Tips For Eating Out With Diabetes

Eating out with diabetes doesn’t mean you have to miss out on delicious meals or fun social outings. With a little planning and a few smart choices, you can enjoy restaurant dining while keeping your blood sugar in check. Whether it’s scanning the menu for hidden sugars or asking for simple swaps, dining out can still be satisfying and stress-free. In this post, we’ll share some practical tips to help you navigate meals out with confidence — so you can focus on good food and great company.

Ordering Tips

Not everyone with diabetes has the same meal plan or the same nutrition goals. For some, cutting calories is most important. Others may need to limit saturated and trans-fat and salt and eat more foods high in fiber.

Work with your care team to identify your own goals. If you eat out a lot, go to restaurants that make it easier for you to follow your meal plan. If you have a choice in where to eat, ask yourself these questions to find the best place for you:

• Does the restaurant have a variety of choices?
• Does the restaurant allow substitutions without extra charges?
• Can two people split an entrée without an extra charge?
• Can I order dressing and sauces on the side?
• Can the food be prepared without extra butter or salt?

How to Order

Once you decide where you are going to eat, try some of these tips when ordering: 

• If you don’t know what’s in a dish or don’t know the serving size, ask.
• Try to eat the same portion as you would at home. If the serving size is larger, share some with your dining partner, or put the extra food in a container to go.
• Ask for fish or meat broiled with no extra butter or oil.
• Order your baked potato plain, then top it with a teaspoon of margarine or low-calorie sour cream, and/or vegetables from the salad bar.
• If you are eating less salt, ask that no salt be added to your food during cooking.
• Ask for sauces, gravy and salad dressings “on the side.” Try dipping your fork tines in the salad dressing, then spear a piece of lettuce. Or add a teaspoon of dressing at a time to your salad. You’ll use less this way.
• Order foods that are not breaded or fried. The breading adds carbohydrates, fat, and calories to the food. If the food comes breaded, peel off the outer coating.
• Ask the waiter not to serve bread to the table if it doesn’t fit into your meal plan.
• Read the menu creatively. Order a fruit cup for an appetizer or the breakfast melon for dessert. Instead of a dinner entree, combine a salad with a lower calorie appetizer.
• Ask for substitutions. Instead of French fries, request a double order of a vegetable like salad, green beans or broccoli. If you can’t get a substitute, just ask that the high-fat food be left off your plate.
• Ask for low-calorie items, such as salad dressings, even if they’re not on the menu. Vinegar and a dash of oil or a squeeze of lemon are a better choice than most full fat high-calorie salad dressings.
• If you would like to have an alcoholic drink, choose something without a high calorie mixer. Drinks like margaritas and daiquiris or drinks mixed with tonic, soda or juice have a lot of sugar and calories.
• Some restaurants will better meet your special needs if you phone ahead. When you make the reservation, ask if your food can be prepared with vegetable oil, low fat margarine, little salt, no extra sauce or butter, and broiled instead of fried. Or ask to see a copy of the menu in advance so that you know which items would work well with your meal plan.

Five Restaurants with Meals Under 500 Calories and 15 – 45 Carbs 

(For more choices visit eatthis.com)

1. Chipotle

• Chicken, Pinto Bean, Tomato Salsa and Fajita Veggie Salad, No Dressing 345 calories, 8.5 g fat (3g saturated fat), 390mg sodium, 32g carbs, 14.5 g fiber, 7 g sugar, 41 g protein

2. Panera

• Half Roasted Turkey and Avocado BLT and Half Classic Cafe Salad with Asian Sesame Vinaigrette 495 calories, 20 g fat (3.5 g saturated fat), 645 mg sodium, 35 g carbs, 5g fiber, 9 g sugar, 20 g protein

3. Red Lobster

• Live Maine Lobster Served with Corn on the Cob, Baby Gold Potatoes, and a Side Salad 420 calories, 5 g fat (1 g saturated fat), 1,500 mg sodium, 35 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 11 g sugar, 60 g protein

4. Outback Steakhouse

• Victoria’s 6 oz Filet Mignon with sides of Asparagus and House Salad 388 calories, 18.9 g fat (7 g saturated fat,0.7 g trans-fat), 15 g carbs, 5.2 g fiber, 42.7 g protein

5. Applebee's

• Pepper-Crusted Sirloin and Whole Grains 370 calories, 10 g fat (4 g saturated fat), 1,540 mg sodium, 43 g carbs, 6 g fiber, 5 g sugar, 28 g protein

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