If you’ve ever gone too long without eating and suddenly felt shaky, lightheaded, anxious, and cranky, you’ve had hypoglycemia. These unpleasant symptoms are your body’s way of warning you that your blood sugar (glucose) levels have fallen too low. That’s what “hypoglycemia” means.
Glucose is the body’s main source of energy. In most people, blood sugar levels should be between 70 and 99 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL).
Most people without diabetes only need a quick high-carb snack, such as an apple or banana, to help get their blood sugar back up to normal.
But hypoglycemia often happens in people with diabetes, and if their blood sugar levels drop too low, it can be dangerous. Even in people without diabetes, hypoglycemia can cause serious medical issues, including blurred vision, confusion, or loss of consciousness. So you must get your blood sugar back on track, ASAP.
What Are Some Quick Fixes for Hypoglycemia?
When you need to get your blood sugar back up quickly, try eating one of these items:
- A small apple, banana, or orange
- 15 grapes
- A few prunes
- Two tablespoons of raisins
- Half a bagel
- Half a cup of granola
Each of these foods has about 15 grams of carbohydrates — the ideal amount to rebalance blood sugar levels.
What Should You Do if You Have Diabetes?
Eating too little food after taking your medication or exercising more than usual can make your blood sugar drop too low. So can taking too much insulin or diabetes medication. Skipping or putting off meals or snacks can lead to low blood sugar as well.
If you get hypoglycemia, use the 15-15 rule: Eat or drink 15 grams of carbohydrates, wait for 15 minutes, and then check your blood sugar levels. If it’s still below 70 mg/dL, have another 15-gram serving. Your goal: Raise your blood sugar to at least 70 mg/dL.
Ideas for a fast 15 grams of carbohydrates include:
- Half a cup of juice or regular (not diet) soda
- One tablespoon of honey, sugar, or maple syrup
- One of the following servings of fruit: Half a banana, one small apple, one small orange, half a cup of applesauce, two tablespoons of raisins, or 15 grapes
- Hard candy, jellybeans, or gummy candy (Check the food label for how many to eat.)
- Glucose tablets or gel (follow the package instructions)
Don’t overeat to try to feel better, as your blood sugar levels can rise too quickly.
What Should You Do if You Don’t Have Diabetes?
Your blood sugar can fall if you wait too long to eat, such as if you’re fasting. It can also happen about four hours after a meal. This is reactive hypoglycemia. You might also have symptoms similar to hypoglycemia if you have postprandial syndrome. This happens if you eat a lot of simple carbs (such as pasta, bread, or cereal), and your body releases too much insulin to deal with it.
Use these tips to avoid having your blood sugar drop too low from either cause:
Eat small meals and snacks spread throughout the day. Aim for every three to four hours. And if you tend to get low blood sugar around the same time on most days, have a meal or snack right before that time.
Stick with healthy eating habits. This should include a variety of fruits, vegetables, and sources of lean protein. The fiber in plant foods, along with lean protein, will give you lasting energy and won’t crash your blood sugar. If you plan to eat or drink something sweet, do so as part of a balanced meal.
Limit caffeine. Its effects can mimic hypoglycemia symptoms.
Limit or avoid alcohol. Alcohol can cause hypoglycemia, especially if you have a drink without eating anything. If you drink, keep it moderate: no more than one serving a day for women or two for men. A serving equals 12 ounces of beer, 5 ounces of wine, or 1.5 ounces of hard liquor. And don’t drink on an empty stomach.
What’s a Good Hypoglycemia Meal Plan?
Setting up a hypoglycemia meal plan can help you prevent low blood sugar — and it’s easier than you might think. You’ll simply aim to eat a healthy balance of nutritious foods at mealtime. To strike a good balance, imagine a well-rounded meal with your plate divided into these portions:
- Put nonstarchy vegetables (like broccoli, carrots, and spinach) on half of your plate.
- Put lean protein (like chicken or turkey without the skin) on a quarter of your plate.
- Put healthy carbs (like starchy vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, or fruit) on the other quarter of your plate.
For instance, a healthy breakfast could look like scrambled eggs with sautéed spinach and nonfat Greek yogurt. In this example, eggs are the lean protein, spinach is the nonstarchy vegetable, and the yogurt is the healthy carb.
A healthy lunch could look like tuna fish on whole wheat bread with a side of kale salad. In this example, tuna is the lean protein, kale is the nonstarchy vegetable, and whole wheat bread is the healthy carb.
A healthy dinner could look like turkey meatloaf with mashed red potatoes and a green salad with orange slices and onion. Ground turkey is the lean protein, salad greens and onion are the nonstarchy veggies, and potatoes and oranges are the healthy carbs.
If you snack between meals, munch on a combo of protein, healthy fats, and fiber, with or without carbs. Some good choices are:
- Cheese or nuts with some fruit
- Guacamole or hummus with celery or carrots
- Peanut butter with celery sticks or apple slices
Skip sugary snacks such as candy bars, baked goods, and regular soda.
What Foods Should You Eat When Hypoglycemic?
As mentioned above, you should eat a quick high-carb snack to boost your blood sugar.
If you have diabetes, you can follow it up with a complex carb snack once your blood sugar is back in a healthy range. Complex carbs cause blood sugar to rise slowly and help keep your level stable. Some examples are:
- A slice of whole-grain bread
- One to two oat cakes with low-fat cheese
- Two tablespoons of raisins
- A small bowl of whole-grain cereal with low-fat milk
- A piece of fruit
What Foods Should You Not Eat with Hypoglycemia?
When you’re trying to quickly raise your blood sugar, don’t eat foods with lots of protein or fat. Some examples are:
- Candy bars
- Chocolate
- Ice cream
- Cookies
- Crackers
- Bread
- High-fat milk
Most often, high-fat or high-protein foods don’t have as much sugar as fast-acting carbs. And the sugar they have might be absorbed by your body more slowly.
Takeaways
Low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia, often happens in people with diabetes, but people without diabetes can get it too. For people with diabetes, hypoglycemia can result from eating too little food after taking diabetes medication, taking too much insulin or medication, exercising more than usual, and skipping meals. In people without diabetes, waiting too long to eat can cause a drop in blood sugar. If you’re living with diabetes and you get a bout of hypoglycemia, eat or drink 15 grams of carbohydrates (such as a tablespoon of sugar or half a cup of regular soda), wait 15 minutes, check your blood sugar levels, and repeat (if needed) until your level is at least 70 mg/dL. If you don’t have diabetes, have a quick high-carb snack (like an apple or banana) to help boost your blood sugar.
Hypoglycemia Diet FAQs
What illnesses can cause hypoglycemia?
Diabetes isn’t the only illness that can cause hypoglycemia. Some other conditions that can cause severe hepatitis or cirrhosis, serious infections, kidney disease, advanced heart disease, starvation, a rare tumor of the pancreas called insulinoma, and certain adrenal gland and pituitary tumor disorders.
What is the first organ affected by hypoglycemia?
Hypoglycemia may affect your brain first. Your brain is very sensitive to low blood sugar (glucose) levels because it needs glucose for energy. As blood sugar falls, your brain signals your adrenal glands, pancreas, and pituitary glands to release hormones that cause your liver to release glucose into your blood. If your blood sugar stays too low, your brain doesn’t get enough energy or oxygen. That could lead to dangers like confusion, seizures, or fainting.
What should a person eat in the morning for hypoglycemia without diabetes?
Have a small, well-rounded breakfast — for example, a lean protein (like eggs or nonfat Greek yogurt) paired with high-fiber foods (such as fruit, veggies, and a slice of whole wheat toast). The idea is to eat a mix of healthy foods that help keep your blood sugar steady.
What fruit is best for hypoglycemia?
There’s no single best fruit to boost your blood sugar. But some good choices are half a banana, one small apple, one small orange, half a cup of applesauce, two tablespoons of raisins, or 15 grapes.
