When your blood sugar drops below 70 mg/dL, you need 15 grams of fast-acting carbohydrates right away. That means simple sugar your body can absorb quickly, not a full meal or a snack bar. The goal is to get glucose into your bloodstream within minutes, then follow up with something more substantial to keep levels stable.
The 15-15 Rule
The standard approach to treating a blood sugar low is called the 15-15 rule: eat 15 grams of fast-acting carbs, wait 15 minutes, then check your blood sugar again. If it’s still under 70 mg/dL, repeat with another 15 grams. Keep going until your levels return to your target range.
Any of these will give you roughly 15 grams of carbohydrate:
- 3 glucose tablets (the fastest, most precise option)
- Half a cup (4 ounces) of fruit juice or regular soda
- 1 tablespoon of sugar or honey
- 6 or 7 hard candies
Glucose tablets are worth keeping in a bag, car, or nightstand because they’re pre-measured and won’t expire quickly. Juice boxes are another convenient option since they come in predictable serving sizes. Young children typically need less than 15 grams per round, so check with their pediatrician for the right amount.
What Not to Eat During a Low
When your blood sugar is dropping, your instinct might be to grab a candy bar or a spoonful of peanut butter. Both are poor choices in the moment. Fat, fiber, and protein all slow digestion, which means they delay how quickly sugar reaches your bloodstream. A chocolate bar, for instance, contains enough fat to significantly slow glucose absorption. The same goes for peanut butter cups or trail mix.
Save those foods for after you’ve brought your levels back up. During the acute low, you want pure, simple sugar with as little fat or fiber as possible.
The Follow-Up Snack
Once your blood sugar is back in range, eat a small snack or meal that pairs carbohydrates with protein. The fast-acting sugar you just consumed will burn off quickly, and without a follow-up, your levels can drop again within the hour.
Good follow-up options include:
- A slice of toast with peanut butter
- Crackers with cheese
- A handful of pretzels with hummus
- A small turkey or peanut butter sandwich
- Greek yogurt with a piece of fruit
The protein slows the release of glucose from the carbohydrate, creating a more gradual, sustained rise instead of a spike and crash.
Preventing Lows at Night
Nighttime blood sugar drops are especially concerning because you’re asleep and may not notice symptoms. If you take insulin or certain diabetes medications, a bedtime snack can act as a buffer. The ideal bedtime snack combines carbohydrate, protein, fat, and a bit of fiber to provide a slow, steady release of glucose over several hours.
The Mayo Clinic suggests options like a tablespoon of peanut butter with celery, or a hard-boiled egg. A small bowl of cereal with milk, toast with peanut butter, or popcorn with almonds also work well. The key is keeping it modest in size but balanced enough to carry you through the night.
When Someone Can’t Eat or Drink
Severe hypoglycemia can cause confusion, seizures, or loss of consciousness. If someone is too disoriented to chew and swallow safely, do not put food or liquid in their mouth. They could choke. This is when glucagon becomes essential. Glucagon is a prescription medication that raises blood sugar rapidly, and it’s available as a nasal spray or an auto-injector that can be used by a family member, coworker, or anyone nearby. The nasal spray delivers a dose into one nostril with no inhalation required. If there’s no response after 15 minutes, a second dose can be given.
Anyone at risk for severe lows should keep glucagon accessible, and the people around them should know where it is and how to use it.
Eating Patterns That Prevent Lows
If you experience frequent blood sugar drops, whether you have diabetes or not, the way you eat throughout the day matters as much as what you grab during an episode. Reactive hypoglycemia, where blood sugar dips a few hours after eating, is common even in people without diabetes. The dietary strategy is the same in both cases: prevent the spike-and-crash cycle.
Eat every 3 to 4 hours. If you’re actively having symptoms, you may need to eat every 2 hours until things stabilize. Every meal and snack should include protein alongside carbohydrates. Eggs, cheese, nuts, yogurt, beans, fish, and meat all work. A breakfast of Greek yogurt with fruit and granola, or an egg and cheese sandwich, sets a much more stable foundation than cereal alone or a glass of juice.
Sugary foods eaten by themselves are one of the biggest triggers. A soda, a piece of candy, or even a large glass of juice on an empty stomach causes blood sugar to spike fast, then crash. If you do eat something sweet, have it with a balanced meal so the protein and fat slow absorption. Alcohol increases the risk of hypoglycemia as well, especially on an empty stomach. If you drink, eat something substantial beforehand.
Hypoglycemia Unawareness
Some people who take insulin or certain oral diabetes medications gradually lose the ability to feel when their blood sugar is dropping. This is called hypoglycemia unawareness. Instead of noticing shakiness or sweating at 65 or 70 mg/dL, they may feel nothing until levels reach the 50s, at which point confusion or impaired coordination may already be setting in.
If this sounds familiar, a continuous glucose monitor can be a significant safety tool. It tracks levels around the clock and alerts you when glucose drops below a set threshold, even while you sleep or drive. Keeping fast-acting carbs within reach at all times, in your car, at your desk, in your bag, becomes especially important when you can’t rely on your body’s warning signals.