Type 1 Diabetes and Snacks

Cheryl Metheny

The eating habits of children can affect their physical growth, school work, and overall health. For children with type 1 diabetes, consuming meals and snacks at similar times each day is needed to manage their blood sugar. Proper control of a child’s blood sugar allows them to stay healthy and grow properly. The key to good blood glucose control is balancing and spacing carbohydrate food throughout the day at meals and snacks. Carbohydrates are found in fruit, vegetables, grains, milk, and other foods containing sugar.

A plan should be developed between the family, doctor, and school which will describe a daily meal and snack routine. A good routine is one that a child can follow at home and at school with little change. In order to be successful, snacks need to be readily available for the child during school hours. School staff and administration should be made aware of the importance of a child’s need for a snack, especially in the classroom.

There are lots of food items that can be brought from home and stored in the classroom. Choose items to store in the classroom that have a longer shelf life such as packaged crackers and cheese or crackers and peanut butter, juice cup, or 1 serving (15 grams) of a glucose gel or tablet. The availability of snacks in the classroom prevents an interruption of everyone’s learning.

A care plan should also include what to do in case there are changing circumstances that interrupt the routine meal and snack schedule. For example, what if there are no more snacks in the classroom or the students go on a field trip. Advanced planning of changing circumstances is needed to allow the child to properly manage their blood sugar. A child needs to bring extra snacks to carry with them on the field trip. However, in case of an emergency they should be able to use the school cafeteria where they have items on hand that would make a good snack.

Share with your school what is a good snack for your child. Items that school cafeterias usually have on hand are: cereal, milk, crackers, cheese, peanut butter, fruit, toast, juice. A team approach to helping a child with type 1 diabetes will them manage their blood sugar during school hours, and allows them to maintain a regular meal and snack schedule.