Best Bedtime Snacks For Gestational Diabetes At Costco

There are a LOT of great quality bedtime snacks for gestational diabetes that you can find at your local Costco!

Glucose levels can change overnight

You may be sleeping, but your body is still very much at work. 

Everyone’s blood sugar fluctuates throughout the night. But fluctuations are more important to manage for people with Type I Diabetes or Type II Diabetes.

This is because a diabetic may wake up with hyperglycemia, which is elevated blood sugar.

Hyperglycemia in the morning occurs through either the Dawn Phenomenon or the Somogyi Effect.

What is the Dawn Phenomenon?

The Dawn Phenomenon occurs when sugar levels rise as part of the process of waking up.

This process usually occurs from 3:00AM-8:00AM.

What is the Somogyi effect?

The Somogyi effect occurs when your blood sugar levels drop significantly between 2:00AM-3:00AM. This leads to low blood sugar. 

When this occurs, it sends a signal to your body to release hormones that increase your blood sugar.

However, your body may end up releasing too many hormones, resulting in too much blood sugar being released into the bloodstream the next morning.

Is having a bedtime snack beneficial for diabetics?

If you were just diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you may be wondering: can I even have a bedtime snack? And if I can, should I?

Having a tactical snack before bedtime can actually help manage high blood sugar levels and decrease the likelihood of either the Dawn Phenomenon or the Somogyi effect from occurring. 

Before implementing a bedtime snack, you’ll want to have a good idea of how your blood sugars fluctuate throughout the day. 

Understanding how your body specifically responds to sugar is critical when you’re trying to determine what to eat in the evening and before bed.

For best practice, take a few sample readings at various times of the day, such as right before bed, in the middle of the night if you wake up to use the bathroom, and right when you wake up.

 

Should everyone with diabetes have a bedtime snack?

According to the American Diabetes Association (ADA), being overweight or obese is associated with an increased risk of diabetes-related complications. 

Therefore, a bedtime snack may not be necessary for everyone. 

If you aren’t sure if having a bedtime snack is right for you, you can always speak to a Registered Dietitian or healthcare professional. They will be able to tailor your food habits based on your specific goals and lifestyle. 

They may even help you create a more personalized meal plan.

How do I avoid overeating?

As a dietitian, I generally recommend following the principles of Intuitive Eating. 

If you’re hungry, you should eat. And if you aren’t hungry, you shouldn’t feel pressured to eat just to control your blood sugar. 

It is important to get in touch with your body, and recognize your hunger and fullness cues. 

Are you actually hungry, or are you just bored? How can you tell you’re hungry? 

On the flip side, if you do decide to eat, how does your body signal that it is satisfied?

Some helpful tips to avoid overeating are to:

• Eat with intention. Really focus and try to enjoy your food. 
• Be mindful of what you’re consuming. Avoid multitasking when you eat. Take steps to turn off things that may distract you from your meal, such as your phone or the television.
• Meal prep ahead of time. By planning healthy snacks in advance, you’ll be less likely to become ravenous with hunger. You’ll also be less likely to reach for unhealthy meals and snacks.
• Get familiar with what proper portion sizes may look like.

Pair your snacks!

I recommend that everyone, not just diabetics, pair foods together. This is sometimes referred to as food synergy, which is a nutrition concept where you combine food components for a certain health benefit. 

For example, magnesium and vitamin D are very closely related. I like to call them “friends” because magnesium is essential for the metabolism of vitamin D. 

If you are taking a vitamin D supplement, but you aren’t increasing your intake of metabolism, you could be looking at magnesium deficiency. 

When it comes to healthful snacks, pairing a protein with a carb can be beneficial for achieving food synergy. 

Carbohydrates, such as fruits, whole grains, beans and starchy vegetables, help your body get quick energy. 

Protein, such as nuts, pumpkin seeds, eggs, and dairy products, help keep you fuller for longer and stabilize the sugar that the carbohydrates provide. 

Your protein source will also ideally have some healthy fats, which also helps with satiety. 

It is a match made in heaven!

Best Bedtime Snacks For Gestational Diabetes At Costco

As we just mentioned, when you’re thinking of an ideal snack, you want:

• A complex carbohydrate
• Some high-quality protein (with fat)

 Here are some yummy snacks (and potential combinations) that you can find at Costco!

1. Siggi’s Yogurt

I personally like the Siggi’s yogurt brand because it’s thick as hell. It feels like I’m having a very decadent treat, and I like decadent treats!

Top some plain Greek yogurt with ½ cup of berries for a sweet bedtime treat. If you don’t love plain yogurt, you can add a teaspoon of jam, honey, or maple syrup.  

2.Power Up Trail Mix

This trail mix was so yummy. The nuts kept me very satiated and the dried fruit added a little bit of sweetness that I crave at night.

3. Almond Butter

Costco has some of the best nut butters! A classic combination is nut butters with fruit such as an apple.

Almond butter is high in vitamin E. In addition to the complex carbs, apples also have vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber that help keep you regular.

4. Whole-Wheat Crackers

There were so many different options of whole wheat crackers available at Costco. My top three are:

• Simple Mills Almond Flour Crackers
• Crunchmaster Multi-Grain Crackers
• Food Should Taste Good Multi-Grain Chips (not necessarily a cracker but also not really a chip?)

Whole wheat crackers have a lower glycemic index score, meaning they won’t spike your blood sugar as quickly as its simple carb counterpart.

Ideally, you’ll want to pair these crackers with a protein, like cheese or hummus. You can even make a ranch dip with Greek yogurt.

5. Kirkland Organic Hummus

I LOVEEEE hummus.

Hummus provides plant based protein in the form of chickpeas. My favorite night time snack pairing is carrots with hummus because carrots are a non-starchy vegetable and won’t spike your blood sugar, while hummus provides protein to keep you full.

Other vegetables that pair well with hummus are cucumber slices, cherry tomatoes and celery. All of these vegetables have low glycemic index scores.

These vegetables are also low in calories, making it suitable if you have any weight loss goals.

6. Hard Boiled Eggs

Costco offers organic hard boiled eggs that are ready to eat. I know that you can make these easily at home, but sometimes having food ready to go can be a nice, convenient option.

Eggs always make it to the list of best bedtime snacks, and there really are some good reasons for it.

Eggs are nature’s multivitamin, as they are extremely nutrient dense! One large egg contains about 7g of protein! 

If you don’t like hard boiled eggs, Costco also has Starbucks Sous Vide Egg Bites and Veggies Made Great Egg White Frittatas as great options.

7. Dave’s Killer Bread

Normally, I am not a big sandwich eater. But when I’m pregnant, everything goes out the window.

My favorite combination is peanut butter and condensed milk-a Hong Kong classic.

Dave’s Killer Bread contains fiber which helps with the digestive process and give you slow burning energy. 

You don’t necessarily have to put peanut butter on top. You can opt for other toppings, like cottage cheese or deli meat if you aren’t pregnant. Just be sure to double check the ingredients in the deli meat for any added sugar.

8. Roasted Chickpeas

Beans and legumes are always a great choice because they provide fiber, complex carbs, and are a great source of protein. It already comes as a balanced snack!

The Costco near me carries the brand Three Farmers. I used to see the Good Bean brand back in NY/NJ which I really loved, but I don’t think they carry it anymore.

If you want to make roasted chickpeas at home, you can definitely do that as well.

All you need to do is drain one can and pat dry with a paper towel. Then, toss the chickpeas with your favorite spices and some avocado oil or olive oil.

Finally, bake at 350 degrees F for about 20-30 minutes or until they’re crispy. Make sure to give the chickpeas a shake every ten minutes or so to prevent them from sticking to the pan. 

When finished, store in an airtight container and enjoy!

9. Fruit Bars

Fruit bars are some of the best snacks if you’re looking for something to quickly raise your low blood sugar.

That’s It mini fruit bars are my go-to because they’re small, contain no added sugars, and are delicious!

10. Skinny Pop Popcorn

Skinny Pop Popcorn is light and airy, making it a good choice if you don’t want to go to sleep too full. Pair this with a handful of nuts for additional protein and a low-fat snack!

Conclusion

Sometimes gestational diabetes can be really overwhelming, and make you feel like you can’t participate in all the things normal people do. 

Even something as simple as a nighttime snack can send your body into a panic and spike your blood sugar. 

But, with some prior preparation, you can include a bedtime snack that may actually be beneficial in keeping your blood sugar in check!

I hope you enjoyed this post about the best bedtime snacks for gestational diabetes at Costco!

Further research

If you loved learning about the best bedtime snacks for gestational diabetes at Costco, you might like my posts about the best sugar-free options at popular chains like Dutch Bros, Sonic, Starbucks, and Dunkin! Click here to find them!

Coming up on your sugar test in your pregnancy? Click here to learn about all your options for the glucose tolerance test!

Sources:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28471760/