Diabetes nutrition: Eating out when you have diabetes

Love to eat out? Here's how to make restaurant meals a healthy part of your overall plan for diabetes nutrition.

For some people, eating out is an occasional indulgence. For others, it's a way of life. Either way, moderate portions and careful choices can help you make restaurant meals part of your overall plan for diabetes nutrition.

Keep portion sizes in check

Large portions are the norm at many restaurants — but diabetes nutrition is often based on moderate portions. If the restaurant offers meals in several sizes, choose the smallest. Or get creative. Sometimes you can order a lunch-sized entree for dinner or a child-sized meal. You can also share meals with a dining partner or request a take-home container. You might even ask the server to put half the meal in a take-home container before it's served to you.

Make substitutions

Don't settle for what comes with your sandwich or meal. Instead of fries, choose a diabetes-friendly side salad or fruit bowl. Use fat-free or low-fat salad dressing rather than the regular variety. Ask for salsa with your burrito instead of shredded cheese and sour cream. On a sandwich, trade house dressings or creamy sauces for ketchup, mustard, barbecue sauce or fat-free mayonnaise.

Keep in mind that extras such as bacon bits, croutons and fried chips can sabotage diabetes nutrition goals by quickly increasing a meal's calorie and carbohydrate count. On the other hand, many healthy additions — including fat-free salad dressing, salsa, barbecue sauce and fat-free mayonnaise — count as "free foods." You can enjoy up to three small servings a day of these foods without adjusting your meal plan.

Speak with the chef

Food preparation is sometimes up for debate, too. Request food broiled, roasted or grilled, rather than breaded or fried. Ask if the chef can use low-cholesterol eggs, whole-grain bread or skinless chicken. If you're ordering pizza, request a thin crust and lots of vegetables. If you're on a low-salt meal plan, ask that no salt be added to your food.

Don't feel like you're stepping out of line if you request healthier options or substitutions. You're simply doing what it takes to stay committed to your meal plan.

Watch what you drink

A large soda may have hundreds of calories. Shakes and ice-cream drinks often have even more calories, as well as a day's worth of saturated fat. Instead, order diet soda, water, unsweetened iced tea, sparkling water or mineral water.

Alcohol has its own caveats. If your diabetes is under control and your doctor agrees, an occasional alcoholic drink with a meal is fine. But alcohol adds empty calories to your meal. It can also aggravate diabetes complications, such as nerve damage and eye disease. If you choose to drink alcohol, remember that light beer and dry wines have fewer calories and carbohydrates than do other alcoholic drinks. If you prefer mixed drinks, stick with sugar-free mixers — such as diet soda, diet tonic, club soda or seltzer.

Eat on time

Eating at the same time every day can help you maintain steady blood sugar levels — especially if you take diabetes pills or insulin shots. If you're eating out with others, schedule the gathering at your usual mealtime. To avoid waiting for a table, make a reservation or try to avoid times when the restaurant is busiest. If you can't avoid eating later than usual, snack on a fruit or starch serving from the meal at your usual mealtime.

Save room for dessert

When you have diabetes, dessert isn't necessarily off-limits. Sweets count as carbohydrates in your meal plan. If you'd like dessert, compensate by reducing the amount of other carbohydrates — such as bread, tortillas, rice, milk or potatoes — in your meal.

Remember the ground rules

Whether you're eating at home or eating out, remember the principles of diabetes nutrition. Eat a variety of healthy foods. Limit the amount of fat and salt in your diet. Keep portion sizes in check. And above all, follow the nutrition guidelines established by your doctor or registered dietitian. Working together, you can feed your joy of eating out without jeopardizing your meal plan.