Do you or loved ones have diabetes? If so, then you know how hard it is to enjoy your favorite foods or snacks. Well, they have made some options for you! They have sugar free candies, no carb foods, and other delightful treats. However, most of the time, they don’t have the exact treat or food you’re looking for. 

Have you ever gone to an ice cream parlor and saw they only have one sugar-free option? That sucks. What if someone is allergic to that certain flavor, or just doesn’t like that flavor? Then they can’t get any ice cream, which is what they came there for. There need to be more sugar-free options in stores for people with diabetes so they can enjoy the same things other people do. My grandma and my dad both have diabetes, and they struggle to find sugar-free snacks or low carb foods. Some of the sugar-free and low carb foods can also be pretty expensive, and some people might not have the money to buy those certain foods or options. The article Worldwide Toll of Diabetes states that “there are 463 million people in the whole world that have to live with diabetes.” They can’t even have a simple Hershey bar because they don’t have a sugar-free option. Imagine how bad that must be, not being able to enjoy whatever you want or are craving.  

The sugar substitutions they have created don’t affect your blood sugar level, which is a good thing! Some foods contain less than 20 calories and 5 grams or less of carbohydrates and those foods are the better options for people with diabetes. The lower the carbs, and lower the sugar, the better! Now don’t even get me started about carbs. Carbs affect your blood sugar levels, which is a good reason to make sure you know what’s in your food or snacks. Although, some carbs are good for getting vitamins, minerals, and fiber! So the better option is to pick healthy foods such as stuff made with whole grains, vegetables, and fruits. Another bad thing about carbs is if you eat food with a lot of carbs in it, your body breaks it down into sugar glucose. The glucose gets absorbed into your bloodstream.

Even though they have some sugar-free options, they still aren’t the best for you. They can still cause high blood sugar and high cholesterol, which could cause you to have cardiovascular disease. Cardiovascular disease is the main cause of death for people with diabetes. According to What Are The Best Sweeteners for People With Diabetes?,  the best artificial sweeteners to use are Aspartame, Acesulfame-K, Stevia, Saccharin, and Sucralose. Those artificial sweeteners are the safe ones to use if you’re going to use any at all. 

In conclusion, there should be more sugar-free options for people with diabetes so they can enjoy the same foods and delightful treats as everybody else,  without having to worry too much about what they should/ or can and can’t eat. My dad and grandma have been finding new sugar-free and low carb foods, but they’re still pretty spendy, and I feel they should be the same price as everything else.