When choosing diabetes snacks or meal replacement shakes, check these 7 items.
September 21, 2021
When visiting a grocery store or pharmacy recently, you may have noticed that there is an increasing supply of nutritious milkshakes, including those specially made for diabetics. In fact, in the past year, more and more people have chosen to start adding diabetic nutrition milkshakes to their daily meal plans.1 This is not surprising, as many people may be exhausted while cooking, or are looking for fast food and snacks that can be enjoyed anytime, anywhere. With a nutritious milkshake, all you have to do is cool, shake and drink!
One of the main benefits of diabetic nutrition shakes is that they can be used as a meal or snack replacement. Whether you want to prevent or control diabetes, you should avoid skipping meals or snacking. Many people think that skipping meals or snacks can quickly lose weight, but it may actually be counterproductive! Studies have shown that skipping breakfast is particularly related to overweight/obesity, which is a risk factor for diabetes and diabetic complications.2
You may also want to skip a meal or snack when you don’t actually “feel” hungry, but don’t fall into this habit. If you are taking insulin or sulfonylurea medications (such as glimepiride) to treat diabetes, skipping meals or snacking can have serious consequences, as this can lead to severe hypoglycemia (or hypoglycemia). Diabetes nutrient shakes that contain the correct blend of nutrients can help keep blood sugar stable, thereby helping to prevent hypoglycemia. In addition, compared to unhealthy options that can cause high blood sugar (or hyperglycemia), this is a great meal or snack option!
So what makes a good diabetes milkshake? Here are 7 items to look for when shaking shopping:
#1: Calories
The number of target calories actually depends on how many calories you want to burn every day, which varies from person to person. However, a good rule of thumb is that if you plan to use a milkshake as a snack substitute, choose a milkshake that contains 200 calories or less. This way, if you decide to use it as a meal replacement in the future, you have room to add something to your meal, such as a piece of fresh fruit.
#2: fat
For decades, fat has been considered the villain in nutrition storybooks. However, more advanced research shows that a healthy balance of fat in our diet is more important than striving for an overall low-fat diet.3 This means that you should not only consider the amount of fat you consume, but also the type of fat you consume. Look for a nutritious milkshake that contains mostly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats-these are healthy fats, which means they can protect the heart. You can find the type of fat in the milkshake on the nutrition label under “Total Fat”. For an example, see the nutrition label of Splenda® Diabetes Care Shake below.
#3: carbohydrate
Although the target number of carbohydrates for each meal or snack is not much (this varies from person to person), there are some typical recommendations for diabetics. If you plan to use a milkshake as a snack substitute, choose a milkshake that contains 15-30 grams of carbohydrates per serving. Depending on your diabetes meal plan, your goal may be 30-75 grams of carbohydrates per meal. Therefore, if you choose to use a milkshake as a meal replacement, just pair it with another carbohydrate food, such as a slice of fresh fruit. This will not only add carbohydrates to your diet, but also fiber, vitamins and minerals.
#4: fiber
The daily fiber recommendations vary by age and gender, and range from 21-38 grams per day. Most Americans only meet about half of their recommendations every day.3 A good diabetes milkshake should make a significant contribution to your fiber needs. Fiber is important for diabetics because it can help slow down the absorption of sugar and increase blood sugar levels. Each Splenda Diabetes Care Shake contains 6 grams of dietary fiber. In terms of fiber, this is equivalent to eating nearly 9 cups of raw spinach!
#5: protein
Your body uses protein to make and repair cells, so it is very important to get enough protein in your diet. The recommended minimum protein mass per day for adult women is 46 grams, and for adult men 56 grams.4 Generally, one ounce of protein food (such as meat or cheese) is equivalent to 7 grams of protein. The ideal nutritious milkshake contains 2-3 ounces of protein equivalent per serving (or 14-21 grams of protein).
#6: Vitamins and minerals
Vitamins and minerals are vital to good health, but we have different requirements for each of them. Americans do not consume enough vitamins and minerals, including vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.3 All these nutrients are included in Splenda Diabetes Care Shake! In addition, Splenda Diabetes Care Shakes contains vitamin B12, a nutrient that is especially important for diabetics. Vitamin B12 deficiency is very common in diabetic patients and can cause dementia and nerve damage.5
#7: Flavor and taste
Of course, the nutrients in the diabetes nutrition care milkshake are very important, but we must not forget the flavor and taste! Splenda Diabetes Care Shakes contains high-quality micro-filtered milk protein and essential nutrients to provide clean, delicious, smooth and creamy products. Splenda Diabetes Care Shakes offers three delicious flavors: Milk Chocolate, French Vanilla and Strawberry Banana.
Generalize: There are many options for diabetic nutrition milkshakes, but there are key differences between them. Choose the one that meets the above nutritional recommendations, but make sure it has the delicious and flavor you really like! Click below to learn more about Splenda Diabetes Care Shake.
Written by Holly Moran, MS, RDN, LD, CDCES and Splenda Healthcare team members.
