Joann, is he on insulin or are you controlling by oral meds and/or diet?

I'm diabetic and I control primarily by a low carbohydrate diet but with his other issues he may be requiring carbs to get fast energy. Keep in mind that higher fiber food will probably be better for him so avoiding 'white' foods will benefit. Using brown rice, whole wheat or multi-grain breads and pastas, etc will stay in his system a bit longer and provide more nutrition which helps a person that has a decreased appetite. There is a great diabetic community that talks about different ways of getting into control, monitoring, recipes and support. I'll link it for you if you are interested. I don't believe you have register if you just wish to read.

Here is a link that might be useful: Diabetes Forums

Lynn, right now he is on insulin, only because of the meds he is on caused the diabetes. Hopefully when they are done he will be back to normal in that dept.
What is a good snack food?

He should probably have 4-6 smaller meals per day or at least make sure he has snacks 3-4 times a day. Some of my favorites are: almonds, walnuts, string cheese, celery with peanut butter, laughing cow cheese on high fiber crackers, dill pickles, raw veggies with ranch dip or hummus, sugar free jello (the small containers, NOT made from the box-that is too high carb, at least for me), a small apple with peanut butter on it. Any protein, zero carb food (meats, eggs, cheese) like slim jims and some jerky, but some of the flavored jerky has sugar in it.

I make a nut mixture using almonds, walnuts, peanuts, pecans and the traditional chex mix seasonings. It tastes great and satisfies my taste buds. If there is something I really want I have a bite of it, otherwise I will do myself in trying to find something to do so.

You should probably meet with a diabetes educator. Your clinic should have one. They are very well versed in teaching people what, when, and how to eat with a new diagnosis. Good luck, and welcome back.

I agree 100% get your doctor to provide a prescription for diabetes education classes for both of you, it really is a great way to learn about the disease and nutrition and how to deal with both. I really enjoyed going and learning about my disease.

I subscribe to this magazine their online site is great and has a nice selection of recipes

Diabetes Self-Management

I love jerky, I eat yogurt ( in fact at the diabetes school they instructed me to eat it at least once a day)
lots of various nuts
cheese sticks

Joann, I probably should have added to take into consideration what he is able to eat at present, does he have an appetite? You might also ask his physician about supplements that will not interfere with his cancer treatments and meds. I take Alpha Lipoic Acid Sustain, Cinnamon and a few others to help. Glucocil is a good substitute rolled into one pill.

Raven, I dare not even think about touching yogurt even tho my educator also recommended it. My BG levels shoot up immediately and stay there for well over 2 hours.

Nuts should be ok for a snack...not salted, of course.

I agree, ask your doctor and/or the hospital/medical center for help. Not just phamplets etc, but a one to one meeting. DH is a diabetic, but eats 'normal' food, insulin, also has COPD, but can and does eat anything. Eats very little sugar, does eat sweets, but that is his system.
Everyone is different.

Be sure to read all the fine print in the labels. Yogurt, for example, all the flavored ones are loaded with sugar. Ids there a flavored yogurt that uses artificial sweetener? So you have to buy plain yogurt. There's sneaky sugar in lots of items. Anything labeled as "low fat" tends to have extra sugar.

So take your reading glasses when you shop!

I am not diabetic but I have many friends who are. The ones who have been most successful at controlling their disease have gone through diabetic nutrition counseling.

I agree with those who gave that advice. Everyone has different needs.

I've been diagnosed with Diabetes type 2 for the last 15 years.

Get a diabetic cookbook to use as a guide.

For snacks, several raw vetables are ok - carrots, celery, lettuce, and cabbage. These are "chewy". Take time to chew well. It may take 30 minutes or more for your system to feel "fed".

If he is on a low carbohydrate diet and taking insulin, a sudden blood glucose low may occur. (I carry a few sugar candies for such emergencies.) If you find yourself going into low glucose shock, the remedy is one teaspoon of sugar or equivalent (For example, 4 to 5 standard sized life savers).