The #1 Snack to Help Lower Blood Sugar, According to a Dietitian (2024)

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The #1 Snack to Help Lower Blood Sugar, According to a Dietitian? ›

Luckily for all of us, several foods can help you maintain healthy blood sugar levels. But there is one food that stands alone as the best snack for lower blood sugar: nuts. Nuts are delicious, nutritious and incredibly versatile as far as snack foods go.

Research has shown that consuming a variety of nuts—including pistachios and almonds—may lower your postprandial blood sugar levels, per a 2023 article in Nutrients. Nuts can produce this effect because they contain low amounts of carbohydrates and good amounts of fiber.

Foods with a low glycemic index (GI) may help people lower or manage their blood sugar levels. Examples include whole grains, nuts, legumes, some fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and lean proteins.

The Bottom Line

One of the best snacks at Target is Good & Gather's Organic Unsweetened Dried Kiwi. Teeming with potassium, fiber and powerful plant compounds, dried kiwi is a great option not only for its blood pressure benefits but also for its potential to lower your overall risk of cardiovascular disease.

Citrus fruits

Citrus fruits such as oranges and grapefruit are packed with fiber and contain plant compounds such as naringenin, a polyphenol with powerful antidiabetic properties ( 53 ). Eating whole citrus fruits may help improve insulin sensitivity, reduce HbA1c, and protect against diabetes ( 54 , 55 , 56 , 57 ).

Exercise is good for your health and can help lower your blood sugar. It's recommended you do at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise or 75 minutes of vigorous exercise each week. You can split this up into small amounts throughout the week. Aim for a full body strength training routine two times per week.

The quickest way to lower your blood sugar is to take fast-acting insulin. Exercising is another fast, effective way. However, in severe cases, you should go to the hospital. High blood sugar levels are known as hyperglycemia or high blood glucose.

Drinking plenty of water helps your kidneys flush out excess sugar. One study found that people who drink more water lower their risk for developing high blood sugar levels. And remember, water is the best. Sugary drinks elevate blood sugar by raising it even more.

What is the number 1 fruit to lower blood pressure? ›

The top fruits for lowering blood pressure include bananas, apples, pears, apricots, grapes, raisins, kiwis, mangoes, watermelon, pomegranate, plums, prunes, avocado, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, tomatoes, citrus fruit, berries, and more.

Bananas are high in potassium, making them the perfect snack to help lower blood pressure. The more potassium you consume, the more sodium you will pass through your urine. Potassium is also great for hypertension because it helps ease tension in your blood vessel walls lowering your blood pressure.

Eating protein — from meat and fish, tofu, nuts, eggs, and cheese — with carbs can slow that flow of glucose and help stabilize blood sugar. “Proteins hold back the sugars, slow them down, and then release them into the bloodstream slowly so that your blood sugar stays in a more normal range,” O'Meara says.

According to the American Diabetes Association, drinking red wine — or any alcoholic beverage — can lower blood sugar for up to 24 hours.

The best drink to sip for blood sugar management is water. But you can drink more than just H2O. Try coffee, black or green tea or even milk. If you want to get fancy, a small glass of tomato juice will do, too.

The quickest way to lower your blood sugar is to take fast-acting insulin. Exercising is another fast, effective way. However, in severe cases, you should go to the hospital. High blood sugar levels are known as hyperglycemia or high blood glucose.

Drinking water is an excellent way to stay hydrated without consuming sugar. Green tea, cow's milk, and fermented milk (kefir) could also help you manage your blood sugar responses. Coffee also contains compounds that may help regulate blood sugar, but confirming this requires more research.