The Best Fast-Acting Carbs to Treat Low Blood Sugar

Low blood sugars can be  one of the hardest  parts about living with diabetes.Even if you’re an excellent self-manager, you will run into lows because you’re human.

Why do low blood sugar treatments feel like a burden?

The idea of using sugar as medicine sounds fun in theory, but it can play mind games with you over time. Treating low blood sugar with sugary candies can lead to binge-eating cycles, over-treatment of lows, rebounding highs and even shame around food for some people with diabetes.

But are sugar candies off-limits? Should they be completely avoided? Absolutely not.They’re a very real, accessible solution for many people during low blood sugar episodes.

Low blood sugar isn’t simple—nothing about diabetes is—but treatment doesn’t have to feel so heavy or complicated. 

How to make low blood sugar treatments feel simpler

As annoying as it sounds, one of the best things you can do for yourself is to think of your low blood sugar treatment as medicine, because that’s what it’s being used for during a low episode. Thinking of it this way helps to set a mental boundary.

Assign one or two foods in your house that are only used for low blood sugar treatment. You don’t have to use glucose tablets, gels, gummies or powders every time, but these already feel more like medicine and can help some people with diabetes avoid bingeing on candy. 

If treating low blood sugar with candy doesn’t feel challenging to you, it’s still important to assign one or two candies in the house specifically for your lows. Setting this mental rule can support a healthy relationship with your low blood sugar solution.

Common low blood sugar treatments

Hard candies tend to be more affordable and easier to swallow for people with diabetes. Going your whole life with diabetes, only treating with glucose tablets, powders, gummies or gels is rare but commendable. That’s willpower!

But you will also need breaks along your journey from the stuff designed for lows—that’s normal. Don’t stress over the hard candies—they’re helpful, too! What matters most when treating with hard candies is practicing patience and following the 15-15 rule, just like you do with glucose powders, gels, gummies or tablets.

Here are some common household candies that can support you during a low:

• Skittles: 15 pieces is 15g of carbs
• Starburst chews: 4 pieces is 16g of carbs
• Smarties: 2 rolls is 12g of carbs
• Jelly Belly jelly beans: 15 pieces is 15g of carbs
• Brach’s jelly beans: 7 pieces is 15g of carbs
• Welch’s fruit gummies: .8-ounce pouch is 17g of carbs
• Sour Patch Kids: 6 pieces is 14g of carbs
• Gummy Bears: 7 pieces is 15g of carbs
• Gummy Life Savers: 5 pieces is 15g of carbs
• Gushers: .9-ounce pouch is 20g of carbs
• Nerds Gummy Clusters: 8 pieces is 13g of carbs

Other common low blood sugar remedies you probably have at home include:

• White sugar: 4 teaspoons is 16g of carbs
• Sugar packets: 4 packets is 16g of carbs
• Maple syrup: 1 tablespoon is 13g of carbs
• Honey: 1 tablespoon is 17g of carbs
• Fruit juice or soda: ½ cup or 4 ounces is 15g of carbs

What not to use as a low blood sugar treatment

There are many foods that aren’t effective for treating lows, but you might still reach for them occasionally. If that happens, be kind to yourself. Recognize that it wasn’t the best choice and decide to handle it differently next time.

Ice cream, cereal, chocolate and similar foods aren’t the best for treating lows. Are they tasty? Absolutely! But they should be enjoyed in moderation, just like for people without diabetes, and not when you’re having a low.

Take a deep breath. Lows can be confusing. Diabetes is tough,but you’ve got this.

Download the printable fast-acting carbs chart to hang on your fridge, keep on your desk or share with a friend or family member so they can support you during lows. A quick guide can help you make the best decisions to manage low blood sugar!

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