Diabetic Treats

Wow...2 kids in one class. Just a suggestion, but how about goodie bags instead of the usual edible cupcakes and such? Like cute little bags filled with some fun stuff.............like little container of bubbles, playdoh, coloring stuff, stickers, temporary tattoos, etc. I'm not sure how old your daughter is, but goodie bags can always be filled with great age appropriate stuff! =0) The kids would probably love them! =0) You can usually get away pretty cheap at Dollar Stores, etc.

3 moms found this helpful

Hi! As a mom of a type 1 diabetic in kindergarten, THANK YOU for being so concerned about those kids. One popular misconception about diabetes is that a diabetic person can't have any sugar. Actually, it's usually the opposite. My son is on insulin which means he has to eat every few hours to prevent low blood sugar. :) He has snacks at school to keep his blood sugar stable. If you bring in a snack that is under 15 carbs, it shouldn't affect the diabetic kids too much.

When someone has a birthday and they bring in something like cupcakes or cookies, I just have him bring it home with him so that I can give him the appropriate amount of insulin when he eats it. Really, that's the most important thing - just let the teacher know how many carbs are in whatever you bring. Cheesesticks have no carbs, nor do eggs, most meats or other cheeses (very little if any). Fruit, and even some breads can have as many carbs as candy! It may be healthier for most kids but it's not necessarily any better for a diabetic trying to regulate blood sugar.

I do like the idea of a take-home bag. You could put a small treat in there (a couple tiny candies) and some pencils, stickers, etc. that most kids will enjoy. Again, thank you so much for being considerate of the "sweet" kids in your class. :)

String cheese is a free food. that most kids like to eat good luck and happy bday to your daughter

Updated

String cheese is a free food. that most kids like to eat good luck and happy bday to your daughter

Hi M.! As the mom of 2 kids with type 1 diabetes, I can assure you that you don't need to make a special snack. It's very thoughtful of you to want to be sensitive to them!
My kids are able to eat any snack they choose. We make very healthy choices but there are no foods that are "off limits".

Even "healthy" choices need insulin to compensate. Example: Red versus white potatoes.....both need the same amount of insulin given.

Feel free to make what you will. Small portions are a good idea for diabetic and non diabetic kids alike! ;)

EDIT to note...... I don't allow my kids to have Splenda, diet soda, Crystal Lite, etc........ They are not a safe option as per our endocrinologist.

I know my elementary class loves nachos and cheese dip. You can buy a large can of cheese dip that goes a LONG way. Just warm it up in a crock pot. Veggies with ranch dip are a favorite also. Moms have brought bottled water for a drink and no complaints there even-or sugar free kool aid.

Happy Birthday to your daughter!

As a parent of a type one diabetic I want to say thank you! Any yummy treat you bring in tho the child will need extra insulin for. So either have the teacher get a hold of their parents before hand so they can be ready for it with the carb amount in what you are making or go with a free treat for them like sugar free jello. Often my daughters teacher will trade her fun food with a pack of markers or pens instead. She is in the 3rd grade and loves that kind of stuff. You could also send a note through the teacher to those parents asking if they have any free foods that are their favorite or like I said whatever you are going to bring in with the carb count on it because type one diabetic kids can have sugary yummy treats they just need the extra insulin to cover it.

Use Stevia instead of Sugar. Its much sweeter than sugar but you use less.

Updated

Use Stevia instead of Sugar. Its much sweeter than sugar but you use less. A

Updated

Use Stevia instead of Sugar. Its much sweeter than sugar but you use less. A lot

Updated

Use Stevia instead of Sugar. Its much sweeter than sugar but you use less. A lot of

Updated

Use Stevia instead of Sugar. Its much sweeter than sugar but you use less. A lot of the

Hi M..
How thoughtful of you to consider the special dietary needs of your daughter's classmates!
Our school district has started an effort to reduce the amount of sugar the kids take in, so for one of the holiday parties we did root beer floats with diet root beer (orange and other flavors are yummy too) and no sugar added ice cream. The kids all enjoyed that.
My Dad is diabetic and my mom has adjusted lots of her regular recipes by just using an alternative to sugar. I suppose it might be worth asking the children's parents if they have a calorie restriction or anything along with watching sugar. Oh, and if you choose any kind of sugar free candy be a little careful as sometimes sugar alcohol (which is in most sugar free candies) can cause tummy troubles for some folks.
I am sure you will come up with something wonderful, and the children's parents will appreciate your thoughtfulness towards their child.
HAVE FUN!
C.

Hi M.,

You' re very sweet to care about these two little ones. I would check with the kid's moms. Diabetics can eat differently in several ways. The type of diabetes they have and their medicines will dictate how they eat and not everything will necessarily be the same for both of these children. We personally eat by the glycemic index in our home because I grew up with a diabetic Dad and the diet is safe for all diabetics and simply healthy for everyone. It is like a memorization diet because you just have to know what is good and what is not, you can't categorize things. Red potatoes are fine, white potatoes are not, etc....

Just my two cents!

M.

If your allowed to bring in something you baked from home you should consider using agave necture in place of sugar. It doesn't cause a spike in your blodd sugar like refined sugar does. Also though I don't know how well the diabetic parents take care of the kids but things like white flour can cause a spike in blood sugar. Maybe just some packages sugar free cookies or candy from the store will work.

I have a really great pumpkin muffin recipe. It uses splenda and oat flour and they are really quite tasty. I have it because it's a biggest loster recipe. I added extra nuts to mine, but with all the allergy issues you might consider bypassing any nuts.
http://www.dietsinreview.com/recipes/pumpkin-walnut-snack...

Also, one time for my son we did little smokey sausages in crescent rolls instead of a sweet treat, we did it first thing in the morning with OJ.
S.

M.-

For the past 9 years, I've been deeply involved in diabetes and working with Certified Diabetes Educators/Dieticians in an effort to help people better manage their diabetes.

It's really kind of you to be concerned about the kids. The truth is, kids with diabetes can eat anything. They'll know how much they can have, and the school nurse can help them adjust their insulin levels to match the amount of carbs they are consuming with the treats if they're Type 1. Type 2 is much different - do you know what kind of Diabetes the 2 kids have?

I'd just make sure to take the nutritional information (if it's store bought or even from the box if you prepare something) to the teacher and the school nurse so they can make appropriate accommodations.

I'd highly recommend NOT bringing something for them that is sugar free - unless it's sugar free jello, because all it means is that it doesn't have sucrose (table sugar) but can have sugar alcohols and other glucose-raising additives in it that will raise blood glucose levels.

One trick I learned from a physician who had type 1 diabetes was that ALL whipped toppings (Cool Whip, Redi Whip, etc) is low carb. So, if you're trying to be really accommodating, get some sugar free Jell-O, some whipped topping and let all the kids in the class have fun.

You can also reach out to the student's parents to see what they'd recommend. Some people with Type 1 diabetes are "brittle" meaning their bodies react at the slightest levels of glucose and insulin making their blood sugars more difficult to regulate.

You can also see lots of good recipe ideas at the following sites:
http://www.changingdiabetes-us.com/
http://www.lillydiabetes.com/index.jsp
http://www.goinsulin.com/
http://rileychildrenshospital.com/parents-and-patients/pr...

I recommend just substituting sugar with PureVia or Truevia..same proportions as sugar without the carbs and a very similar taste .

Lots of the sugar substitutes people will suggest are not recommended for Type 1 diabetics as they too can increase blood sugar levels and aren't really "healthy" in many cases. I agree with other moms, check with the teacher, and maybe try to bring in a healthy-but-fun alternative like fruit kabobs or do something that isn't food. Good luck!

I am a type 1 diabetic with both a type 2 and a type 1 child. Really as other people have said you really don't have to make any special accomidations. Check with the childrens parents or the teachers to see what they usually do. Myself and my children are able to eat anything we want really as long as we take the apporiate insulin and manage our carb intake. It is ok to have treats now and then. One thing I know from my own personal experience is that I would prefer people not make special arrangements for me or my kids without asking. Bringing in special foods singles out the child and makes them feel different. Also children can be cruel, my type 1 son who is also allergic to latex, had children in his class be mean to him because balloons were brought in for a birthday and the teacher promptly got rid of them but the kids all knew "who's fault it was". I think it is great that you are being considerate but just choose a lower carb treat that kids all love. Steer away from sugar=free stuff as it is generally higher carb than the original versions.