If you have type 2 diabetes or gestational diabetes it is usually advised to choose low carbohydrate or carbohydrate free snacks when/if having a snack in-between meals. This information contains a list of suitable low carbohydrate (under 10g carbohydrate) and carbohydrate free snack ideas.

If you have type 1 diabetes and have completed a carbohydrate-counting course, you will know that you don’t have to inject insulin to cover snacks containing less than 10g of carbohydrates. If you have type 1 diabetes and you’re on an insulin pump, you will usually cover all carbohydrate containing snacks with a bolus of insulin. Use a carbs and cals book/app or food labelling, to work out the accurate carbohydrate content.

Use these snack ideas alongside individualised advice provided by your dietitian.

Snack ideas containing 10g or less carbohydrate

Healthier choices

• 1 apricot
• 1 small apple
• 3 tablespoons blueberries
• 1 small clementine
• ½ medium banana
• 8 cherries
• 10 grapes
• 1 kiwi fruit
• 3 cubes melon
• 1 orange
• 1 small pear
• 2 pineapple rings (fresh or tinned in juice)
• 1 bowl raspberries
• 5 strawberries
• 125g plain or 75g soya yoghurt
• 125g fat free/light yoghurt pot
• 200mls milk (cows, soya, coconut)
• ½ medium slice bread
• 2 breadsticks
• 1 cream cracker or 2 water biscuits
• 1 digestive or 2 rich tea biscuits
• ½ medium slice eggy bread
• 1 rice cake or 1 oatcake
• ½ small pitta bread
• 20g plain popcorn
• 1 rye cracker
• 30g hummus

Occasional choices

• 1 mini blueberry muffin
• 3 cheese straws
• 1 scoop ice-cream
• 1 mini croissant (maximum weight 26g)
• 1 custard cream or 1 ginger biscuit
• 2 small onion Bhajis or vegetable pakoras
• 3 small squares chocolate or an individual treat size bar no heavier than 16g weight or 1 small individual chocolate from a box of chocolates
• 1 multipack size packet of corn/puffed based crisps such as cheese curls (Quavers or own brand), prawn cocktail shells (Skips or own brand), cheese puffs (Wotsits or own brand)

Snacks containing no or minimal carbohydrate

No fat/lower energy choices

• Vegetable sticks (carrot, celery, cucumber, pepper)
• Cauliflower and broccoli florets
• 3 tablespoons cottage cheese
• 4 Cherry tomatoes
• Bowl green salad
• Sugar free jelly

Good fat/higher energy choices

• Avocado
• Tablespoon coleslaw
• Seeds (sunflower, pumpkin)
• Small handful nuts (30g weight): Peanuts, cashews and almonds
• Olives
• Sundried tomatoes
• Eggs (boiled, dry fried, poached, scrambled, omelette)
• Lean fish/meat (not processed - good choices include tuna, salmon and chicken breast)

Occasional choices (processed and/or contains high amount saturated fat)

• 30g hard cheese
• Chicken drumstick
• Processed meat: \cocktail sausages, ham, salami/chorizo and processed chicken pieces