I know this is pretty individual and what works for someone may not work for someone else, but just to get a starting place…what do you use for lows? This may be horrible to admit, but I have been very bad about consistently keeping things around for lows. I’ve never been lower than 50 between still being in the honeymoon period (so less insulin needs), and testing often. But with starting the Afrezza/using more Novolog recently, I know I need to have stuff on hand. So. Suggestions?
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Milk and tablets mostly. Juice boxes also but not as often.
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My go to are rolls of smarties and sweetarts—same ingredients as glucose tabs (dextrose) but cheaper, better size (for me anyway—I can easily stick a few rolls in my pocket, purse, wherever, have them stashed all over the place), and better tasting than glucose tabs.
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Almost anything with sugar works. My suggestion may sound silly, but I’m serious about this:
Whatever your favorite thing was from pre-diabetic days, the sugary treat you used to love to eat when you didn’t have to worry about your blood sugar…get some of that, and enjoy it when the occasion arrives!
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Soooo sour trolli gummy worms? 
When I first realized I was having trouble with candy, I was pregnant and eating those every night. The half eaten bag stayed by my bed for a depressing number of months before I threw them away.
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Lows are a time to spoil yourself! View it as “treat time”.
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Swedish fish are very robust (Handle both the heat and cold well) and tasty. The full size fish are 5 carbs each, and the mini-fish are 2 carbs each. Easy to dose for.
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For garden-variety lows, I don’t object to glucose tabs. I’ve been eating them in some form or another for so long. Depending on what my CGM is showing about speed of drop, and depending when I’ll next be eating, I may add a cookie or two.
For lower lows, a tablespoon of table sugar or a swig of honey or corn syrup. Lower than that and the Coke comes out, poured into a tumbler and stirred to get the bubbles out because I hate the stuff. If I’m not at home and I’ve emptied my tube of glucose tabs, then it’s into the nearest store for OJ or chocolate milk or some such.
And if I’m lucky enough to be shaking and sweaty and I can’t speak very loudly, I get to crack open a Cadbury’s Creme egg, which I hoard every Easter like a squirrel. They’re revoltingly over-the-top if you’re not low, but when you are, oh my goodness they’re satisfying. And they work fast!
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Glucose tabs are the best default. They don’t go bad and they don’t melt. They are 4 carbs per tab. They are also boring. We always have these to fall back on. You can have a 5-year stockpile of these.
Apple juice is nice because it is pretty concentrated carbs. The juice boxes are very portable and come in the two sizes. For in the house it is very easy to pour different amounts of AJ (from regular 1/2 gal container) depending on the low.
Starbursts and Peanut M&Ms are also a nice change. I find a small amount of Starburst or M&M to be great slowing down a “fall” and trying to hit your target with a smooth landing. And thereby avoid the low which might then need more carbs. But these melt easy.
For a mild low, a bowl of ice cream is a nice and slow boost.
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Yeah - forgot about that. A cup of tea with a spoon of sugar often times works really good.
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@Pianoplayer7008 WORD!
@Eric and I have beaten this one to death. Long before there were glucose tabs or injectable glucagon, there was delicious junk food. When you are low that is your opportunity to indulge. Think of it as a reward for putting up with diabetes.
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Tea?! No, no, no. You get the sugar on the spoon and then you slowly drizzle whipping cream over it so the sugar soaks up the cream. Then you enjoy. Then you run around the block and go low so you can do it all over again. [kidding] [about the running, not the cream, I never kid about cream]
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They certainly are. I opened a tin of them once and gosh, the reek! I thought they’d rotted in the can, but my half-Swedish partner said no, that’s what lutefisk are like. I guess they would scare anyone’s blood glucose into normal range.
Oh … you meant those Swedish fish …
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@Eric and @docslotnick, I definitely used the treat philosophy with my minor lows (50s-60s) while pregnant. Ice cream bars, mmmmm.
Thanks for all of the suggestions! Now I want some Starburst, @Thomas. 
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Haribo gummy bears (4-6 of them work quickly and taste great).
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Gummy bears are what I’ve been using lately (dipping into my toddler’s “stash” lol)!
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I get jellie bellies at costco, 4 lbs, usually on sale around Easter. Then fill the empty glucose tabs bottles or tubes and keep in various rooms in the house. I also fill old RX containers for putting in waist packs, pockets, etc to take when I go out. Also keep several RX bottles in bedroom, under pillow or on table.
Much cheaper than glucose tabs and better tasting.
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Oh, I’d forgotten about jelly beans! It’s obviously been a while since I’ve eaten candy (whoa, almost a year…).
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@Pianoplayer7008, we also use Skittles along with Jelly beans as portable and accurate candy: each is almost exactly 1 gram (20 skittles = 20 grams, but 30 skittles = 31 grams).
We have a preference for Skittles because Jellybeans seem to melt a little more with heat and also do not come out as smoothly out of Dex4 tubes because they can get crushed and stick to the walls of the tube.
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Ditto this. At least, that’s what I did until the smarties rolls started to fall apart. Also, for some reason I was requiring several rolls at a time, so I’ve switched to skittles. Currently using old strip containers to hold several in my pdm case, though I’d rather have something with more volume.
@michel, what’s this? I’d be interested.
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