What You Need To Know About Diabetes Management And PB2: According To A Dietitian
Managing diabetes requires attention to countless details—monitoring blood sugar levels, timing medications, planning meals, and staying active. With so many factors to juggle, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the daily decisions that impact your health. But what if one simple dietary strategy could help stabilize your blood sugar, support weight management, and make portion control more manageable? If this sounds too good to be true, keep reading!
Once again, we’ve teamed up with Registered Dietitian and PB2 Foods partner, Amanda Holtzer, to provide valuable insights about how protein powder—specifically PB2 Performance Protein—can become a powerful tool in diabetes management. “Protein is an essential nutrient for diabetics and non-diabetics alike. It is one of the three necessary macronutrients,” Amanda explains. “Protein contributes to several major functions in the body, including muscle growth and repair, catalyzing chemical reactions, maintaining skin integrity, and more.”
However, protein’s most significant benefit for people with diabetes relates to blood sugar regulation and how your body processes carbohydrates .“Protein is an especially important part of a diabetic diet because of its impact on blood sugar,” Amanda notes.
Three Ways Protein Powder Benefits People with Diabetes
Given protein's powerful role in blood sugar stabilization, it's worth understanding more about the specific ways protein powder can support your diabetes management goals. Amanda identifies three key advantages, each addressing common challenges people face.
1) Supporting Better Portion Control
One of the biggest struggles in managing diabetes is controlling portions without feeling constantly hungry or deprived. This is where protein powder’s satiating properties become invaluable.
“Including a source of protein, such as protein powder, can help to moderate one’s intake of carbohydrates. This is because protein is a very satiating nutrient,” Amanda explains. She illustrates with a comparison: “If you were to eat 1 apple, you might be reaching for a second snack shortly after, because an apple does not contain protein. However, if you were to eat an apple plus ½ cup of Greek yogurt mixed with a scoop of PB2 Performance Protein Powder with Vanilla, now you’ve added about 20 grams of protein to make this snack much more filling and long-lasting.”
When your snacks and meals include adequate protein, you naturally feel fuller for extended periods, making it easier to avoid the blood sugar rollercoaster that comes from frequent snacking on carbohydrate-only foods. Amanda offers a straightforward guideline to take advantage of this helpful benefit with ease: “A good rule of thumb for diabetics—whenever you’re eating a source of carbohydrates, include a source of protein along with it.”
2) Stabilizing Blood Sugar Levels
The blood sugar benefits of protein powder extend beyond just slowing digestion. “Including protein powder can also have a positive effect on blood sugar. It can help to slow down the digestion of food, thus making the blood sugar rise and fall at a much slower, steadier rate,” Amanda notes.
Using her previous example, she explains the difference: “If you were to eat an apple for a snack, the post-snack rise and fall of blood sugar would be relatively quick since apples don’t contain protein or fat. However, by including the Greek yogurt and PB2 Performance protein powder, those additional 20 grams of protein will help to slow down the digestion of the carbohydrates in the apple.”
This slower, steadier blood sugar pattern is exactly what people with diabetes aim to achieve. It reduces the spikes and crashes that can make you feel unwell and, over time, contributes to better overall glucose control as measured by metrics like Hemoglobin A1c.
3) Supporting Weight Management Goals
Many people with Type 2 diabetes are also working toward weight loss goals, and protein powder can be a helpful ally in this journey. “Protein powder can be a great supplement while on a weight loss journey,” Amanda explains. “Remember—protein is a slow-digesting nutrient, meaning it helps keep us fuller longer. When trying to lose weight, it’s important to feel full and satiated throughout the day.”
This sustained fullness helps prevent the overeating that often occurs when blood sugar drops too low or when meals lack adequate protein. By keeping hunger at bay without excessive calories, protein powder supports a caloric deficit while maintaining muscle mass during weight loss. And preserving muscle mass is crucial because muscle tissue is metabolically active—meaning it burns calories even at rest and helps maintain insulin sensitivity.
When you lose muscle during weight loss, your metabolism slows down, making it harder to maintain weight loss long-term and potentially worsening insulin resistance.
By ensuring adequate protein intake through sources like PB2 Performance with Cocoa, you protect your muscle tissue while losing fat, supporting both your weight management goals and your overall metabolic health.
Choosing the Right Protein Powder for Managing Diabetes
Not all protein powders are created equal, especially when you’re managing diabetes. Amanda provides clear criteria for selection: “When choosing a protein powder, you want to keep an eye out for a couple of things—protein, carbohydrate and sugar content.”
Her specific recommendations: “You want to choose a protein powder that contains at least 15-20 grams of protein per serving. Further, you want to choose a protein powder with a moderate carbohydrate content (5-20 grams) and a low sugar content (0-5 grams).”
This is where PB2 Performance Protein Powder stands out. “A protein powder I recommend is PB2 Performance Protein—this contains 20 grams of protein, 17 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of sugar per portion,” Amanda notes. These numbers hit the sweet spot for diabetes management, providing substantial protein without excessive sugar or carbohydrates that could complicate blood sugar control.
We are proud to offer PB2 Performance in multiple flavors, including Peanut Protein with Cocoa, Peanut Protein with Madagascar Vanilla, and Almond Protein with Madagascar Vanilla, because everyone should be allowed to add variety to their routine without compromising their diabetes management or nutritional goals!
Protein Powder and Diabetes Medications
If you’re taking medications like Metformin for diabetes management, you might wonder how protein powder or changing your diet still fits into your treatment plan. “Metformin is a medication used to treat diabetes and gestational diabetes. It functions by decreasing the amount of sugar produced by the liver and by improving the body’s response to insulin,” Amanda explains.
However, she emphasizes an important point: “While Metformin is a very effective drug for diabetes management, it is not a cure-all. It’s important to maintain a healthy diet rich in lean protein, fiber-filled carbohydrates, and healthy fats.” This is where protein powder, like PB2 Performance, complements rather than replaces medical treatment. “Protein powder can be a super helpful supplement to ensure adequate protein intake while on a medication like Metformin,” Amanda states. Think of it as supporting your medication’s effectiveness through proper nutrition rather than expecting diet or medication alone to do all the work.
And here's another encouraging fact that deserves emphasis: "It's important to note—prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes are both preventable and reversible conditions," Amanda states. "It is absolutely possible to prevent and/or improve or reverse diabetes with nutrition, movement, and medical management."
The key to achieving these outcomes remains the same. "To do so, one must prioritize stabilizing the blood sugar, which can help to lower Hemoglobin A1c (long-term reading of blood sugar). And as we’ve seen, protein can help do just that."
Practical Ways to Add Protein to Your Day
Strategic protein intake isn't just about managing symptoms or supporting your medication—it's about potentially transforming your health trajectory, for life! But we’ve saved the best for last—because in most cases, you don't need a complete diet overhaul to start seeing results. Small, consistent dietary changes that are easier than you might think can add up to significant health improvements over time.
Whether you're looking for a quick breakfast, a satisfying snack, or even just a treat that supports your blood sugar goals, there are countless ways to incorporate this diabetes-friendly protein source into your routine. Begin by replacing a single meal, snack, or dessert per day with one of these easy recipes and slowly add in more as you start to build up a new go-to list of high-protein options.
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Protein Peanut Butter Yogurt Parfait Made with PB2 Performance Peanut Protein with Cocoa, this parfait balances protein, probiotics, and rich chocolate-peanut flavor to keep you satiated throughout the morning start and to start your day with stable blood sugar. |
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Yes, you can enjoy treats while managing diabetes! Rich, fudgy satisfaction can still be yours, courtesy of PB2 Performance Peanut Protein with Cocoa. These protein brownies are perfectly portioned, easy to make and deliciously chocolate-y! |
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Whenever you need a little satisfying crunch, this granola will be waiting. PB2 Performance Almond Protein with Vanilla helps keep blood sugar balanced as you savor this recipe alone, sprinkled over yogurt, or served with low-sugar whipped topping. |
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High-Protein Healthy Peanut Butter Banana Muffins Instead of a store-bought snack cake or drive-thru pastry in your lunchbox, these PB2 Performance Peanut Protein with Cocoa muffins combine whole grains, fruit, and protein for an awesome anytime snack that's an exceptional example of the stable blood sugar trifecta! |
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Cinnamon and Blueberry Overnight Oats Prepare these single servings the night before for grab-and-go mornings when time is tight, but blood sugar management can’t be compromised! All you need are a few simple ingredients and a little PB2 Performance Almond Protein with Vanilla. |
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Strawberry Almond Oatmeal Smoothie Bowl Combines the creaminess of PB2 Performance Almond Protein with Vanilla with heart-healthy oats for a breakfast or post-dinner sweet treat that still feels indulgent while also upholding your diabetes management nutrition plan. |
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If you have yet to get on the “smoothie bowl” train, consider this your ticket to hop aboard! Our peanut-buttery take on this nutrient-dense trend offers a more substantial smoothie experience you can eat with a spoon—delivering PB2 Performance with Cocoa protein and fiber that supports steady glucose levels. |
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Brownie Batter Protein Oatmeal This warm, comforting bowl turns ordinary oatmeal into a chocolate lover's dream—thanks to PB2 Performance Peanut Protein with Cocoa! Modify the optional toppings of banana slices, drizzle of PB2, or a square of dark chocolate, depending on your sugar intake goals. |
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Almond Apple Pie Smoothie Bowl Bring classic, dessert-inspired apple-cinnamon flavors to your diabetes management routine—with a little help from PB2 Performance Almond Protein with Vanilla. This bowl proves healthy eating doesn't mean sacrificing taste. |
Managing diabetes successfully requires consistency across multiple areas—nutrition, movement, medical management, and monitoring. Protein powder isn’t a magic solution, but it is a practical tool that addresses real challenges people with diabetes face daily. By incorporating PB2 Performance Protein into your weekly diet, you’re encouraging stable blood sugar, better satiety, and more sustainable eating patterns. Combined with the other pillars of diabetes care, these small nutritional upgrades can contribute to meaningful improvements in how you feel day-to-day and in your long-term health markers.
Remember Amanda’s encouraging words: Type 2 diabetes and prediabetes are preventable and reversible conditions. With the right nutritional strategies—including smart protein choices like PB2 Performance Protein—you have powerful tools at your disposal for supporting your health!
