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Eating Out With Diabetes


October/November 2007

Excerpted from Living with Diabetes: Everything You Need to Know to Safeguard Your Health and Take Control of Your Life, AARP Books/Sterling, November 2007. © 2007 AARP. All rights reserved.

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Diabetes: Sites to See

Diabetes-Friendly Recipes

Diabetes: Win the Fight  (febrero/
marzo 2005) 

7 Simple Strategies for Controlling Diabetes (febrero/marzo 2005)

Save Calories—Substitute
(agosto/
septiembre 2005)

Choose the Best Foods

How to Avoid Super-Sized Portions

Tips by Restaurant Type

 

 

 

How to Choose the Best Foods
Those with diabetes need not sacrifice the pleasure of going out to eat. Knowing about the different food groups and which foods to avoid or limit will help you make the right choices when you dine out; paying attention to serving sizes will keep you from eating too much. Here are some tips to help you choose the best foods:

Before you order something, ask the server how it is prepared. Is it fried, baked, or grilled? If the normal method isn’t a healthy choice for you, can it be cooked another way? Is it served in a heavy sauce—and, if so, can you omit the sauce or serve it on the side?
Choose fish, lean meat, or skinless chicken that is broiled, poached, baked, or grilled.
Order salads and steamed vegetables to accompany your meal. Request low-fat dressings and sauces, and ask to have them served on the side so you can control the amount you get.
Ask the server to suggest low-fat dishes. Restaurants nowadays encounter people on special diets all the time and will usually accommodate their customers.
If you take insulin and know that your meal will be delayed, be sure to time your injection accordingly. You can eat a roll or piece of fruit to tide you over and prevent hypoglycemia.
If everyone around you is ordering dessert and you crave it, ask to share with someone. Even a couple of bites of a dessert can satisfy your craving.


Buy the Book

Click here to order your copy of Living with Diabetes.

Shun Super-Sizing
Restaurant portions are often much larger than what most of us need to eat or should eat. When the portions are huge, it’s tempting to eat more than the amount that’s right for you. Here are some tips to help you avoid eating too much: 

Ask your server about the size of an item. Is it big enough for two? Can you get a half order?
Before you order, ask to see what a small, medium, or large size looks like.
Choose smaller portions if they are offered—or order from the appetizer menu, where servings are usually smaller.
Choose half a sandwich and half a salad.
Avoid buffets and “all you can eat” dishes.
If you are served more than your meal plan allows, take the rest home for another time. If you tend to clean your plate, ask for a take-home box at the beginning of the meal and put the excess food in the box before you start eating.
Ask the waiter to not serve bread.


Tips for Eating Out in Different Types of Restaurants
The following list includes selections of healthy food choices from various cuisines. Remember to count the carbohydrates in each.

Asian Steamed dumplings or potstickers

Stir-fried fish, chicken, or lean beef with vegetables

Sushi or Sashimi

Steamed-rice or boiled-noodle dishes


Mexican Chicken enchilada (no cheese or sour cream)

Small burrito with whole beans and chicken

Chicken or fish fajitas

Steamed rice with chicken


 
Steak House Grilled or broiled lean cuts of beef (round steak, sirloin, filet mignon, London broil, tip roast)

Broiled or baked chicken breast (don’t eat the skin)

Steamed vegetables


Salad Bars and Buffets Lettuce; plain, fresh vegetables; beans with light dressing
Roast chicken or turkey breast (without the skin) or lean, sliced roast beef

Steamed vegetables (without butter, margarine, or sauce)

Fresh fruit


Fast Food Believe it or not, most fast-food restaurants will provide nutrition information if you ask. You can also check the Internet or various printed sources. Good choices include:

Grilled veggie burger without sauce

Garden salad with light dressing

Broiled, roasted, or grilled chicken sandwich

Sliced turkey or lean roast beef sandwich (without mayonnaise)

Grilled hamburger with bun, tomato, lettuce, pickles, onion, ketchup, and mustard (no cheese or “secret sauce”)

Baked potato with vegetables

Avoid beverages high in sugar or fats, such as milkshakes



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