What Candy Can People With Diabetes Eat, and How Much Is Safe?

Candy is not off-limits simply because you have diabetes. “I encourage people with diabetes to remember that a diabetes diet is really just a healthier diet,” says Rainie Robinson, RD, CDCES, a director of clinical nutrition at Children’s of Alabama in Birmingham. She suggests thinking of candy as a dessert rather than a snack. “Changing that mentality allows people to think about eating candy in smaller portions. We are typically fuller from the meal and therefore eat less candy or sweets than we would have before.”

And you don’t necessarily need to reach for a sugar-free version, which can contain tummy-upsetting sugar alcohols such as xylitol and erythritol. “Our bodies need carbohydrates throughout the day — and candy can be a delicious, festive, enjoyable source of it on occasion,” says Meg Salvia, MS, RDN, CDCES, the owner of Meg Salvia Nutrition in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and a doctoral student at Harvard University.

Just eat the candy in moderation: The U.S. government’s 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend limiting added sugars, the type of sugar present in candy bars, to less than 10 percent of daily calories — and anyone under age 2 should avoid added sugar completely. So if you’re having 2,000 calories a day, that would be no more than 200 calories from added sugar (about 10 Strawberry Twist Twizzlers). People with diabetes have other considerations — more on those next.

Here’s what you need to know about making the best candy choices if you’re managing diabetes.

Learn How Carbs in Candy Affect Blood Sugar

First off, how does the sugar in candy affect you? “Sugar begins to be digested as soon as it hits the tongue,” says Robinson. That’s why small amounts of sugar are so effective at quickly increasing the blood sugar level when it dips too low, which is called hypoglycemia.

When you have diabetes, your body processes carbohydrates a little differently. Like everyone, you break down carbs into blood sugar once they get inside your body. “But the carbohydrates can’t get into the cells where they can be used for energy because you either lack enough insulin or because your cells are resistant to insulin,” says Diane Norwood, RD, CDCES, who is based in Okinawa, Japan. This insulin resistance is the hallmark of type 2 diabetes, she notes, “so the circulating level of blood sugar remains high, and your cells are starving, in a sense.”

Although a fun-size or miniature candy bar here or there is fine for most people with diabetes, you should take your blood sugar level into account. “If the blood sugar level is already higher than recommended, it is not a good idea to eat high-carbohydrate foods, including candy,” cautions Norwood. And if your blood sugar level is normal, it’s still a good idea to test your level right before eating the candy and again two hours after to determine if the portion size was acceptable. Doing so will also tell you if you need additional insulin to correct a high blood sugar value if you’re insulin-dependent.

The Best Types of Candy for People With Diabetes

Many fun-size candies contain around 15 grams (g) of carbohydrates per serving. This amount (equal to one carbohydrate serving) is often the magic number that can raise a too-low blood sugar level but not cause a crash.

“With or without diabetes, a small treat can help curb a sweet tooth without leaving us feeling deprived or with a sugar crash later,” Robinson says. “For a lot of people, measuring portions is the tricky part, so I would recommend sticking with fun-size portions and walking away from the candy bowl after a treat.”

Here are a handful of popular miniature candies to try the next time your sweet tooth beckons:

• Peanut M&M’S, 1 Fun Size “Candies with nuts tend to be higher in calories but can have better blood sugar responses than other sweet treats,” says Robinson. Carbohydrate count: 11 g
• Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, 1 Snack Size The second ingredient (after milk chocolate) is peanuts, indicating that the candy offers some satiating fat, protein, and fiber to help tide you over. Carbohydrate count: 9.4 g
• Skittles, 1 Fun Size Although pretty sugary, this candy can be used to treat low blood sugar in a pinch. It will do a faster job than a chocolate bar because it contains no protein and just a little bit of fat — so the sugar will hit your bloodstream quickly. Carbohydrate count: 18.2 g
• Snickers, 3 Minis You get some protein and healthy fats in these candies to help slow down your digestion and keep you fuller for longer. Carbohydrate count: 17 g
• Twizzlers, 2 Strawberry Twists These are almost pure sugar. “Sometimes people with diabetes want to use their favorite candy to treat a low blood sugar incident,” says Norwood. “It’s permission to eat sugar when they otherwise feel they shouldn’t be eating it regularly.” Carbohydrate count: 18 g
• Tootsie Roll Pops, 1 Pop Sometimes you want a longer-lasting treat. Enter this lollipop, which is more or less pure sugar and milk. Carbohydrate count: 15 g