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Diabetes nutrition: Eating out when you have diabetes
Speak with the chef
Food preparation is also something to consider. Avoid breaded and fried food. Instead request that your food be:
- Broiled
- Roasted
- Grilled
Ask if the chef can use:
- Low-cholesterol eggs
- Whole-grain bread
- Skinless chicken
If you're ordering pizza, request a thin crust and lots of vegetables. Avoid doubling up on cheese or meat. If you're on a low-salt meal plan, ask that no salt or MSG 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
Avoid high-calorie drinks
Beware of the continuously refilled soda glass. Sugar-sweetened soda can add hundreds of calories to your meal. Shakes and ice-cream drinks often have even more calories, as well as saturated fat. Instead, order diet soda, water, unsweetened iced tea, sparkling water or mineral water.
When alcohol can worsen your diabetes
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 decide to drink alcohol
If you choose to drink alcohol, choose options with fewer calories and carbohydrates such as:
- Light beer
- Dry wines
- Mixed drinks made with sugar-free mixers, such as diet soda, diet tonic, club soda or seltzer
Limit alcohol to no more than two drinks a day if you're a man and one drink a day if you're a woman.
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, follow these tips:
- 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 upcoming 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.
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- Healthy eating. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/prevention/checkup-america/healthy-eating.html. Accessed Sept. 29, 2010.
- Table tips. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/eating-out/table-tips.html. Accessed Sept. 29, 2010.
- Dining on time. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/eating-out/dining-on-time.html. Accessed Sept. 29, 2010.
- The fast-food challenge. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/eating-out/the-fast-food-challenge.html. American Diabetes Association. Accessed Sept. 29, 2010.
- Alcohol. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/alcohol.html. Accessed Sept. 29, 2010.
- Sweeteners and desserts. American Diabetes Association. http://www.diabetes.org/food-and-fitness/food/what-can-i-eat/sweeteners-and-desserts.html?print=t. Accessed Oct. 1, 2010.
- Delahanty LM, et al. Nutritional considerations in type 2 diabetes mellitus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Oct. 1, 2010.
- Collazo-Clavell ML (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Oct. 10, 2010.
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