18 Feb How Sweet It is…Helpful Hints for Leftover Valentine Candy
Look for sweet treats that won’t send the arrows on your CGM pointing skyward as if shot from Cupid’s bow.
Are you feeling the love this month? With boxes of chocolates, conversation hearts, cupcakes, and an abundance of darling and delicious confections, Valentine’s Day (and its aftermath) can be a somewhat daunting celebration for a child with type one diabetes (T1D). Most food centric holidays are.
As always, you will figure out what works for your child and family. Our philosophy? As long as Ellie eats treats in moderation and monitors her blood glucose regularly to help minimize the disruption in blood sugar control, Valentine’s Day continues to be one sweet holiday.
Now, what to do with all that candy… Hmmm. Here are a few helpful hints:
Take inventory. Divide candy into three categories:
- Treating lows
- Trading in
- Dosing as a treat
Treating lows — We like the convenience and portability of candy. It’s often easier to carry a few packets of Skittle, some Starburst squares, or a roll of Lifesavers than a juice box. Often candy that is packaged for classroom Valentine exchanges makes the ideal fast acting carb when we’re on the go. We love the small bags of Skittles that come in at 16/17 carbs per packet. We’ve even been known to check aisles of drugstores, grocery stories, and super centers when seasonal items (ie., Valentine’s Day candy!) are marked for clearance. We stock up on our fast acting carb supply (okay, stash).
Trading in — If it’s a challenge to dose; causes blood glucose spikes; or creates heartaches, hassles, or health issues, you can ask your child to swap the sweets for a coveted new toy, book, or experience (movies, indoor mini golf, etc.). We’ve taken the candy in a basket to a workplace breakroom and donated it to our local Ronald McDonald House (along with a more substantive meal). A special gift will last long after the candy is a distant memory.
Dosing as a treat — Chocolate lovers rejoice! This is your holiday! Hershey Kisses and Miniatures are perfectly portioned for a sweet treat that won’t send the arrows on your CGM pointing skyward as if shot from Cupid’s bow.
Despite its high sugar and carbohydrates, milk chocolate has a glycemic index of 42, and dark chocolate only has a glycemic index of 23, which is in the low range (below 55). This means the sugar is slow to be absorbed due to its high fat content. For this reason, never treat a low with chocolate. The added fiber in dark chocolate also slows the break-down of carbohydrates in the blood stream. You’ll stay low longer since it isn’t a fast-acting carb. In essence, chocolate is fine when dosing but not when treating a low. (Thanks to our friends at Beyond Type 1 for giving us the skinny on chocolate.)
As always, check nutrition labels, google carb counts, and/or use this handy Valentine Carb Cheat Sheet from Beyond Type 1.
Still struggling with striking a balance between celebrating the holiday and managing blood sugars? Build traditions that aren’t centered around sweets.
Use die cut hearts to decorate mirrors and doors, writing what you love, admire, and appreciate about your child/spouse/parent.
Leave little love notes hidden in books, dresser drawers, and pockets.
Hold a February family film festival and let each family member select a favorite movie to watch together each weekend throughout the month.
Give a coupon book. You love to receive your children’s homemade vouchers for hugs, breakfast in bed, etc., so why not gift coupons to children for things they enjoy…
- Skip a chore
- Choose the meal
- Stay up one hour past bedtime
- Breakfast date with Mom or Dad
- Select a board game or other favorite activity
Make something special. It doesn’t have to be elaborate. Pick up an old-fashioned paint by numbers, a clay pot and acrylic paint, a no sew blanket kit, or any other simple craft.
Play with your food!
- Cut red peppers into heart shapes
- Use a heart shaped cookie cutter on your whole wheat sandwich bread (adjust carb count for skipping the crusts)
- Slice red apples and anchor two slices together with peanut butter to make sweet, smiling lips
