Child Prediabetes: Signs, Symptoms & Blood Sugar Management

If you’ve been told by your doctor that your youngster’s blood sugars are higher than they should be, or if you have a strong instinct that your child experiences daily fluctuating blood sugar highs and ‘hangry’ lows, then the best thing you can do right now is work on what they eat and when they eat it.

Prediabetes is more prevalent than you think. A 2022 study looked at over 3,100 children and adolescents who were overweight or living with obesity. Prediabetes was found in around 14% of children in the under 10 age group, rising to around 25% in teens and preteens.

Slim children can also experience dysregulated blood sugar levels too – so what you see on the outside, might tell a completely different story on the inside. And you will read a story in this blog about sporty and slender twins who were both found to have very high blood sugar levels and were on the brink of prediabetes.

A child with poor blood sugar control may be unusually tired or sluggish, especially after meals, and may struggle to concentrate at school. They can become irritable or emotional seemingly out of nowhere and frequently ask for sugary snacks or drinks even shortly after eating. Headaches and dizziness are also common complaints. Some children may gain weight around their tummy despite not necessarily eating huge amounts, which is the body’s way of signalling that it is struggling to manage the highs and lows of blood sugar throughout the day.

The good news is that there is a great deal you can do through food and targeted nutritional support to help bring those blood sugar levels back into a healthier range. If your child’s blood sugars are running too high, here’s what you can start doing today.

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What is pre-diabetes?

Pre-diabetes in children (also referred to as non-diabetic hyperglycaemia or impaired glucose regulation) means that your child’s average blood glucose is running higher than it should, though not yet high enough to be classified as type 2 diabetes.

This is usually measured by a marker called HbA1c (Glycated Haemoglobin). HbA1c is a blood test that measures your average blood sugar (glucose) levels over the past 2–3 months. It’s one of the most important tests for diagnosing and managing diabetes. In the UK, a pre-diabetic HbA1c sits between 42 and 47 mmol/mol, and ideally this should lie be between 32 and 36 mmol/mol. Sometimes HbA1c is reported as a percentage: less than 5.7% is considered normal, 5.7-6.4% is considered prediabetic, and 6.5% or greater is considered type 2 diabetic.

When your child eats too much sugar or processed food, their body has to pump out extra insulin to deal with it, and this shows as raised insulin in a blood test. An elevated insulin level indicates the pancreas is working overtime to manage blood sugar after meals. Left unaddressed, this pattern can progress to prediabetes and then type 2 diabetes, but with the right nutritional and lifestyle foundations, many children see a real improvement in their blood sugar control.

The story of pre-diabetic twins

One family I worked with recently has lovely 9-year-old twins who look the picture of health from the outside – but they were getting very moody and irritable on waking and if a meal was running late. They are both slim, active and full of energy otherwise. But underneath, their blood tests told a very different story. Both came back with HbA1c levels of 42 and elevated insulin, which is on the prediabetes borderline. Their parents were, understandably, in complete shock, especially as there was no family history of diabetes.

When we looked at what they were eating every day, the pattern was very clear. They were having sugary cereal and fruit juice at breakfast, lemon drizzle cake and doughnuts regularly at school, and free access to a snack cupboard at home and whilst away on holiday. They were eating sugar galore, every single day.

The good news is, with targeted nutritional changes and some simple diet changes (we even got the school on board), within just four months both children had HbA1c readings of 39 and 38 respectively, and their insulin levels had fully normalised. We are aiming to get the HbA1C below 36 which is optimal and this is work in progress.

This is a story where early action makes all the difference and what can look like tiredness and mood swings on the surface, can be your child’s body asking for help with their blood sugars.

My toolkit to better blood glucose control

The foods your child is eating day to day play the single biggest role in how hard the pancreas has to work. Here are ways to help reduce the rollercoaster of blood sugar highs and lows:

Scrap the ultra-processed foods

I cannot stress this enough. Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) such as ready meals, breakfast cereals, crisps, sweets, fizzy drinks, shop-bought sauces and anything with a very long ingredients list are directly linked to insulin resistance and to an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, even in young people. Research involving children and adolescents living with obesity has shown that higher UPF consumption is directly associated with elevated insulin levels.

These foods are loaded with refined starches and added sugars that cause rapid spikes in blood glucose, forcing the pancreas into overdrive every single time your child eats them. The additives, emulsifiers and packaging chemicals found in UPFs have also been shown to increase insulin resistance through gut microbiome disruption and inflammation.

Removing them does not have to be dramatic or all at once. Start by crowding them out with better options and aim to reduce these foods to 20% of their diet.

Sweets, cakes and biscuits – do they have to go entirely?

Not necessarily. The key is to switch to versions made with blood-sugar-friendly ingredients. If your child loves something sweet, look for baking recipes that use eggs, nut butters, chickpea flour, black beans, yoghurt, oats, nuts, seeds or tahini as a base, and slightly lower-glycaemic sweeteners such as whole fruit or coconut sugar rather than refined white flour and refined sugar. These ingredients slow the release of glucose and provide protein and healthy fats alongside the sweetness.

Timing matters too. If your child is going to have something sweet, offer it at the end of a proper full meal rather than as a standalone snack. This is because when a sweet treat follows protein, fat and fibre, the blood glucose spike is significantly blunted because the digestive process is slowed. For instance, a biscuit eaten on an empty stomach sends blood sugar rocketing. The same biscuit after a protein-rich lunch has a far smaller effect.

Prioritise protein and healthy fats at every meal

This is probably the most powerful and practical change you can make. Research shows clearly that a protein-rich breakfast significantly reduces blood glucose variability throughout the day and into subsequent meals.

Getting your child into the habit of starting the day with eggs, natural yoghurt, smoked salmon, nut butter on sourdough toast, or a protein-packed porridge sets the blood sugar tone for everything that follows.

Healthy fats including oily fish, avocado, eggs, nuts, seeds, olive oil and full-fat dairy are great for slowing digestion, reducing glucose absorption and keeping your child fuller for longer. They also support the nervous system and reduce the inflammation that drives insulin resistance.

The goal at every meal is a plate that contains protein, fat and fibre from vegetables or pulses. Since my mother lived with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes, I have developed all my recipes around the principles of keeping blood sugars in check.

Smart snacking

If your child is hungry between meals and reaches for fruit, that is not a bad thing as fruit contains fibre, vitamins and antioxidants. But eaten alone, fruit will still raise blood sugar, particularly higher-sugar varieties like grapes, raisins, bananas and mangoes. The solution is simple and that is, always pair fruit with a protein.

Good pairings include an apple with a chunk of cheese, a banana with a small handful of almonds, berries stirred into full-fat plain yoghurt, or an orange with a boiled egg. At home you could also offer hummus, tahini or nut butter alongside fruit. (I appreciate nut butter is not permitted in most schools, so cheese, yoghurt, hummus, biltong or a boiled egg are the practical choices for their snack bag or lunchbox.)

The protein alongside the fruit slows the release of sugars from the fruit into the bloodstream, keeping blood glucose far more stable than if fruit is eaten on its own.

Add cinnamon

Cinnamon is one of the most researched spices when it comes to blood sugar regulation, and it is wonderfully easy to add to food. Studies show that cinnamon contains active compounds that promote insulin release, enhance insulin sensitivity and help regulate the glucose transporters that carry sugar into cells.

The easiest way to get cinnamon into your child’s day is to stir a teaspoon into their porridge at breakfast. Use protein-packed porridge, made with whole oats, a spoonful of nut butter, ground seeds, or a scoop of natural protein powder, topped with seeds and full-fat milk and the cinnamon adds both a comforting flavour and a blood-sugar benefit. You can also add it to natural yoghurt, smoothies or warming apple-based puddings or pancakes.

The priority nutrients

Beyond the food and eating changes in habits, here are three nutrients that stand out as particularly important for children with elevated blood sugars.

Omega -3 fatty acids

Omega-3 fatty acids (particularly EPA and DHA from oily fish) play a direct role in reducing the inflammation that can lead to insulin resistance. Research in obese children and adolescents has found that omega-3 supplementation significantly reduces blood glucose, fasting insulin and triglyceride levels (fats in the liver). Omega-3s also support the nervous system and brain health, which is especially relevant for growing children.

Signs your child might be low in omega-3 include dry skin or hair, rough, bumpy ‘chicken skin’ on the back of the upper arms (keratosis pilaris), excessive thirst and difficulty concentrating.

Food sources include oily fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines and trout, as well as walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseeds, hemp seeds and whole organic milk or omega-3-enriched-eggs. For most children with metabolic concerns, supplementing with a good-quality fish oil (or algae-based omega-3 for vegetarian or vegan families) is worth considering alongside the diet changes.

Magnesium

Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic processes in the body, and its role in blood sugar regulation is particularly important. Research has found that obese children with insulin resistance have significantly lower serum magnesium levels than their lean peers, and that low magnesium intake is associated with a high fasting insulin. A 2025 meta-analysis of seven studies involving 960 children confirmed that serum magnesium deficiency is significantly associated with both obesity and insulin resistance in kids, with those who are deficient being almost three times more likely to show signs of insulin resistance.

Magnesium supports the beta cells of the pancreas in secreting insulin properly, and a deficiency impairs insulin signalling at the cellular level, driving more entrenched insulin resistance in a vicious cycle.

Food sources of magnesium include dark leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, almonds, cashews, dark chocolate, avocado, bananas and whole grains. Supplementation with a well-absorbed form such as magnesium bisglycinate is often worth trying, particularly if your child’s diet has been heavy in ultra-processed foods, which are usually low in magnesium and can actually deplete the body of magnesium.

Chromium

Chromium is a trace mineral that plays a specific role in insulin regulation. It is an essential component of the glucose tolerance factor, which helps insulin bind to cell receptors and carry out its blood-sugar-lowering function effectively.

Studies have found that people with type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance have lower blood chromium levels than those without these conditions, and research shows that in response to a high refined carbohydrate diet, chromium is mobilised and then lost via the urine rather than being reabsorbed, creating a cycle of depletion with every spike in blood sugar. A study specifically in overweight children found that chromium supplementation improved insulin sensitivity and body composition, with benefits most apparent in pre-teen children.

Dietary sources of chromium include broccoli, green beans, whole grains, eggs, turkey and nuts. A supplement may be appropriate if they are not eating many of these foods.

What about exercise?

Even short bouts of movement after eating can significantly lower post-meal blood glucose by helping muscles take up glucose independently of insulin. Encourage your child to have a walk, a kick around in the garden or a dance in the kitchen after meals where possible. Regular physical activity also helps reduce inflammation and improve insulin sensitivity over time. This need not be formal exercise and any movement for at least 10 minutes counts.

Round up

Finding out that your child has a raised HbA1c or elevated insulin on a blood test is understandably worrying. Even seeing your child going through the rollercoaster of blood sugar highs and lows can be tough to witness. But this is a stage where nutritional and lifestyle changes can make a real difference to them.

Removing ultra-processed foods and replacing them with whole, unprocessed ingredients is the single most powerful step you can take. Prioritise protein and healthy fats at every meal, offer sweet treats at the end of meals rather than as standalone snacks, and always pair fruit with protein. Add cinnamon regularly, particularly at breakfast in a protein-rich porridge. Then work on building up the key nutrients such as omega 3, magnesium and chromium through food first, and consider supplementation if that’s not working.

This is where our NatureDoc clinical team really comes into their own. We are experienced in supporting children with metabolic concerns, including kids in a pre-diabetes state, and we can help you build a practical, personalised plan that works for your family. If you’d like to explore working with us, book a consultation with our team today. And if this blog has been helpful, please do share it with another parent who might need it.

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My child’s blood sugars are too high, what can I do?