There are so many great packaged snacks for diabetes on the market, but you need to know what to look for! Here are 60+ best diabetes snacks you don’t want to miss.
Having easy to grab, on-the-go snacks makes life a lot easier when you are managing diabetes. Keep reading for my comprehensive list of the best packaged snacks for diabetes!
*Disclaimer: This blog post is not sponsored in anyway. These are all truly my favorite packaged snacks for diabetes. However, I do work with some of these brands occasionally. That’s actually one of my favorite things about my job… some of my favorite foods to eat are also my clients! And some of the links in this post are affiliate links. What does that mean? It means that if you click on a link and end up purchasing that product, I may get a small commission, but it doesn’t cost you anything extra.
Also, this article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, opinion, treatment or services. This article and the links contained in it provide general information for educational purposes only. The information provided in this article is not a substitute for medical care and should not be used in place of the advice of your physician or registered dietitian.
What to look for in healthy snacks for diabetes?
Before we dive into healthy snacks for diabetes, I thought it would be good to review what to look for in recommended diabetes snacks to buy. There are a few factors I considered when choosing the recommended packaged snacks for diabetes below.
We want packaged diabetes snacks that:
- Have at least 4g of protein or 4g of fiber or both
- Preferably contain some sort of plant-based fat source, though not required
- Are made from whole grains (if applicable)
- Are low glycemic index
- Are made from quality ingredients
- Are easy to consume on-the-go
- Are low in sugar relative to the overall carbohydrate count
Now, obviously there are going to be some exceptions to this and I will try to note those as best I can. But it’s important to remember not to approach food with a list of black and white guidelines. Food has nuance. There is an ebb and a flow to what works sometimes and doesn’t work at other times. Just something to keep in mind.
And, if you want to read more in depth on this idea of balancing blood sugars and choosing the right foods, make sure to check out my tips for blood sugar balance.
It’s important to have some favorite healthy store bought diabetes snacks
Like I said above, it’s important to have a list of good go-to options for packaged snacks. Whether you have diabetes or not, we all live busy lives at one point or another and people with diabetes deserve to have good options to choose from just like everyone else. And making everything from scratch at home just isn’t realistic.
What’s on my list of best diabetes snacks?
If you keep scrolling, you’ll see the following categories of packaged snacks for diabetes: crackers, chips, popcorn, bars, cookies, desserts, eat with a spoon, breakfast cereals, low blood sugar treatments, kid-friendly and new snacks available in 2022. If you have another category you’d like to see me tackle, leave a comment at the end and I’ll add it!
Category List of best packaged snacks for diabetes
Jump to one of the categories to see my top choices:
- New packaged snacks for diabetes in 2022
- Best crackers for diabetes
- Best chips for diabetes
- Best popcorn for diabetes
- Best snack bars for diabetes
- Sweet snacks for diabetes
- Best store-bought cookies for diabetes
- Best desserts for diabetes
- Best snacks you eat with a spoon for diabetes
- Best breakfast cereals for diabetes
- Best low blood sugar treatments
- Best snacks for kids with diabetes
Diabetes snacks to buy
I’ve listed several options in each category for diabetes snacks. Does this mean these are all of the best out of every product on the market? No. In spite of how much research I do, there’s just no way to know every single product that’s on the market. Each category has my favorites for both “diabetes-friendliness” and flavor/taste/texture etc.
*As you’ll see noted below, I decided to expand on the energy/protein/snack “bar” category and have a whole separate blog post on this packaged snacks for diabetes category. You can access that post here, and I’ll link it again below.
Are snacks for type 1 diabetes different than snacks for type 2 diabetes?
Since I get asked pretty frequently if the products I recommend and recipes I develop are just for people with type 1 diabetes (probably because I myself have type 1), I want to clarify…
Just like all of the other content I put out here on my website and on social media, the recommendations for snacks in this post apply to people with all types of diabetes, and anyone looking to balance blood sugars and energy levels.
Snacks for diabetes type 2
All of the snacks below are appropriate for people with type 2 diabetes. How much and when to eat them is what will differ person to person. Choosing diabetes snacks (type 2 and prediabetes especially), will be impacted by the type of medications you take and your daily routine.
New packaged snacks for diabetes in 2022!
I originally wrote this post in December 2020, so it was time for a 2022 update. These are some new products I’ve tried this year and highly recommend!
- From the Ground Up Cauliflower Crackers
- Bob’s Red Mill Oat Crackers
- Quinn Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets
- Jackson’s Sea Salt Sweet Potato Chips
- Lesser Evil Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Popcorn
- HU Grain Free Cookies
- High Key Chocolate Chip Cookies
- MUSH Overnight Oats
- Nature Nate’s Honey Co. honey minis (for low blood sugars)
- Catalina Crunch Keto Friendly Crunch Mix
Best crackers for diabetes
I figured we’d start this list of best snacks for diabetes with my favorite food: crackers! As a general guide, try to choose crackers that are made from whole grains or nuts and seeds.
- Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers
- Simple Mills Sprouted Seed Crackers
- Wasa Multigrain Crackers
- Triscuit Thin Crisps
- RW Garcia Veggie Crackers
- Crunchmaster Multi Seed Crackers
- From the Ground Up Cauliflower Crackers
- Bob’s Red Mill Oat Crackers
Best chips for diabetes
Many of the options below use beans as a base. This adds additional protein and fiber.
- Beanitos chips
- Hippeas White Cheddar Chickpea Puffs
- Food Should Taste Good Tortilla Chips
- Late July Organic Chia & Quinoa Tortilla Chips
- Beanfields Chips
- Quinn Peanut Butter Filled Pretzel Nuggets
- Jackson’s Sea Salt Sweet Potato Chips
Best popcorn for diabetes
Popcorn is naturally higher in fiber than other crunchy/salty snacks (making it a must on this list of best sPopcorn is naturally higher in fiber than other crunchy/salty snacks (making it a must on this list of best snacks for diabetes), but when flavorings are added like caramel or kettle corn, it’s important to pay attention to how much sugar is being added.
- SkinnyPop Original Popcorn
- Store brand popcorn with minimal oil and salt- I typically do most of my grocery shopping at Sprouts, H-E-B, and Costco. Both Sprouts and H-E-B have store brand popcorn options that are low in salt and oil with no added sugar.
- Angie’s Boom Chicka Pop Sea Salt Popcorn
- Late July Original Sea Salt Popcorn
- Pop Zero Cinema Popcorn
- Lesser Evil Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Popcorn
Best snack bars for diabetes
This was by far the most requested category! I’ve listed a few of my favorites below, but make sure to check out this full blog post here that breaks down every category of “bar.”
- MunkPack KETO Bars
- Simple Mills Soft Baked Bars
- Zing Protein Bars
- Clif Kids Protein Bars
- GoodMeasure Bars
Sweet Snacks for diabetes
The next two sections will cover some of my favorite sweet diabetes snacks. Sweet snacks are not off limits with diabetes. Look for options, like the snacks below, that also have fiber and protein.
And if you’re in the mood to make your own sweet snacks at home, make sure to check out my latest cookbook, The Easy Diabetes Desserts Cookbook!
Best store-bought cookies for diabetes
When it comes to cookies, we want to decrease the sugar as much as possible but still have a delicious cookie! One way to do this is to find grain free cookies made with nut-based flours so there’s less carbs, and more protein and fat… but still a delicious cookie!
- Simple Mills Crunchy Cookies
- Simple Mills Soft Baked Cookies
- Soozy’s Grain Free Cookies
- Catalina Crunch Chocolate Vanilla Sandwich Cookies
- MunkPack Protein Cookie (these are big! If eating one for a snack, I’d only have 1/3-1/2)
- HU Grain Free Cookies
- High Key Chocolate Chip Cookies
Best desserts for diabetes
The desserts below are an assortment of lower sugar and higher protein chocolates and candies, as well as some of my favorite lower sugar and higher protein frozen treats!
- JoJo’s Chocolate Bark
- Lily’s Sweets Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups
- Lily’s Sweets Dark Chocolate Covered Almonds
- Endangered Species Chocolate Dark Chocolate Bites
- GoodPop Frozen Pops
- Yasso Frozen Greek Yogurt Bars
- KIND Frozen Bars
- Hail Merry Dark Chocolate Bites
Best snacks you eat with a spoon for diabetes
From yogurts to puddings to everything in between, my favorite lower sugar and higher protein options are below.
Best breakfast cereals for diabetes
These cereals below are higher in fiber and protein and lower in sugar than traditional breakfast cereals! Another option if you have a favorite breakfast cereal that’s not exactly “blood sugar friendly” is to pair your cereal with plain 2% Greek yogurt instead of milk. The added fat and protein (and lower carbohydrate count) of the Greek yogurt compared to milk, may help balance blood sugars better.
- Catalina Crunch
- Three Wishes
- KIND granola
- Love Grown
- Nature’s Path Qia Super Flakes
- One Degree Organic Sprouted Oat Honey O’s
Best diabetes snacks for low blood sugar treatments
Did you know you can treat a low blood sugar with more than just candy and glucose gel? These are some of my favorite store-bought packaged options. (Check with your doctor to make sure they are ok with these options for you.)
- Applesauce pouches (I just grab the store brand unsweetened variety. Most are 12-15g carb/pouch)
- Raisins (The mini boxes are typically 11-12g/box)
- Juice boxes (Most stores offer shelf stable juice boxes that are 12-18g carb depending on the flavor you choose.)
- Fruit snacks (So quick and easy, and cheap!)
- Banana (Pre-packaged by nature, and highly portable!)
- Nature Nate’s Honey Co. honey minis
Best snacks for kids with diabetes
Kids love salty, crunchy snacks it seems. These are some of my favorite lower carbohydrate crunchy options. (Note: I am not saying kids with diabetes need to eat low carb. All of the snacks in this post are good for kids, but sometimes a child’s blood sugar might be high and they are hungry. These lower carb options are good for those situations.) Also great for adults too! And all of the snacks listed in this entire blog post are great for kids too!
What are you favorite packaged snacks for diabetes? Tell me in the comments below! And of course, feel free to share this with anyone you know who is in search of good diabetes-friendly snacks!
For more helpful tips about food choices with diabetes, here are some of my other popular articles:
- Healthy Diabetes-Friendly Breakfast Ideas, Products & Recipes
- Best Bread for Diabetes – Brands, Carbs, & Sugar
- Tortillas for Diabetes – Flour, Corn, Low Carb & More
- The 9 Best Protein Powders for Diabetes
- List of Best Packaged Drinks for Diabetes
Updated: May 2022.
32 Responses
We love Beanitos chips! Tried them on a whim in a Thrive Market order and they’re on the regular re order list now 😂
I have recently started following you. Do you ever do lists like this for people who have diabetes and celiac?
Hi there! My husband has celiac as well, so *most* of these products are gluten free as well!
Thank you so much for this list. My husband was just diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and I have been having a timing finding a list of snacks he can eat.
I’m trying to put together a welcome home basket for a friend’s 6yo who was just diagnosed. Are there grocery stores with designated and trustworthy diabetic food areas? I’m in the PNW for reference.
Yes, however, they’re usually not all that great of a selection. There’s so many products all over the store (like the ones in this post) that are great!
Whole Foods and Trader Joes are the best places!
At 52 years old, I was recently diagnosed as type 1 diabetic. This list will help me prepare my snacks for the day as I head back to work. I am also looking for meal ideas for work and home.
Hi where do i get this snacks in cape town SA
My dad and i have recently been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Thank you so much for your website/blog!
Also any suggestions for a doughnut lover? My father misses them terribly.
Kashi Go cereal is great! 8-10 grams of protein AND fiber!! My 8 year old T1D love it!
Thank you for this list! I found something in every category that I want to try.
Hi, I just ran across this article! Love the list of snacks! My question is do you have a list that would be good for diabetics AND someone that has to watch salt?
Hi there! I’ve never done one specifically for low salt as well. So sorry!
Please do!
Hello!! Just read your article. Where can I find most of these items??
Most grocery stores will have these items or I suggest looking on the brand’s website for the product you are interested in for stores that carry them.
Thank you for helping. I have to bring my A1c down from 7.2.
Great Information !! My daughter’s Hb A1c was 9 in September. My Hb A1c is 5.8. WE need to know about these Snacks, so we can do better together !!
Thank you for putting this list together. Most diabetics have a hard time giving up bread and starches. It takes a little work to change your lifestyle in order to get the disease under control. Snacking is an integral part of that change.
Most of these products listed I don’t see in my local supermarket. I don’t shop at Whole Foods, as they are too expensive. As someone on a budget, I have to be frugal with buying food. But being diabetic, I have to watch carbs, which appear to be in pretty much every food, except meat. I’m not a fan of shopping online. What do you suggest?
Your pictures the best thing EVER!!!!! People get tired of always reading. I took pics on my phone and now I know what is the better decisions!! Now do meals with pictures. Drinks with pictures. Etc etc etc etc u will see more followers!!!
Thank you for this list! I was diagnosed T2D couple years ago and I’m finally taking stock of my life. Not fully there, but at least starting 🙂
Currently ill & goodness my Saltines are skyrocketing my blood sugar! Who would’ve thunk it? Once I feel better, this list will accompany me to the store. So thank you again.
Just want to mention to Janice I totally agree about being frugal. I should be on a budget but just do my best to watch my money. The cheapest food is the crappiest, most processed, and unhealthiest available UGH! So I feel you.
Thank you sooooo much! My husband was diagnose about 2 weeks ago and he is a stacker! This list is so helpful!!!!
I was diagnosed today with type 2. 6.5. I knew I was overdoing the sweets, Pepsi etc. but food is my go to to calm me. My husband has Moderate for 10 years and I feel burned out with him. But I can turn this around real fast and I will by getting your trays and limiting myself. Thank you so much. You’re my new buddy. 💞
This is GREAT! I am new to the diabetic world so this is very helpful in helping me get started with my change in eating habits. Thank you!!
I love your tiktoks. I was feeling very defeated as docs and nutritionist told me only diet was Mediterranean diet. To me that’s not living. It’s survival. Yes both part of my plan but allergic to many foods as substitutes like cauliflower and tree nuts. So it can get tricky. Breakfast was 2 eggs, p.nutbtter toast and a orange. I’m full and happy. Thank you more recipes please.
Have you tried this snack called “Dark Chocolate Quinoa Krunch”? Wondering if that snack is also good for diabetics.
Thanks for all your info. Diagnosed when I retired. Been having some lows. (30’s to 50’s) My go to has been fruit juice (counting carbs) and if I start to feel better, a banana and /or Greek yogurt. My doctor retired, and I have a new one, but appointment is 2 months away. Subgestions?
Some of my go to snacks: any flavor of Siete chips, Raspberry Chia Superbark, Parm Crisps Everything, Autumns Gold grain free granola and Mary’s Gone Crackers super seed crackers.
I am diabetic on a low sodium diet. I truly appreciate posts like yours. I do my shopping from a wheelchair so I literally sit there and read labels. Carbs, fiber, salt are my main focus. The higher the fiber the better. It took some doing but I do not miss salt. There are many ways to flavor food. When shopping for our type of products, look to the higher shelves and look for mini specialty sections at the ends of aisles. They want to sell to you so ask for assistance. It can be done and you can do it!
Just found this on Pinterest. Thank you so much!!