)
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,994 Member
    Thanks for the tip about microwaved turkey salami. Tastes like bacon to me. And four slices lose half a teaspoon of fat in the process.
  • clarafitnesspal
    clarafitnesspal Posts: 24 Member
    Wow thanks for posting this ? and all the great ideas. I also love the special K crisps, pepridge farm also has a baked cracker chip that you get a good amount for a serving, I also love pistachios, almonds, and popcorn is a big go too for me.. i try to have the crunchy carbs with some protien like turkey, cheese, or egg, it seems to help keep down the spikes in my blood sugar. I will have to try the micowave cheese sticks and peperoni. !!
  • I take cashews and season them with a little olive oil, Worcestershire, garlic powder (you can use any seasoning you want). Do a quick pan roast on them and then spread them out on a baking sheet and oven roast at 350 for about 15 minutes. Let them cool down and you have a crunchy, salty snack that you have a few bites of to help satisfy that craving.
  • Gentyl
    Gentyl Posts: 184 Member
    Hi all. I am a newly diagnosed diabetic and I am learning what I should not eat. Although I was never one to just eat snacks all day, I did enjoy pretzels once in a while. I haven't been craving anything crunchy lately until yesterday. The closest thing to a salty snack I had in the house was popcorn (air-popped of course). I ate 4 cups! My BG showed it too. It is amazing how the mind will make you crave something (like potato chips - which I seldom eat) just because you cannot have it. Please give me some ideas for crunchy, salty snacks that I can eat.

    These are AMAZING (I apologize in advance for the exceptionally long post)

    Crackers only 1.44 carbs
    Default Crackers
    This recipe will fill 2 baking trays and if you cut each baking tray in 10 pieces, each cracker is 1,44 carbs. Both the baking trays is in the oven at the same time.

    4 oz almond meal (3/4 c. almond flour) OR GRIND YOUR OWN ALMONDS
    7 oz sesame seeds (1c. sesame seed)
    2 oz flaxseed (3/4 c. flax seed)
    1/2 t. salt
    2 soup spoons of Psyllium Husks ( 2 T.) which you can get at amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Foods-Psyllium-Husks-Whole-Ounce/dp/B000N7DP6G/ref=pd_bxgy_hpc_text_y
    You can add basil and garlic powder if you want to.. or any seasoning you wish (cinnamon?) You can also use this as a cereal and use heavy cream and water for low carbers.


    Bake at 300-310 F degrees....etc.

    I put the almonds in my Food Processor and chop them really fine. Then I mix everything in a bowl just using a spoon. Leave it for 5 minutes to make the Psyllium hulls to swell.
    I set the oven on 160 degrees celcius hot air (325 degrees).
    I put baking paper in 2 baking trays (12 by 15 or larger) and lay half of the dough in each baking tray.
    I use a spatula to make the dough cover all of the tray. I use a pizzacutter to make 10 pieces in each tray or more! Roll between two pieces of baking paper and put both of the trays in the oven at the same time using hot air. After about 30 minutes I take them out, seperate the crackers and turns them. Then I put them back in the oven again, but now I have the ovendoor slightly open.
    After about 30 minutes the crackers are dry all through and really crispy.
    I let them cool on a grate. When they are cooled, I put them in a closed box, and they will stay crispy and tasty for more than a month (mine always been eaten at that time).
    Enjoy!


    serving size: 1 saltine-size cracker 17g

    calories: 45
    calories from fat: 34
    total fat: 4g
    saturated fat: 0g
    trans fat: 0g
    cholesterol: 0mg
    sodium: 27mg
    total carbs: 1g
    dietary fiber: 1g
    sugars 0g
    protein: 1g
    calcium: 1%
    iron: 2%
    also a good source of magnesium, copper, manganese & selenium

    If you cut your crackers larger - getting 12 crackers per pan - the values are more like this:

    serving size: 1 cracker 34g (more the size of a slice of bread)
    calories per serving: 89
    calories from fat: 68
    total fat: 8g
    saturated fat: 1g
    trans fat: 0g
    cholesterol: 0mg
    sodium: 54mg
    total carbs: 3g
    dietary fiber: 2g
    sugars: 0g
    protein: 3g
    calcium: 2%
    iron: 4%
  • fishbarn
    fishbarn Posts: 90 Member
    Try some nuts.
  • I like cool, fresh English cucumber slices, too. They crunch and if I sprinkle a little salt on them then it satisfies my need for the little bit of salt as well.