Typical Bedtime Snack
We don’t have three square meals a day in our house, we have three meals and three snacks. Snacks for my daughter with Type 1 diabetes, served mid-morning, mid-afternoon, and at bedtime, are usually 15 grams of carbs. The temporal spacing and amount are usually enough to keep her blood sugar levels from dipping too low or peaking too high. Since there are twelve hours between bed time and breakfast, her bedtime snack needs to include protein. Protein helps the carbs last a little longer and prevent drastic lows in the night.
Our bedtime routine includes the normal face wash, hair brush, teeth brush, story, and snuggle that most parents do with their children. But it also includes a blood glucose check, injection of long lasting insulin, and snack.
What does a typical bedtime snack look like? We usually include either a fruit or cracker, cheese, and milk.
Tonight’s snack was a mandarin (9 grams carbs), one ounce of cheddar cheese (no carbs, has protein), and a half cup of skim milk (5.5 grams carbs, has protein).
That’s a pretty filling snack. And even if your child does not have dietary needs based on a medical condition, it is a pretty well-rounded snack to serve any time of the day.
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I’m looking to change up Elise’s bedtime snack, but afraid to because it’s the same thing she’s eaten since she started a bedtime snack (whole wheat bread with almond butter and some banana). Maybe we’ll try your suggestion when we work up the nerve!