8 tips for shopping smart for snacks

Snacking isn't right for everyone who has diabetes, but for some people, especially those who go more than four or five hours between meals, snacks have a place on the menu.

The trick is to choose healthy munchies. Unfortunately, many of the items in the "snack aisle" will wreak havoc on blood sugar and contribute to weight gain.

Here's how to select treats that indulge your sweet and salty cravings but won't lead you astray of your dietary goals.

• Go for pre-sliced, pre-washed carrot sticks.

Pop them in the front of your fridge or tote them when you're on the go in a ziplock bag for a healthy snack anywhere, anytime. With all their fibre and water, carrots fill your tummy with very few calories.

• Snacks low in carbs and moderate in fat are rare birds, but this is one of them.

Though the sticks may be a little more expensive than pound-sized blocks of mozzarella ounce for ounce, they're a sound nutritional investment.

Yes, raisins are higher in sugar than the grapes from which they come. But single-serving boxes will make sure you stick to small portions of this otherwise good-for-you food.

• Even though nuts are high in calories, the benefits probably come from nuts' blend of protein and good-for-you fats, which make them an ideal snack.

Just be sure to buy the no-salt versions. Almonds in particular are excellent sources of vitamin E, an antioxidant that may protect against kidney damage and eye and nerve complications.

If the cracker you usually eat leaves an imprint of oil after you've placed it on a napkin, then you know it's time to switch.

• Buy a brand that contains at least 3 grams of fibre per serving (about six small crackers).
• Make sure it doesn't contain any trans fats (check for the word "hydrogenated" on the ingredient list), which are linked to heart disease.

For people with diabetes, these are the crucially important pieces of data.

• Diabetes puts you at a higher risk for developing heart disease so no more than seven per cent of your caloric intake should come from saturated fat (for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet, that's a maximum of 15 grams of fat).

And because having diabetes typically means having higher blood pressure, the milligrams of sodium you consume should be equal to or less than the number of calories (in other words, no more than 2,000 milligrams of sodium in a 2,000-calorie diet).

Some granola bars, with lots of added sugar and little fibre, might as well be candy bars.

• But if you look hard, some high-fibre bars contain as many as nine grams of appetite-curbing fibre.

It also doesn't hurt to see what effect your favourite granola bar has on your blood sugar; just check your blood sugar two hours after eating one. Once you find a good brand, buy a box and stash a few in your handbag or in your glove compartment for quick on-the-go snacks.

Snack manufacturers are now offering many snacks in 100-calorie, snack-pack portions.

• Though many of these snacks are high in fat and sugar and are therefore best eaten as occasional treats, you can keep your caloric and fat intake in check by occasionally indulging in one of these portioned bags.

When you venture outside the snack aisle, you'll find a variety of munchie options to enjoy without compromising your diet.