While diabetics can help manage fluctuating blood sugar levels throughout the day, glucose levels spike while we are asleep. This happens especially if dinner for diabetics has a lot of simple carbs, which break down easily and result in insulin releases, leading to high sugar levels in the morning. Here are some safe late snack recipes for diabetics to avoid high blood sugar levels in the morning:

Barley salad
Combine ½ a cup green or brown lentils with ½ a cup of barley and pressure cook or cook in an open pan for about 45 minutes until tender. Dice cherry tomatoes, thinly slice onions, and crumble some feta cheese. Combine lemon juice, red wine vinegar, seasoning, and minced garlic to make a dressing. Drain the cooked lentils and barley (you can save some for later if there is too much), add the chopped vegetables and crumbled cheese, drizzle the dressing, and serve warm.

Tuna cucumber cups
Cut off the ends of a cucumber and cut into 2 inch-long pieces. Remove the pulp from the cucumber. Mix plain yogurt and pitted and chopped olives, finely chopped onions, some lemon juice, some garlic, salt, and drained and flaked tuna from 2 cans. Scoop this mixture into the cucumber cups. You can also make the mixture in advance and quickly chop the cucumber and prepare a snack in a moment.

Kefir frappe
Add 1 cup of strong and freshly brewed chai, 1 cup of ice, ½ cup of plain unsweetened kefir, 1 tbsp coconut cream, 1 tbsp coconut oil, and ¼ tsp stevia powder to a blender and blend until frothy.

Coleslaw
Mix 2/3 cup of mayo, 2 tsp sour cream 2 tsp minced onion, 1.5 tbsp apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Shred cabbage, grate a carrot, and use enough dressing to coat the vegetables. Again, you can prepare the dressing in advance and make the coleslaw with vegetables of your choice.

Mushroom omelet
Add vegetable oil to a skillet and add 6 ounces of thinly chopped mushrooms of your choice. Then, add 2 thinly sliced scallions and cook over high heat or until the mushrooms are cooked well. Remove from heat, transfer to another bowl, and add dried herbs of your choice. Basil and thyme go well with this recipe, and you can also add fresh parsley. In the same skillet, add about 4 oz. of liquid egg substitute and cook over medium heat; flip and ensure that both sides are cooked evenly. Add the mushroom mixture for a safe late snack for diabetics.

Chicken wraps
In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp canola or any vegetable oil. Add 1 pound of skinless and boneless chicken cut into small bite-size pieces. Sauté for 5 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Keep stirring until the chicken is cooked through or is tender. In another bowl, mix 5 tbsp peanut sauce, 1 tbsp rice vinegar, and 1 ½ tsp lime zest. Add this mixture to the chicken and mix well. Wash, dry, and remove the stem from wide cabbage leaves and scoop the chicken mixture into them. Top with veggies and fruits of your choice like cucumber or apple, and garnish with cilantro. The cabbage is a healthy alternative to bread and makes this a safe late snack option for diabetics.

The following are some more safe late-night snack ideas for diabetics:

• Mashed avocado on crackers
• 1 cup raw broccoli with hummus
• 1 cup oatmeal
• Granola bars
• Smoked salmon
• Deviled eggs
• Smoothies
• Vegetable frittatas
• Popcorn
• Roasted chickpeas
• Fruit kebabs
• Vegetable slices with dips
• Shrimp salad