Game Day Snacks For Diabetics

Snacks for Game Day for Diabetics

Game day is one of the best days to cheat on your diet. If you are a sports fan and it has been your tradition to slouch on the sofa and eat pizza, fried chicken wings, cheese and crackers, and chips and dips during game day, it is time to rethink your habits now that you are a diabetic. These foods are loaded with sugar, fats, and calories – basically everything that is forbidden for a diabetic. Although you can occasionally indulge in these game day favorites, it is better to start looking for new foods for game day that will not take the fun out of it, and yet will not destroy your diet as well. Here are some healthy snack options that you can eat during game day:

• Boiled and broiled chicken wings. In general, fried foods are very high in fats and calories, and these are great no-nos for diabetics. But still, you can enjoy your favorite chicken wings by boiling them then broiling and seasoning them afterwards to make them crispy. Use cayenne pepper to coat your chicken wings instead of the usual butter and pepper combination. If you want to have a dip, you can still have the blue cheese dip, but with a twist – mix it with creamy non-fat yogurt. You can also opt to remove the skin from the chicken and bake it instead.
• French bread pizzas. A lot of calories and carbohydrates come from the crust of pizzas, so in order to avoid those carbs and calories, you can make your own pizza using French bread. Slice the loaf in the middle and scoop out the center which is full of dough so as to remove excess carbs and calories. Then, slice it into smaller pieces, and choose whatever topping you want. You can opt for tomato sauce with vegetables and fresh herbs, or feta cheese instead of the usual mozzarella.
• Super veggie tray. A vegetable tray with a variety of crunchy vegetables is a great alternative for your chips and dips. You can include carrots, peas, celery sticks, broccoli, red pepper strips, cauliflower, and sliced cucumber in your mixture. Just make sure that your vegetables are fresh to preserve their crunchiness and quality.
• Microwavable popcorn. Another substitute for your usual chips and dips is bowls of light popcorn, which are very easy to prepare. In fact, you can readily buy these microwavable popcorn in groceries and convenience stores. Just sprinkle them with some Parmesan cheese, garlic powder, and chili powder, and you have a really nice snack perfect for watching a game.
• Guacamole. Although the traditional guacamole contains a lot of nutrients, such as good fats, potassium, and fiber, the downside is that it also contains a lot of calories. What you can do is to cut down the portion of your guacamole, usually just around three to four tablespoons. Also, instead of using tortilla chips, you can opt for raw vegetables or baked chips.

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