28 Popular Restaurant Dishes That Are Great For Diabetics
Dining out with diabetes Contrary to popular belief, a diabetes diagnosis doesn't mean you have to spend your days eating flavorless fare. It's completely possible to enjoy delicious food—even at a restaurant, as long as you know exactly what to order, how it's prepared, and what an appropriately sized portion looks like. Since not everyone with diabetes has the same meal plan or health goals, we set out to create the most comprehensive list of diabetes-friendly restaurant dishes, whether you're cutting calories or keeping salt, carbs, or fats to a minimum. Read on for nutritionist-approved orders from Chinese and Italian restaurants, delis, smoothie shops, and other popular eateries. Plus, don't forget to be on the lookout for these menu words to avoid. At American restaurants: Turkey burger with steamed broccoli When you're dining at your local sports bar or diner, Isabel Smith, MS, RD, CDN, says that a turkey burger is the way to go. "Remove the top bun, which doesn't typically contain much fiber and swap fries for a green veggie. This will add fiber to your meal and help slow blood sugar spikes and promote satiety," she explains. Here's how to get more fiber in your diet. At American restaurants: Beef burger with a salad If you prefer a beef burger, Smith suggests pairing one with a salad (sorry, no fries) and a vinegar-based dressing on the side. Ditch the top bun to keep empty carbs off your plate and say "no thanks" to cheese to keep excess salt and fat to a minimum. At American restaurants: Filet mignon Feeling fancy? Order a filet with a sweet potato and side of non-starchy vegetables such as spinach or broccoli, suggests Miriam Jacobson, RD, CDN. "Sometimes a steak can be the healthiest item on the menu. Just beware of portion sizes. It should be the size of Continue reading >>
The Restaurant For People With Diabetes
CONTRAVE® (naltrexone HCI/bupropion HCl) is a prescription weight-loss medicine that may help adults with obesity (BMI greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2), or who are overweight (BMI greater than or equal to 27 kg/m2) with at least one weight-related medical condition, lose weight and keep the weight off. CONTRAVE should be used along with diet and exercise. One of the ingredients in CONTRAVE, bupropion, may increase the risk of suicidal thinking in children, adolescents, and young adults. CONTRAVE patients should be monitored for suicidal thoughts and behaviors. In patients taking bupropion for smoking cessation, serious neuropsychiatric adverse events have been reported. CONTRAVE is not approved for use in children under the age of 18. Stop taking CONTRAVE and call a healthcare provider right away if you have any of the following symptoms, especially if they are new, worse, or worry you: thoughts about suicide or dying; attempts to commit suicide; depression; anxiety; feeling agitated or restless; panic attacks; trouble sleeping (insomnia); irritability; aggression, anger, or violence; acting on dangerous impulses; an extreme increase in activity and talking (mania); other unusual changes in behavior or mood. Do not take CONTRAVE if you have uncontrolled high blood pressure; have or have had seizures; use other medicines that contain bupropion such as WELLBUTRIN, APLENZIN or ZYBAN; have or have had an eating disorder; are dependent on opioid pain medicines or use medicines to help stop taking opioids such as methadone or buprenorphine, or are in opiate withdrawal; drink a lot of alcohol and abruptly stop drinking; are allergic to any of the ingredients in CONTRAVE; or are pregnant or planning to become pregnant. Before taking CONTRAVE, tell your healthcare provider ab Continue reading >>
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The 14 Best Restaurant Meals For Diabetics
The 14 Best Restaurant Meals For Diabetics Don't let your diabetes get in the way of dining out. The 14 Best Restaurant Meals For Diabetics Don't let your diabetes get in the way of dining out. Breaking news: you dont need to fret about your blood sugar spiking when you eat out! The team at Eat This, Not That! has got the 4-1-1 on the healthiest meals diabetics can order. If you have Type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) or Type 2 DM, eating out can be a struggle. For example, you may not be as willing to sample an appetizer, or order that bowl of pasta because youre not sure how many grams of carbs are hidden between each twirl of noodles. And dessert? Forget about it. Theres probably way too much sugar for your pancreas to handle. Enough is enough. Youre allowed to indulge and order that carby dish youve been craving for since yesterday. All you need to do is a little bit of research before tackling the menu. The best news of all is youre not alone. According to the CDC, 29.1 million people have diabetes in the United Statesthats 10% of the entire population. Fortunately, Type 2 DM may be reversible if you eat a variety of fruits, vegetables, grains, and lean protein while avoiding processed foods. Until then, here are a handful of diabetic-friendly meals you can order from your favorite restaurants. And make sure to read up on the 15 Secret Diabetes Remedies for more helpful tips on how you can manage your Type 2 Diabetes. Noodles and Companys Med Salad with Chicken Nutrition: 370 calories, 15 g fat (5 g saturated fat), 1,460 mg sodium, 33 g carbs (4 g fiber, 6 g sugar), 27 g protein Full disclosure here: Above are the nutrition facts for the full size dish, and this salad contains both noodles and cheese for a total of only 33 grams of carbs. Shoutout to Noodles and Compan Continue reading >>
Dining Out With Diabetes: Mexican Restaurants
Let’s face it, eating out is something we all like to do. It’s relaxing, convenient, and fun to let someone else worry about what to cook. For people with diabetes, it’s important to keep an eye on your plate – whether you’re at home or at a restaurant. It can be a challenge to find healthy options, but it’s not impossible. Mexican Dining: Learn the Language Should you order the Grande Chicken Taco Salad or the Chicken Fajita Salad? Or maybe you should you try the Chimichanga? The salads basically sound the same, right? No, not exactly. Both of the salads, from On the Border, are made with chicken and lettuce, but one of them comes in a big (grande) taco shell. The Grande Chicken Salad has about 1280 calories and 75 grams of carbs, while the Fajita Chicken Salad has about 750 calories and 25 grams of carbs. The fried tortilla shell makes a big difference in calories! Otherwise, a chicken salad with veggies and even beans is a healthy meal option. Chimichangas (1350 calories and 130 grams of carbs), along with their smaller relatives empandas and taquitos, are deep fried tortillas that are filled with meat, cheese, and some veggies. They can be much higher in calories, carbs, and fats than regular tacos and burritos. At Taco Bell, the Gordita (Spanish for “little fat one”) is wrapped in a thicker pita-style tortilla, which has 340 calories and 30 grams of carbs vs 200 calories and 15 grams of carbs in a regular crunchy taco. Avoid items with mega, grande, double-decker or supreme in their names – you will usually end up with at least 100 more calories per serving than the regular version. Familiarize yourself with descriptions of entrees before you order, as this way you can avoid extra calories and carbs. The Icing on the Taco Toppings at Mexican resta Continue reading >>
Eating At Restaurants With Diabetes
How to keep your blood sugar in check when dining out. By the dLife Editors Going out to eat is fraught with challenges for people who need to watch their blood sugar. There’s the giant portion size issue, the unknown ingredients, and the “special-occasion effect.” That’s the way we tell ourselves it’s ok to make unhealthy choices on special occasions. Our idea of what constitutes a special occasion is pretty subjective. Here are some tips on making d-friendly choices in restaurants, by type of cuisine. What to Order at Italian Restaurants Italian restaurants can be full of high-carbohydrate foods like bread, pasta, pizza, risotto, and gnocci. Many of these combine refined carbs with processed meats like sausage and pepperoni, and batters or breading (think eggplant Parmesan or fried mozzarella). Things you can do: Ask your server to skip the bread basket for your table. If you’re going to splurge and have pasta, ask for it as a side dish and don’t eat more than the size of your fist. That’s one cup of pasta, or about 45 grams of carbohydrate. Order unbreaded chicken or veal baked with sauces like piccata, marsala, puttanesca, francese, or cacciatore. Other good choices include: Caesar salad with grilled or baked fish, escarole and beans, and minestrone soup. What to Order at Mexican Restaurants Mexican food can be full of carbohydrates with large portions of rice, beans, and tortillas. Things you can do: At the very least, limit portion sizes. Ask to have half your plate wrapped to go before you even start eating. Skip the rice; ask for black beans or salad in its place. If you love chips and salsa, take a handful and then ask for the basket to be removed from the table. Order soft chicken or fish tacos and eat the fillings with a fork, skipping the tor Continue reading >>
8 Best Fast Food Options For Diabetics
When it comes to your diabetes care, you know the importance of eating to keep both your blood sugar and weight balanced. Since fast-food restaurants often serve products full of sugar and saturated fat, it is best to stay away from them. However, if you find yourself without many dining options, it is good to know what diabetic-friendly choices are offered by these chains. Check out this list of the best fast-food options for diabetics. Complete nutrition facts including carb counts for the recommended items are available in the restaurants themselves or on their websites. nutrition diet You Might Also Like Continue reading >>
Tips For Dining Out With Diabetes
Two of the best tips you can use at restaurants are to watch the salt and cut the portions. Experts recommend that people with diabetes get only 1,500 milligrams of sodium daily. That's less than a teaspoon. These course-by-course tips will help: Appetizers Choose fresh fruit or vegetables. Avoid soups and broths. Stay away from bread and rolls with salty, buttery crusts. Salads Avoid pickles, canned or marinated vegetables, cured meats, seasoned croutons, cheeses, and salted seeds. Order salad dressings on the side, and use small amounts of them. Main courses Choose plain foods including broiled, grilled, or roasted meat, poultry, fish, or shellfish. Select plain vegetables, potatoes, and noodles. Ask your server about the low-salt menu choices, and ask how the food is prepared. Ask for food to be cooked without salt or monosodium glutamate (MSG). Avoid restaurants that do not allow for special food preparation (such as buffet-style restaurants and diners). Avoid casseroles, mixed dishes, gravies, and sauces. At fast-food restaurants, skip the special sauces, condiments, and cheese. Avoid salted condiments and garnishes such as olives and pickles. Desserts Choose fresh fruits, ices, sherbet, gelatin, and plain cakes. Servings at many restaurants are often big enough to provide lunch for 2 days. When eating out: Ask for half or smaller portions. Eyeball your appropriate portion, set the rest aside, and ask for a doggie bag right away. If you have dessert, share. Continue reading >>
How To Eat At Restaurants On A Diabetes Diet
You can still enjoy eating out even with a health condition like diabetes. It's a well-known fact that restaurant meals, as a category, are some of the most unhealthy meals that any of us will ever consume. For the average diner, navigating the menu and selecting healthy options from the sea of unhealthy choices is nearly impossible, unless you have an extensive knowledge of nutrition. For those who must also consider the effect of a given meal on their blood sugar due to diabetes, eating out at restaurants often becomes more of a chore than an enjoyable experience. Dr. Cederquist has developed the following recommendations below to help simplify the dining out experience for diabetics. Know Your Needs Before You Arrive Often, the biggest source of stress for diabetics when eating at restaurants is the overwhelm that occurs when they are confronted with the reality of a long list of menu options, many of which they may never have had at that particular establishment. Knowing the exact nutrition you need in order to properly decide on an entree is the first step in overcoming the overwhelm, and this knowledge should come directly from your doctor. Ask for the specifics on what nutrients you should be eating fro breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the amounts of each that you should shoot for. According to Dr. Cederquist, "People who have been diagnosed with either type 1 or type 2 diabetes should follow the recommendations of their doctor when choosing to eat out. Individual nutritional needs vary from person to person, and that is why consulting with you doctor is crucial." When diabetics know mow many grams of protein, fat, carbohydrates and fiber you need to consume at a given meal, eating at restaurants becomes much easier. Simply ask your server for a list of the nutri Continue reading >>
What Are The Diabetes-friendly Options At Restaurants?
Find diabetes-friendly meals at restaurants with these tips from Healthy Dining's team of registered dietitians. Q: I have just been told I have diabetes. I like all sorts of foods. What do you suggest I order? You are not alone! There are 29.1 million people (children and adults) in the U.S. with diabetes and another 86 million people with pre-diabetes. People with diabetes may be trying to lose weight, watch their sodium intake, and/or watch their saturated fat intake. (Check with your doctor or dietitian to discuss which of these you should be doing.) And all the while, you are likely keeping an eye on carbohydrate intake—since it’s carbohydrates that cause changes in blood glucose levels. Use these tips when dining out to help you manage your diabetes: Plan ahead – Choose where you are going to eat, make reservations, if possible, and plan ahead for the wait-time until your meal is served so that you eat on your normal schedule and don’t risk becoming hypoglycemic. Eat your usual portion size – Restaurants often give servings two, three, or even four times the recommended serving sizes. To keep from eating too many calories, carbohydrates, saturated? fat, or salt, portion part of your meal to eat at the restaurant and ask that the rest be packaged to take home. Include lean protein – Choose fish, beans, skinless chicken, turkey, or lean cuts of red meat (i.e., beef or pork loin, roast beef) for some satisfying protein without the extra fat. Limit excess fat – Opt for baked, broiled, sautéed, or grilled items instead of fried foods; ask for sauces, gravies, and dressings on the side and use them sparingly; and ask for foods to be cooked with no added butter. These steps help you limit saturated fat – especially harmful when it comes to your arteries Continue reading >>
Other Restaurant Food
Eating in a sit-down restaurant doesnt guarantee a healthy meal. Portions are often large and foods usually have a lot of fat and sodium added to them during cooking. Try some of these tips for choosing healthier menu items: Work with your server before you order. Dont be afraid to ask questions about the food. If your server doesnt know the answers to your questions, ask him or her to check with the chef. Below are some types of questions you might want to ask. Can the item be grilled or broiled instead of fried? Can you get a baked potato or salad instead of fries? Choose items that are baked, broiled, grilled, or poached instead of fried. Watch for clues on the menu. Crispy or breaded also mean fried. Ask for sauces and salad dressings to be served on the side. They add flavor but can add lots of calories, sodium, and fat. Add sauces and salad dressing by dipping your fork into the sauce or dressing first, then spear a piece of meat or lettuce for a little bit with each bite. Order the smallest size of meat. A grilled chicken breast is a better choice over half a chicken. Or choose a small filet instead of a 12-ounce steak. If portions are large, eat just half of your meal. Save the rest for lunch another day. Think about splitting a dish with a friend. You can each order a salad and share a main course. This can also help you save money! If you like trying new ethnic cuisines, consider the suggestions below: Try steamed mussels, kebobs, Thai shrimp soup, Thai salads, curries, Thai chicken with vegetables, garlic shrimp, or beef with basil and vegetables. Choose a small portion of steamed rice instead of fried rice or noodles. At Mexican places, try to limit the chips you eat to a handful. If thats hard to do, ask your server to take the basket away. Here are some m Continue reading >>
A Diabetes Guide To Eating In Restaurants
The American Diabetes Association recently published a new book by Hope S. Warshaw called Eat Out, Eat Well, The Guide to Eating Healthy in Any Restaurant. Ms. Warshaw is a registered dietitian, certified diabetes educator, and has written many other books on the subject of eating with diabetes, including a book similar this one. Eat Out, Eat Well, however, is a more comprehensive and updated version of her previous work. What The Little Brown Handbook is to writers, this book may be for those with diabetes who eat out often and feel they lack information about the food they are eating. Eat Out, Eat Well serves those looking for hefty coverage of nutrition and how it relates to diabetes, and any type of restaurant eating, from fast food to ethnic cuisines to the upscale restaurant. Eat Out, Eat Well isn’t a book you will sit down to read and be done with. At over 550 pages, it is a large resource that you’re likely to spot read and refer to as needed. Warshaw starts with giving a modern assessment of today’s restaurant landscape. One of the most helpful things I found in the book was a chapter on “The 10 Skills and Strategies for Healthier Restaurant Eating” where she targets common behaviors we all have and suggests ways we can set ourselves up for success when we do eat out. Those ten tips alone would make an enormous difference for anyone who eats out often. There is a chapter on specific dilemmas a person with diabetes may have when eating out and tips on how to cope. Warshaw has also written a chapter on the subject of Celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. I’m someone who has studied nutrition and I’ve had diabetes for many years. I find that eating out is generally not conducive to healthy eating. However, when looking at this book I had to recogniz Continue reading >>
15 Of The Best And Worst Restaurants For Carbohydrate Counting Diabetics
Counting carbohydrates is done by many people with diabetes, either as a medical necessity or to maximise control over their diet. For those who require insulin, carb counting helps to match the amount of insulin required for each meal, or snack, in correspondence with the amount of carbs consumed. This can be done with relative ease at home, once practised, but eating out at restaurants can turn carb counting into a guessing game. Many of us will no doubt enter certain restaurants with a feeling of resignation, but this is not the case in all establishments, and some restaurants go out of their way to list the carbs in each menu item. This may not appear on the menus themselves, but with a little research nutritional values across carbs, calories and fat can all be found, particularly on the restaurants’ websites. Such is the importance of counting carbs for many diabetics, this information should be made easily available by all restaurants, but as of yet that goal is not close to being achieved. We’ve taken a diverse look at 15 popular restaurant chains across the United Kingdom and assessed which are the best for diabetic carb counters and which ones could stand to do more for their customers. Five of the best Pizza Express A staggeringly large Calorie Chart spreadsheet is available on Pizza Express’s home website, listing information from the amount of calories in each dish to how much salt is used. Carbs can be counted per 100g or per serving across seven detail-packed pages of starters, main courses and desserts. KFC KFC’s website continues in this vein, offering a four-page spreadsheet of total nutritional detail across all their products. They also provide a nice, visual touch on their nutrition page, allowing users to scroll through individual meal item Continue reading >>
Restaurants 101: Tips For Diabetics
Sign Up for Our Living with Diabetes Newsletter Sign up for more FREE Everyday Health newsletters . Okay, so we all enjoy dining out at restaurants, right? As diabetics, we also have to be concerned about healthy food options, specifically foods and drinks that do not spike our blood sugar levels too much. I truly believe that as a diabetic, you can find these healthy options at almost every restaurant! So last week, I dined at 3 very different restaurants here in NYC all common types of restaurants that you can find anywhere. And I managed to eat healthy, yummy meals at every one. Let me show you how I did it! I love to go to this restaurant during the crowded lunch rush, mainly to watch all the loud, cute investment bankers, lol. (Yes, I said it!) Oh, the food is great, too! :) One bowl of Manhattan clam chowder soup: Lots of veggies and pieces of clam swimming in a tangy tomato broth. I avoided eating all of the potato pieces because potatoes are high GI (glycemic index), and they tend to raise my blood sugar. All in all, a delicious and healthy soup! One plate of tuna Nicoise salad: Medium-rare tuna slices atop fresh salad greens, anchovies, Kalamata olives, green beans, artichokes, eggs, and tomatoes. The dressing tasted sweet, so before I poured it on my salad, I asked the waiter if it contained sugar. He informed me that it contained a bit of honey. Since I try to to limit sugar, I opted for pouring half of the dressing on my salad. Delicious & healthy! :) In my former life, I was known to down a footlong and a large bag of chips. So I was really challenging myself to enter this establishment again after all these years! A spinach salad with grilled chicken, hot banana peppers, green peppers, olives, and tomatoes. For the dressing, I opted for a splash of red wi Continue reading >>
If You Have Diabetes, Here's Exactly What To Order At 8 Types Of Restaurants
When you have diabetes, eating out can seem more complicated than deciphering the new tax code. But it doesn’t have to be. “People with diabetes can enjoy most any kind of restaurant,” says Jill Weisenberger, RDN, CDE, author of Diabetes Weight Loss Week by Week. “The key is to stick as closely to your usual meal plan as possible.” Here’s how. (Find out how to stop the craving cycle before it starts and burn fat around the clock with the naturally sweet, salty, and satisfying meals in Eat Clean, Lose Weight & Love Every Bite.) Worried about all that crust? Go with one slice of thin crust pizza and you’ll lighten the carb count of your slice by a third compared to a regular slice. If a single slice sounds too skimpy, pump up the volume—and the fiber—by adding plenty of chopped veggies. And speaking of veggies, filling up on a salad before your pie arrives can also put the breaks on hunger. These pita pizzas will totally change the way you think about dinner: “Given that pasta is packed with carbohydrates, it’s probably not the best idea to make it the center of your meal,” says Weisenberger. Just one order of spaghetti and meatballs can easily pack 150 grams of carbs. That doesn’t mean you have to go 100% pasta-free though. Weisenberger recommends ordering pasta as a side dish and limiting your portion to a half-cup, or about the size of a tennis ball. Pair it with an order of mussels fra diavolo, chicken cacciatore, or grilled calamari. (And make sure you try these 6 ways to make Italian food flat belly-friendly!) We hope you enjoy the products we're recommending as much as we do! Just so you know, Prevention may get a share of sales from the links on this page. If you’re eating Chinese food, chances are there’s going to be rice on your pla Continue reading >>
Diabetes Friendly Restaurants
With some planning, it is possible to eat out and maintain control of your diabetes. Since diabetes medications and insulin are balanced with food intake, it helps to try to stick with your normal routine for meal times and amounts of food. Many restaurants have choices that can work with diabetes if you have a meal plan and know what to look for. Video of the Day Restaurant portions are often much larger than what a person needs to eat. While it may seem like you're getting more food for your money, that food is wasted when you eat more than your body really needs. To cut down on large portions, you can share an entree, order an appetizer instead of an entree, or ask for a to-go container so you can take home part of your meal. Look for broiled or baked meat options without sauces or coating, which add carbohydrates. Starches such as potatoes, bread, rice, and pasta are also sources of carbohydrates. Menu options with fewer starches and more vegetables tend to work better with a diabetes meal plan. For example, look for restaurants that let you order salad or vegetables as a side dish instead of potatoes. Be aware that coatings or breading on meat or vegetables add carbohydrates and fat. Ask your server how the food is prepared if you're not sure. Beer, wine, and cocktails made with fruit juice or regular soda also add additional carbohydrates. While salads are often a healthy option, high-fat dressings and other toppings can add additional unwanted calories. Instead, ask for a low-fat dressing on the side and stick with vegetable toppings. Diabetes meal plans are highly individualized and depend on each person's specific treatment and health care needs. It helps to stick with your usual meal plan as closely as possible when eating out in terms of meal timing, portion Continue reading >>
