Blood Sugar Friendly Summer Food Swaps
Summertime is all about enjoying the outdoors, soaking up the sun, and spending time with friends and family. It can also be a great opportunity to make some healthy swaps in your diet to help keep your blood sugar in check.
Here are a few of my favorite blood sugar friendly summer swaps to help you enjoy all the summer goodies, while staying on track:
Rather than drinking soda or other sugary drinks, try swapping them for unsweetened iced tea, seltzer water, or black coffee. Another great refreshing and hydrating option is a homemade mineral drink. These mineral drinks replenish minerals (aka electrolytes) that can get depleted during the hot summer months. They also taste great! My favorite is mineral lemonade and a coconut pineapple mix. If you want other ideas, reach out to me on instagram!
If you’re looking for a snack, try swapping out chips or cookies for some fresh fruit or vegetables. See some snack ideas below!
Summertime is the perfect time to fire up the grill and cook up some delicious BBQ! And Hamburgers are a classic BBQ favorite. To make them blood sugar friendly, use a lean beef or turkey burger, skip the bun or choose a higher fiber option. You can try a lettuce wrap, portabella mushroom bun or a high fiber whole wheat version like Dave’s Killer Bread. If you can’t imagine a burger without the bun, you can swap out the fries instead and serve them with a side of grilled vegetables or a salad.
There's nothing quite like a bowl of macaroni salad on a hot summer day. But if you're watching your blood sugar, you might want to opt for potato salad instead. Potato salad is a great way to get your dose of fiber and potassium, which both help with blood sugar balance. Plus, cooked and cooled potatoes are a great source of resistant starch making them more blood sugar friendly and great for your gut! And it's just as delicious as macaroni salad! So next time you're planning a summer picnic, be sure to bring a bowl of potato salad instead of macaroni salad. You and your friends will love it!
These are just a few of the many blood sugar friendly swaps you can make this summer. With a little bit of effort, you can enjoy all the fun summer has to offer while keeping your blood sugar in check.
Other blood sugar friendly summer foods to help you stay on track:
Watermelon is a great snack option because it is low in carbohydrates and high in water content. This makes it a great choice for satisfying hunger without raising blood sugar levels. Even better is if you add some protein or fat with it. Think Greek yogurt, a feta watermelon salad or even just a handful of walnuts.
Cucumbers are also a good choice for snacking on in the summer. They are low in carbohydrates and calories, and are a good source of vitamin C and potassium. Toss them in your salad, enjoy them with some hummus (or that Trader Joe’s Everything But the Bagel dip!), or pair them with slices of cheese.
Peanuts are a good source of healthy fats, which can help to keep blood sugar levels stable. They also have a high fiber content, which can help to slow the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream.
Greek yogurt is a good source of protein and calcium, which can help to regulate blood sugar levels. It also has a high probiotic content, which can help support your gut ultimately helping to keep blood sugar levels stable.