This is my tried & true list of THE BEST diabetic low snacks to store in your car that WON’T melt or freeze. …because breaking your tooth on a frozen skittle or drinking melted chocolate from a candy wrapper is no fun.

I didn’t realize how important having low snacks in my car was until I needed them.

I always thought that if I was in my car and had a low I could just drive to get a snack. but let me tell you… it is SO MUCH EASIER just to be able to reach into your center console, grab a bar, and continue on your way because:

• you might not always be super close to a store
• it might be after hours and everything’s closed
• Maybe you’re already running late
• Or the store doesn’t have great low snack options

Of course you can’t just throw any ‘ol low snack in the car center console. It needs to be heat resistant & cold resistant because car temperatures can be extreme.

Here’s a list of THE BEST diabetic low snacks to store in your car that won’t melt or freeze:

Honey packets are a great option for a few reasons:

FAST ACTING: Honey is mostly fructose, making it one of the fastest acting sugars.

LOW TEMPTATION: Unlike a cookie, you’re not likely to be tempted to casually snack on honey packets.

SMALL SIZE, BIG IMPACT: These honey packets are super small and compact, but pack a big sugar punch (12g per packet).

CLEAN INGREDIENTS: There’s only one ingredient - raw honey

Honey Packets I Use & Trust

If you’re looking for a BIG IMPACT low snack (as in, it has a lot of carbs), maple syrup packets are a MUST. Plus they have a few other things going for them:

FAST ACTING: Since maple syrup is a liquid, it hits your system FAST.

LOW TEMPTATION: You’re not likely to be tempted to just snack on maple syrup packets.

SMALL SIZE, BIG IMPACT: These maple syrup packets are super small and compact, but pack a big sugar punch (26g per packet).

CLEAN INGREDIENTS: There’s only one ingredient - maple syrup

Maple Syrup Packets I Use & Trust

Now we’re getting into the more tempting car low snacks: Fruit Leathers & Gummies. On multiple occasions I’ve reached for one of these not because I was low, but because they taste delicious. So, don’t say I didn’t warn you!

MEDIUM TEMPTATION: You may need to replace these more than honey packets or maple syrup packets because they’re just so dang good! And you’ll find yourself reaching for them even when you’re not low.

SMALL SIZE, BIG IMPACT: My favorite brand is Solely (mango flavor). Their fruit leathers are super slim and compact, but pack a big sugar punch (19g per leather).

CLEAN INGREDIENTS: There’s only one ingredient - organic mango

Fruit Leathers I Use & Trust

Bars are excellent to have on hand for a car low snacks because in addition to the sugar content, they typically have a decent fat & protein content which helps lock in your blood sugar - making it less likely to continue to dip.

MEDIUM TEMPTATION: You may need to replace these more frequently than other low snacks because not only will you find yourself reaching for them when you’re not even low, but your family might try to get their hungry hands on them too.

SMALL SIZE, BIG IMPACT: Bars are pretty compact and can pack anywhere from 10-30g of carbs per bar.

FAT & PROTEIN: Unlike the pure sugar low snacks mentioned above, bars are unique in the sense that they come with a decent fat & protein content which helps to stabilize blood sugar.

My Favorite Bars

Cashews are a low impact low snack, and great to have on hand because sometimes you only need a nudge, not a full blown 20g carbs to get out of low.

SMALL IMPACT: Cashews are a small impact low snack, which is great! It’s a good idea to have a mix of small impact and big impact low snacks to match whatever kind of low you’re having.

FAT & PROTEIN: Cashews have a good fat content and a bit of a protein content which helps to stabilize blood sugar and lock it in.

My Favorite Cashew Packs

Car low snacks come in handy, but the trick is getting the right ones because car temperature can be wild! The last thing we want to be doing while low is using our last 2 functioning brain cells to figure out how to ingest a frozen juice box 🙃

Check out other T1D stuff I stash in my car!

What’s your favorite car low snack? Share it in the comments!