People with diabetes can pretty much eat the same foods as their friends and family. They just have to keep track of what they eat and enjoy some foods in moderation.
Your best bets are restaurants that offer many options. But even fast-food places have healthy choices on their menus. Whenever possible, look for nutritional facts on the meal you plan to order — like calorie, carbohydrate, and fat content. This information is available in many chain restaurants (you may need to ask for it) or online.
You're not limited to places that serve only soy burgers and carrot sticks. If you can order a meal that includes a good balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, you're doing OK. But if you find that a restaurant doesn't offer many vegetable choices or that they only serve fried food that's covered in cheese, look for a place with more options.
When it's time to order, follow the same rules for food content and portion sizes that you follow at home. Try for a good balance of proteins, fats, and carbs.
These tips can help:
The same tips apply to eating at your school cafeteria. To be a healthy eater at school, make sure you pick a variety of healthy foods and stop to think about when you're getting full.
When you go out to eat, bring the things you take with you everywhere, like testing supplies, snacks, and medicines. A printed quick-reference guide to food content and portions, or a nutrition app or website, can make choosing healthy foods a little easier. If you use things like artificial sweeteners or fat-free spreads, bring them along too.
If you take insulin, there's no need to stay home if you have to eat later than usual — in most cases you can just make a few simple adjustments to your medicine schedule.
Do you have questions about how to make eating out even easier? Talk to your doctor or dietitian.
Reviewed by: Cheryl Patterson, RD, LDN, CDCES
Date Reviewed: Jan 1, 2022
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