Dessert and diabetes: Your guide to blood sugar success

It might not seem like it's possible to mix dessert and diabetes, but I'm here to tell you they absolutely can (and should) be combined!

When I was first diagnosed with diabetes, my nutritionist gave me a list of "free foods" with tiny carbohydrate counts that I could enjoy. I was so happy to find whipped cream on the list — and recall having a heaping portion on top of my next slice of birthday cake.

These days, I generally gravitate toward lower-carbohydrate desserts simply for the ease of managing blood sugar swings. While I love a creamy scoop of ice cream as much as anyone else, I don't love chasing the highs and lows (and unknowns) associated with it.

Here are a few tips to make indulging in dessert less stressful, as well as a couple of my go-to options.

3 tips for finding the sweet spot

Knowing what foods I was able to freely enjoy helped me feel more confident in savoring dessert, but there are a couple of other factors that also play a role. Follow these three tips to find the "sweet spot" that allows you to indulge while also keeping blood sugar in range:

1. Time it out strategically. When it comes to dessert and diabetes, sometimes the challenge has more to do with the timing than the number of carbohydrates. Instead of lumping dinner and dessert together as one big meal, consider spacing the two out. Even a separation of an hour or two can allow your body sufficient time to react and recover to a steady blood sugar level before the dessert carbohydrates come online. Using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) can help you keep an eye on your levels and let you know when it's time for a sweet treat.
2. Consider extended bolusing. If you use an insulin pump, the extended bolus feature works great for many types of desserts — especially those with high sugar and fat contents. In my pump, the default extended bolus timing is two hours, but feel free to customize that time to something that works for you (and your dessert of choice).
3. Plan to get active. Another idea for lowering blood sugar post-dessert is to plan an evening walk or bike ride. In our house, the evening schedule has become pretty routine: We eat dinner, clean up, and then enjoy a light dessert together before heading out to ride bikes or play with the kids outside. Routine also helps with managing blood sugar levels, which makes this a real win-win for me.

4 ideas for diabetes-friendly desserts

My overall top tip for blood sugar success with desserts? Make your own!

I've found that it can be challenging to find low-carbohydrate, pre-made dessert options that also taste amazing. Usually, these products are overly processed or have strange sweeteners, which can impact blood sugar differently.

And I've noticed that even if a restaurant has published carbohydrate counts, the dessert portions they serve can be different than the prescribed amount. For example, while you might have the ability to enjoy a 1/2 cup of rocky road ice cream, the restaurant could use an ice cream scoop instead of a measuring cup — giving you more than you bargained for.

Keeping tight blood sugar control requires accurate measuring, even those desserts. Here are four of my favorite lower-carbohydrate options to enjoy:

1. Sugar-free JELL-O. This is always a hit at our house. It's easy to make, the kids love it, and there are endless variations in color and fun shapes to make. Sometimes I like to include healthy add-ins, such as bananas.
2. Keto-friendly carrot cake. A light carrot cake is a great way to feel like you're eating something decadent while also sneaking in a few veggies. I love this recipe from Low Carb Yum.
3. Frozen yogurt bark. Have you ever considered making your own frozen yogurt? This super easy frozen yogurt bark is such a great snack when your sweet tooth is calling. And even better, making it with Greek yogurt can reduce the overall carbohydrate count.
4. A bit of bubbly. If you prefer an after-dinner drink in place of a traditional dessert, I recommend opting for a Brut champagne. It has lots of bubbles and typically a low carbohydrate count.

In my opinion, combining dessert and diabetes is a recipe for happiness. With a little planning and a fun round of cooking, you can have your cake and eat it too.

Ready to dive into more dietary tips around diabetes management? Check out the library of informative articles on the Health Insights blog.