I read a thread from 2013 on bedtime snacks but the list of foods was fairly short. the ones that appealed to me were:
Celery w cream cheese or peanut butter [celery is weird to eat--stringy] Half a peanut butter sandwich
Half an apple (I would add peanut butter to it)
Can of tuna fish (!)(I could not do that one but thought it was interesting)
Are there other protein/some carb combos that are different from this list? I need to stay away from high sodium but assume that many PWDs are in the same boat on that. As a carb addict, I am trying to overcome it with something filling at bedtime but that won't cause a huge BG rise. Please don't suggest no snack because that is one lifelong addiction that I just don't plan to change. Just trying to get off the carb-only track.
Please also keep suggestions to nationally available items if you propose prepared foods. Thanks.
What about dairy? Milk, yoghurt, greek yoghurt, curd, cheese, etc?
i LOVE cherry tomatoes or tomatoes in any way, so that is often an option for me, especially with mayo on top.
I don't just snack at bedtime. My favorite is tortilla chips with melted cheddar cheese on them. Find something that appeals to you that has carbs (hopefully good ones) and some protein. Cheese toast?
I stopped worrying about snacking when I realized 1) I'm not gaining weight (or need to lose any) and 2) I'm hungry. I'm 6'3" and 168 pounds. Feed me.
Acid, I think you "protest too much" re your alcohol!! You are too health oriented. But, if I did not fear sleeping too deeply, I would love a glass of wine at bedtime. Maybe I will try it out to see!
It's not nacho cheese. It's cheddar. I looked at the label and it said a one inch cube of Tillamook Cheddar cheese has 170 mg of sodium. The sodium in a serving of chips is even less, 150 mg. The % of daily sodium is 13%.
Nacho cheese! Yuck. I never eat an orange food. Unless it is an orange.
Oops. I went crazy momentarily and forgot that non-healthy foods are anathema to most of the members of this forum. sorry about that. I will, however, search for low sodium "real" cheese, even if it is not "Tillamook."
My CDE told me to eat this before sleep to help stop or control DP and it has worked a few times for me as well as stopped night time/sleeping lows although it isn't consistent depending on what else is going on:
1 T flaxseed boiled or put in boiling water for a few minutes, add some fat like peanut butter- I add heavy cream or almond milk instead because pb would prolly spike me. I also add 1 T chia seeds. It really fills you up. I cook them in about 1 cup boiling water or so added in to them. They are low carb and metabolize very slowly which can trick your liver into not releasing so much glycogen in the early am.
I love celery. If you object to the strings, it's easy (and elegant) to scrape them off with a vegetable peeler. You could add some flavorings (spices, olives, walnuts, etc) to the cream cheese. I found this recipe forcurried celery sticks - looks really good, and only 10 grams carb per serving
Thanks Marie. I will try scraping strings but there may not be much left to eat!! A friend used to do olives and cream cheese so that sounds OK. Walnuts too. Thanks again.
Thanks, meee. (I often wonder what the two extra e's are for!). I am one of the weird people who does not cook so I am not sure I would have the patience to follow your recipe but it sounds like a healthy snack. And I am returning to my dawn spikes after having to go off Metformin for other health reasons so that is another reason I am trying to break the carb habit. Am on pump but Metformin reduced my insulin intake for several years. Now having to deal more with diet than previously.
Personally, I like cheese and maybe summer sausage or pepperoni with a couple of crackers. Yes, the crackers add a bit of normal carbs, but I only eat about 4, sometimes 6 crackers with a thin slice of cheese and a thin slice of the meat to go with it. Yes, it is higher in fat, but that is typically the main fat content I get throughout the day, so it is actually minor in comparison. The advantage here is the cheese and meats are higher in proteins which take longer to digest so it balances out overnight for me a bit better. I do have to watch what type of pepperoni or summer sausage I eat as if it is a bit spicy, well then I will have weird dreams... but good cheese well, that is heat warming for me. I like Cooper, typically sold as a sliced lunch type or sandwich type of cheese sold at a deli department, even Walmart deli has it. OR a really good cheddar that has NOT had yellow food coloring added. A good cheddar is always white in color. I have never figured out why Americans insist on adding yellow food coloring to cheese... must be Kraft that has caused that. After all, everyone is exposed to Kraft brand American Cheese which is always yellow unless you specifically look for the natural white.
Regardless, that small snack, about the size of the little cheese cracker packs you can get at a convenient store, is just about perfect for me. I prefer either plain saltines, or maybe one of the varieties of snack crackers, Ritz for instance, unflavored, just naturally baked stuff...
For me, for some reason, PB had a bad effect on me. Peanuts in general actually, tends to cause a spike in Bg then a rapid lowering. Usually meaning I end up in a low Bg reading after a couple hours, so, counter productive to use as a night time snack.
Fruit for me has always been a negative, again due to Rapid rise and then very rapid lowering of BG. Too high, too fast, then drops very quickly as it is burned off OR just generally unsatisfying. I love apples, don't get me wrong, I eat them with a sandwich etc, but not at night as the BG rise is much to high to properly counteract with bolus as I can never seem to adjust for fruit sugar correctly.
I think I just added them on for no reason, lol! Well, it is REALLY EASY to do, all I do is boil water, put 1 T flax seed, 1T chia seed into a bowl, add the water, cover it for 2-3 minutes(the chia seeds swell.. I also usually add a little stevia) And VOILA!! add your milk and your snack is ready to eat. I haven't been doing it but I woke up low again so I think I will start again because it seems to help the lows too. This might just work for you, and I'm sure it's better than being on metformin :-)
