15 Snacks to Stabilize Your Blood Sugar

Eat small, quick, balanced food combinations to prevent low energy, mood swings, and crankiness in between meals.

- By Melissa Diane Smith

Q: I often go too long without food—or I eat something that leaves me hungry a little while later. Then I get shaky, irritable, and short with friends, family, and coworkers. What can I do to prevent this?

A: What you’re describing is more common than you might think. The first part of my answer is, of course, Eat more regularly. Keep it in your mind that going too long without food is a big stress on the body. So make changes in your lifestyle to prevent that.

The second part of my answer is a little more complicated: Adjust the balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrates in the meals and snacks you eat to give your body slower-burning fuel. Doing that will stabilize your blood sugar levels and help them stay in healthy ranges for longer periods of time. That in turn leads to better energy, mental focus, and moods.

When you make sure your meals contain the right balance of nutrients, you might not even need to eat snacks. If you do, know that all snacks are not created equal. If you eat high-carb snacks such as chips, you might get a quick spurt of energy, but you’re destined to crash and burn a short time later. Switching to snacks that serve as balanced mini-meals will keep you energized much longer.

The following are 15 examples of blood-sugar-balancing snacks. Most are combinations of protein, fat, and slow-burning, non-starchy vegetables. A few are more keto-like, meaning higher in fat and lower in protein. Different combinations work better for some people, so do some experimenting to find your perfect balance.

1. Celery-Almond Butter Boats