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- Planned snacks can help you avoid going too long without eating and keep blood sugar levels steady.
- Mid-morning or mid-afternoon snacks are often better for blood sugar than late-night snacks.
- Choose snacks with protein, fiber, or healthy fat.
For many people, a planned snack works best mid-morning or mid-afternoon, when there may be a longer stretch between meals. Snacks may also help before or after a workout, depending on when you last ate and how your blood sugar responds to exercise.
The Best Time To Snack for Blood Sugar
There is no single best time to snack for blood sugar. You may not need a snack if regular, balanced meals keep you full and your blood sugar steady.
In general, spacing meals and snacks by about two to three hours can give your blood sugar time to come back down before you eat again. A snack may help if you go more than four to five hours between meals, need fuel for exercise, or notice your blood sugar tends to dip at certain times of day.
For many people, a planned snack works best mid-morning or mid-afternoon, when there may be a longer stretch between meals. Snacks may also help before or after a workout, depending on when you last ate and how your blood sugar responds to exercise.
Mid-Morning Snacks
A mid-morning snack may be helpful if it keeps you on a more regular eating schedule, especially when breakfast is early and lunch is still several hours away.
Going too long without eating can leave you overly hungry by lunchtime. It may cause low blood sugar in some people, especially those who take insulin or certain diabetes medications.
A snack with protein and carbohydrates, such as crackers with cheese, can help prevent blood sugar dips when your next meal is still a few hours away.
Mid-Afternoon Snacks
A mid-afternoon snack is often one of the most helpful times to snack for blood sugar, especially if dinner is still several hours away.
Many people notice hunger, cravings, or energy dips in the afternoon. A balanced snack can help bridge the gap and may make it easier to choose a balanced dinner.
In a small 2023 study, participants who ate afternoon snacks with soluble fiber had a lower blood sugar rise after dinner. Soluble fiber can help slow digestion, which supports steady blood sugar levels.
Before or After Exercise
Exercise uses glucose, or sugar, for energy. This can lower blood sugar in some people, especially people who take insulin.
If you have diabetes, check your blood sugar before exercise to make sure it is in a safe range, usually around 100-180 mg/dL.
If you need a snack before exercise, choose something small with carbohydrates and protein, such as fruit with peanut butter or whole-grain crackers with cheese.
You may not need a snack after a short workout. But after intense exercise or activity that lasts more than an hour, a snack with carbohydrates and protein can help you refuel and recover.
If you take insulin or are prone to low blood sugar levels, keep fast-acting carbohydrates with you, such as glucose tablets, juice, or gummy candy.
Before Bed
If you are at risk for nocturnal hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar during sleep, a small bedtime snack may help keep your blood sugar from dropping too low overnight. However, research has not found that bedtime snacks improve blood sugar for everyone with diabetes.
Eating late at night may also be linked with higher blood sugar in some people with type 2 diabetes. If you do need a bedtime snack, keep it small and pair a fiber-rich carbohydrate with protein or healthy fat. Try to limit snacks high in added sugar or refined carbohydrates, which can cause blood sugar to rise quickly.
How to Build a Blood-Sugar Friendly Snack
The best snacks for blood sugar include protein, fiber, or healthy fat. These nutrients slow digestion, which helps you feel full longer and keeps blood sugar from rising too quickly.
While carbohydrates raise blood sugar more than protein or fat, they can still be part of a balanced diet. The type of carbohydrate you choose and what you eat it with matter.
Complex carbohydrates, like starchy vegetables, whole grains, and legumes, contain fiber, which slows digestion. Pairing them with protein or healthy fat can help blood sugar rise more slowly.
Examples include:
- Apple slices with peanut butter
- Greek yogurt with berries
- Whole-grain crackers with cheese
- Cottage cheese with fruit
- Hummus with vegetables
- Whole-grain toast with avocado
- Roasted chickpeas
- Nuts with a small piece of fruit
