Looking for diabetes friendly game day food? Try these 7 simple blood sugar tips, plus delicious game day recipes everyone can enjoy.
Diabetes Friendly Game Day Food: 7 Tips for Better Blood Sugar
Whether you’re watching college football on Saturday, cheering on your favorite NFL team on Sunday, or hosting friends for the big game, food is usually a big part of game day. Wings, chips, dips, pizza, desserts, and drinks can all make an appearance…and if you have diabetes or need to pay attention to your blood sugar, navigating the spread can sometimes feel overwhelming.
But here’s the good news: diabetes friendly game day food doesn’t have to mean skipping your favorite foods or making an entirely separate menu.
Instead, a few simple strategies can help you enjoy the foods you love while also supporting more stable blood sugars. And, many traditional game day foods can actually fit really well into a blood sugar-friendly diet!
Think: chips and guacamole, chicken wings, veggie dip, and more!
Here are seven things to keep in mind the next time you’re watching the big game.
1. Don’t Skip Meals to “Save Up” for Game Day Food
If you know you’re headed to a watch party later in the day, it can be tempting to eat less beforehand to “save” calories or carbohydrates for later.
But, arriving at a party overly hungry can actually make it much harder to manage your blood sugar levels. You may eat more quickly, have larger portions, or find yourself grazing continuously because you’re genuinely hungry.
Instead, eat your normal meals leading up to the event. Aim for a combination of protein, fiber-rich carbohydrates, produce, and healthy fats to help you feel satisfied.
You don’t need to earn or save up for game day food. Eating consistently throughout the day can actually make it easier to enjoy your favorite foods.
2. Prioritize Protein
When you’re looking at a table full of diabetes friendly game day food, start by identifying your protein options. Protein helps promote fullness and satisfaction and, when eaten alongside carbohydrate-containing foods, can help keep blood sugar levels more stable.
Fortunately, many classic game day foods are naturally good sources of protein. Think:
- Chicken wings
- Meatballs
- Chicken skewers
- Greek yogurt-based dips
- Cheese
- Chili
- Bean-based dips
- Sliders
- Chicken or turkey bites
(Check out some of my favorite game day recipes below!)
If you’re building a plate, choose a protein source first and then add the other foods you’d like to enjoy.
For example, instead of eating chips and queso by themselves, you might have some chicken wings, veggies, and chips with queso. You’re still eating the foods you wanted. But, you’ve just created a more balanced plate.
3. Look for Easy Ways to Add Fiber
Protein gets a lot of attention when we talk about blood sugar management, but we need to focus on fiber too. Fiber slows digestion and can help reduce the impact carbohydrate-containing foods have on your blood sugar.
And, you don’t need to serve a giant salad at your football party to get more of it. Some easy ways to add fiber to your game day spread include:
- Fresh vegetables with dip
- Guacamole
- Bean dips
- Salsa
- Fresh fruit
- Whole grain crackers
- Nuts
- Roasted chickpeas
- Chili with beans
Combining protein + fiber + carbohydrate is one of my favorite strategies for building a more blood sugar-friendly snack or meal.
4. Be Strategic About Grazing
One of the biggest blood sugar challenges on game day may not be any one particular food. It may be the fact that the food is sitting in front of you for three or four hours. A few chips here, another brownie there, another handful of snack mix during the next commercial break. And before you know it, you’ve been eating continuously throughout the entire game.
For people who take insulin, continuous grazing can also make insulin dosing and blood sugar trends more difficult to predict.
Instead, here’s my best tip as a registered dietitian: Make yourself a plate wit the things you want to enjoy, and then walk away from the food tables.
Pick the foods you actually want, sit down, and enjoy them. You can absolutely go back for more if you’re still hungry, but having a defined eating occasion can make it easier to recognize how much you’ve eaten and when you’re satisfied.
And remember: you don’t have to eat something just because it’s there. Choose the game day foods you genuinely enjoy and skip the ones you don’t care about.
5. Remember That Drinks Count Too
Food isn’t the only thing that can impact your blood sugar on game day. Regular soda, sweet tea, lemonade, cocktails, beer, and other beverages may contain carbohydrates that are easy to overlook.
That doesn’t mean you can’t have them. It just means it’s helpful to know what you’re drinking and account for it when needed.
Water, sparkling water, unsweetened tea, and other no-added-sugar beverages are great everyday options. If you choose a carbohydrate-containing beverage, enjoy it intentionally rather than treating it like it doesn’t “count.”
And if you drink alcohol, remember that alcohol can affect blood sugar differently depending on the type of drink, what you’ve eaten, your medications, and other factors. For people taking insulin or certain diabetes medications, alcohol can also increase the risk of hypoglycemia.
6. Take Advantage of Movement
You don’t need to squeeze in a full workout between the third and fourth quarters. Even a little movement after eating can be helpful for blood sugar management. If it works with your game day plans, take a short walk before the game starts. Head outside with the kids at halftime. Play a quick backyard game, or simply spend a few minutes moving around rather than sitting for the entire afternoon.
A 10-15 minute walk after eating can be a simple way to add some movement to your day. And remember, this isn’t about “burning off” the food you ate. Movement has benefits all on its own and can be a useful blood sugar management tool.
7. Don’t Expect Perfect Blood Sugars
This one may be the most important. You can pair your carbs with protein. You can eat fiber. Drink water. You can go for a walk. And yet, your blood sugar may still go higher than you wanted it to. That’s okay.
Blood sugar is influenced by far more than just food. Stress, excitement, hormones, activity, hydration, medications, insulin timing, and dozens of other factors can all influence your numbers.
One blood sugar reading (or one afternoon of readings) is information, not a grade on how well you ate. If your blood sugar goes higher than expected, use the information to help you make decisions going forward rather than feeling like you did something wrong.
The goal isn’t perfect blood sugar. The goal is having strategies that help you enjoy your life while managing your blood sugar as best you can.
Diabetes Friendly Game Day Recipes to Try
Now for the fun part: the food!
There are plenty of diabetes friendly game day recipes that combine fat, fiber, and protein in satisfying ways. And, many traditional game day recipes can fit into a blood sugar-friendly diet with little or no changes.
Diabetes Friendly Dips and Appetizers
Here are some of my favorite recipes to add to your next game day spread.
High Protein Taco Dip
High Protein Low Carb Buffalo Chicken Dip
High Protein Low Carb Spinach Artichoke Dip
High Protein Cottage Cheese Veggie Dip
Diabetes Friendly Game Day Main Dishes
Green Herb Chicken Meatballs with Yogurt Dill Dip
Pumpkin Spiced Turkey Chili
Homestyle Beef and Bean Chili
Diabetes Friendly Game Day Desserts
Low Sugar Peanut Butter Fruit Dip
Low Sugar Snickerdoodle Cookie Dip
Dark Chocolate Covered Grapes with Nuts
Almond Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies
Diabetes Friendly Game Day Food: Key Takeaways
Whether you’re hosting a crowd or watching the game from your couch, remember that managing diabetes doesn’t mean sitting on the sidelines while everyone else enjoys the food.
- Build your plate around protein and fiber.
- Choose the foods you actually want.
- Pay attention to how your body responds.
- Enjoy the game!
Because diabetes friendly game day food isn’t about making everything low carb or “perfect.” It’s about finding foods and strategies that help you enjoy the day while managing your blood sugars at the same time.
