Best Sweet Snack Brands for Diabetes

Best Sweet Snacks for Diabetes

To snack or not to snack? That is the big question for many people with diabetes.

With current oral diabetes medications, snacking is not necessary to avoid blood sugar lows. But in some cases, snacks can be helpful for weight control. The key is to avoid high-calorie choices like potato chips or candy. Instead reach for a better snack, such as one of these sweet options.

We snacked our way through 70 bars, cookies, and crisps that met our health guidelines. Then we asked more than 100 people, including people with diabetes, to taste and pick their favorites. And here they are: The top six snacks to receive the Diabetic Living What to Eat™ seal of approval.

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Nutrition Guidelines

• 200 calories or less
• 6 g total fat or less
• 5 g sat. fat or less
• 0 g trans fat
• 30 g carb or less
• 240 mg sodium or less
• At least 1 g fiber per 15 g carb

Rice Cake Finalists

Rice cakes have come a long way in recent years. We found several options that make a nice, sweet snack. Here are the top finalists in the Rice Cake category.

Quaker Mini Delights Chocolatey Drizzle

Per pack (20 g): 90 cal., 3.5 g total fat (3.5 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 65 mg sodium, 14 g carb. (1 g fiber, 6 g sugars), 1 g pro.

Genisoy Sweet Crisps Chocolate

Per 10 crisps (20 g): 90 cal., 3 g total fat (2.5 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 65 mg sodium, 12 g carb. (1 g fiber, 6 g sugars), 3 g pro.

Rice Cake Winner

And the winner of the Rice Cake category is:

Quaker True Delights Multigrain Fiber Crisps in Blackberry Pomegranate

Per 13 crisps (28 g): 110 cal., 1.5 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 135 mg sodium, 23 g carb. (3 g fiber, 6 g sugars), 2 g pro.

Taster's comment: "These have the perfect amount of sweet and crunch. I would totally snack on these!"

Why it won: Many tasters liked the light feel and sweet taste of these crisps, as well as the generous serving size. We like the 3 grams of fiber per serving!

Cereal Bar Finalists

Cereal bars can be a convenient pack-and-go option for a between-meal snack or light breakfast. Here are the top finalists in the Cereal Bar category.

Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Cereal Bars in Strawberry

Per bar (37 g): 90 cal., 3.5 g total fat (3.5 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 65 mg sodium, 14 g carb. (1 g fiber, 6 g sugars), 1 g pro.

Quaker Life Soft Baked Bars in Banana Walnut Bread

Per bar (42 g): 140 cal., 3.5 g total fat (0.5 g sat. fat), 10 mg chol., 140 mg sodium, 26 g carb. (5 g fiber, 11 g sugars), 6 g pro.

Cereal Bar Winner

And the winner of the Cereal Bar category is:

Market Pantry Cereal Bars in Apple & Cinnamon

Per bar (40 g): 140 cal., 3 g total fat (0 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 95 mg sodium, 25 g carb. (2 g fiber, 13 g sugars), 2 g pro.

Taster's comment: "This is moist and delicious. It tastes like apple pie!"

Why it won: Tasters noted how this bar is easy to eat, and they liked the combination of soft pastry and fruit filling.

Graham Snack Finalists

We were surprised by the variety of flavors and shapes in the Graham Snack category. Here are the top finalists in this category.

Pepperidge Farm Goldfish Baked Flavor Blasted Grahams in Vanilla Cupcake

Per 35 pieces (30 g): 140 cal., 5 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 140 mg sodium, 21 g carb. (1 g fiber, 8 g sugars), 1 g pro.

Nabisco Teddy Grahams Chocolate

Per 24 pieces (30 g): 130 cal., 4.5 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 160 mg sodium, 22 g carb. (2 g fiber, 8 g sugars), 2 g pro.

Graham Snack Winner

And the winner of the Graham Snack category is:

Nabisco Snak-Saks Honey Maid Grahams

Per 12 pieces (31 g): 140 cal., 4.5 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 160 mg sodium, 23 g carb. (1 g fiber, 7 g sugars), 2 g pro.

Taster's comment: "It seems like I'm getting a good-size snack, and the crunch is nice."

Why it won: Taste testers preferred the traditional style and flavor of graham crackers but liked this snack-size solution.

Brownie Snack Finalists

A brownie is such a decadent treat, so we were happy to find several brownie snacks that fit our nutritional guidelines. Here are the top finalists in the Brownie Snack category.

Nabisco SnackWell's Fudge Creme Brownie Bites

Per pack (39 g): 150 cal., 5 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 85 mg sodium, 27 g carb. (3 g fiber, 14 g sugars), 2 g pro.

General Mills Fiber One 90 Calorie Chocolate Fudge Brownies

Per brownie (25 g): 90 cal., 3 g total fat (1.5 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 100 mg sodium, 18 g carb. (5 g fiber, 8 g sugars), 1 g pro.

Brownie Snack Winner

And the winner of the Brownie Snack category is:

Nabisco 100 Calorie Packs Oreo Dipped Delight Bars

Per bar (26 g): 100 cal., 3 g total fat (2.5 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 70 mg sodium, 19 g carb. (4 g fiber, 9 g sugars), <1 g pro.

Taster's comment: "This seems very decadent for only 19 grams of carb."

Why it won: We think this flavorful bar is a good and tasty snack choice for only 100 calories and with 4 grams of fiber. Tasters liked how it was moist and coated in a thin layer of chocolate.

Cookie Finalists

If you love cookies, the finalists and winners in this category are all very tasty. They've become one of our go-to snacks in the Diabetic Living office. Here are the top finalists in the Cookie category.

Full Circle All Natural Chocolate Chip Cookies

Per 2 cookies (24 g): 100 cal., 4 g total fat (2.5 g sat. fat), 10 mg chol., 100 mg sodium, 16 g carb. (1 g fiber, 9 g sugars), 1 g pro.

Murray Sugar Free Cookies Shortbread

Per 8 cookies (30 g): 130 cal., 5 g total fat (1.5 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 140 mg sodium, 21 g carb. (2 g fiber, 0 g sugars, 4 g sugar alcohol), 2 g pro.

Cookie Winner

And the winner of the Cookie category is:

Nabisco Newtons Fruit Thins in Blueberry Brown Sugar

Per 3 cookies (30 g): 140 cal., 5 g total fat (1 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 90 mg sodium, 21 g carb. (2 g fiber, 8 g sugars), 2 g pro.

Taster's comment: "These were thin and crispy with a hint of blueberry. I'm going to buy these!"

Why it won: The crispness and sweet flavor of this cookie seemed to make it a favorite among tasters. We think the serving size of three cookies makes a yummy and satisfying snack.

Nutrition Bar Finalists

A nutrition bar is a popular snack choice because it often offers a higher amount of nutrients (usually protein) than a traditional candy bar or cereal bar. Here are the top finalists in the Nutrition Bar category.

Market Pantry Nutrition Bars in Double Dark Chocolate

Per bar (45 g): 180 cal., 6 g total fat (4.5 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 210 mg sodium, 21 g carb. (1 g fiber, 14 g sugars), 12 g pro.

Kashi GOLEAN Roll! Protein & Fiber Bar in Chocolate Turtle

Per bar (55 g): 190 cal., 5 g total fat (1.5 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 240 mg sodium, 27 g carb. (6 g fiber, 14 g sugars), 12 g pro.

Nutrition Bar Winner

And the winner of the Nutrition Bar category is:

PowerBar Pria Nutrition Bar in Chocolate Peanut Crunch

Per bar (30 g): 110 cal., 3.5 g total fat (2 g sat. fat), 0 mg chol., 85 mg sodium, 16 g carb. (1 g fiber, 10 g sugars), 5 g pro.

Taster's comment: "The chocolate + crunch + chewy combo is great!"

Why it won: We were impressed with the low calorie and carb count in this filling nutrition bar, while tasters especially liked the crunchy peanut butter-flavor filling.