Diabetes
ByErin
When a crunchy craving hits, it’s all too easy to grab a high-carb option like chips, pretzels, or crackers. While these foods are ok in moderation, they can easily spike your blood sugar if you eat too much of them. Try some of these delicious and crunchy low-carb snacks to satisfy your craving without sending your blood sugar sky high.
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Why choose low carb for crunchy snacks?
Most crunchy snacks are made of starch like flour, potatoes, rice, or grains. These foods can lead to high blood sugars if you’re not careful of your portions and what you’re eating with them. If they’re a sweet and crunchy snack, the added sugar only increases their effect on your blood sugar.
If you have diabetes or prediabetes, watching your carb intake, especially between meals, is essential to keeping your blood sugar within a normal range. You may wonder what crunchy snacks you can grab in between meals that taste good and are low carb.
Each snack on this list has 15 grams of net carbs or less, so you can keep your carb intake under control and satisfy your craving.
Craving something sweet? Get your hands on my favorite low-carb sweet snacks!
The 56 best crunchy low-carb snacks
Nuts
Nuts are an excellent source of plant protein, healthy fats, and fiber– a trio of nutrients that can help you feel full and satisfied after only a small portion. The bonus is that they’re also incredibly low in carbohydrates.
While nuts are healthy and low in carbs, the fat and calories can add up quickly. A typical one-ounce portion of nuts is only about ¼ cup or one small handful.
To avoid eating too many too quickly, try choosing nuts in the shell when you can. Pistachios and peanuts are perfect for eating out of the shell because it takes more time and you have a visual left behind of how many you’ve eaten! Or, pre-measure them before eating so that you can consciously choose to keep eating or stop at one serving.
- Almonds
- Pistachios
- Cashews
- Peanuts
- Walnuts
- Pecans
Raw Veggies
Simple and severely underrated, raw veggies make the best snack! The vegetables below are non-starchy, low in carbs, and can be paired with various dips to make them more exciting. Try dipping veggies in nut or seed butter, cream cheese, ranch, or hummus, or sprinkle seasoning on them to change up the flavors.
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Peppers
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Snap Peas
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Celery
Cheese Crisps
Cheese crisps are simply slices of cheese that have been baked until they reach the texture of a cracker or chip They’re higher in protein and fat while being low in carbohydrates, and can easily squash a potato chip craving in its tracks.
I recommend eating cheese crisps sparingly because of the saturated fat found in them. While saturated fat in moderation is ok– too much can raise your cholesterol and increase insulin resistance. Try the recipe below to make your own or buy them pre-made.
Popcorn
Popcorn is one of my all-time favorite snacks (so of course it made the list!). Yes, popcorn is basically only carbohydrates, but the portions are large. Three cups of popped popcorn has only 10-15 grams of carbohydrate, plus fiber. This helps slow down the digestion of the carbs and makes it a filling snack.
Plus, there’s an option for every effort level. You can make your own with popcorn kernels and an air popper and season with cinnamon, cocoa powder, salt, or powdered cheese for fun flavors. Or, if you want an even quicker and easier snack, just buy microwavable popcorn or pre-popped bags.
Dry roasted chickpeas
Chickpeas are a fantastic source of fiber and plant protein. As they’re beans, they also have a good amount of carbohydrates, but the fiber helps limit the net carbs and minimizes the effect that the carbohydrates have on your blood sugar. Chickpeas may not work for a keto diet, but for balancing your blood sugar, they’re a great choice.
Dry roasting chickpeas creates a delicious and satisfying crunch. You can roast your own at home or buy them packaged with a variety of flavors available.
Pumpkin seeds
Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of plant protein and are high in iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. A one-ounce (or ¼ cup) portion has only 4 grams of net carbs.
Researchers studied over 127,000 men and women and found that diets high in magnesium were associated with over a 30% reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Choose raw, roasted, and even popped pumpkin seeds for a fun crunch that’s low in carbohydrates.
Almond Crackers
Traditional crackers are high in refined carbohydrates, making it easy to go over the carbs in your diabetes meal plan. Crackers made with almond flour have fewer carbohydrates, more fiber, and more protein. They fill you up and digest more slowly so you can be satisfied with your snack without spiking your blood sugar.
Seaweed crackers
Seaweed isn’t just for sushi anymore! It can be dried into strips or combined with sesame or almond flour for a crunchy cracker-like consistency.
Try any of these seaweed snacks for a low-carb and low-calorie salty treat.
Low carb cereal
Cereal probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think “low-carb”, and for good reason! Traditional sugar-sweetened cereals are incredibly high in added sugars and carbohydrates, making them difficult to fit into a low-carb meal plan.
Thankfully, there are now tons of low-carb cereal options to choose from! With extra fiber and protein, and little to no added sugar, it’s easy to find a cereal to enjoy for breakfast or a quick, crunchy, and satisfying snack. Many of these keto-friendly or lower carb cereals are available online, in grocery stores, and in health food stores.
Eat alone, with low-carb milk like almond milk, or use it to make a trail mix for a crunchy snack that won’t spike your blood sugar.
Edamame
Edamame is whole immature soybeans that can be eaten straight from the pod. You can enjoy them steamed plain or with salt or purchase snack packs made with roasted edamame.
One ounce of roasted edamame has 14 grams of protein and only 1 gram of net carbs, making them a crunchy finger food the whole family will enjoy.
Pickles
Nothing beats a juicy and crunchy pickle! With virtually zero carbs and zero calories, pickles are the perfect snack to satisfy a salty craving without affecting your blood sugar.
Be sure to read the label as some pickles are sweetened, increasing the carbohydrates.
The bottom line on crunchy low-carb snacks
You have so many choices for satisfying your crunchy craving without spiking your blood sugar.Many foods are made specially to taste amazing but still fit into a keto or low-carb diet, and others are just naturally low in carbs.
From whole food options like nuts, raw veggies, and popcorn to packaged crackers, crisps, and more, you’re bound to find a low-carb snack that will work for you.
Was this post helpful? Check out these other posts for low-carb inspiration!
- Diabetes-friendly low-carb air-fryer recipes
- The best low-carb Starbucks drinks
- The best low-carb options at Arbys
- The best low-carb pasta alternatives
- The Best Dietitian-Approved Sugar Free Lollipops
- 13 Easy Low Carb Diabetic Chicken Recipes
