
April 13, 2006
Meal Planning, Food and Diet
Question from Elkins, West Virginia, USA:
If you eat a snack with fewer than five grams of carbohydrates, which has no affect on blood sugars, how long after that can you eat another snack with fewer than five grams of carbohydrates and still not affect blood sugars?
Answer:
A snack of five grams actually does have an effect on blood sugars, albeit a minimal effect. Multiple repeated five gram snacks in a short period of time will have a compounded effect on blood sugars and likely will require some insulin. There is no real set criteria or protocol for this, but my general advice would be that if your snacking totals 15 grams or more within 20to 30 minutes, you should likely consider taking a dose of rapid acting insulin.
MSB