Dining Out Basics
Introduction
Eating right can be easy at home because you can control what's in the fridge and what's on your plate. But how do you eat when you go out? Dining in restaurants or at social gatherings can always be a challenge. So you have to take extra care to pay attention in these conditions.
Being a diabetic does not mean you can't enjoy having a good time. By doing your homework, even fast food restaurants can fit into your lifestyle. Mostly all restaurant and fast food chain managers have realized that people want healthier choices to choose from.
At the restaurants that have salad bars always have a big salad first. There are always plenty of good toppings to add to the salad which are also healthy choices and will help fill you up so you don't eat more than you should at the other courses. When you are in a restaurant of any kind look for and avoid words like jumbo, Grande or super sized. If you must have a burger, order a small one and add lettuce and tomato. Get a small size French fry, if any at all. Fried chicken or chicken wings are also somewhat high in fat and should be eaten sparingly.
At the restaurants that have salad bars always have a big salad first. There are always plenty of good toppings to add to the salad which are also healthy choices and will help fill you up so you don't eat more than you should at the other courses. When you are in a restaurant of any kind look for and avoid words like jumbo, Grande or super sized. If you must have a burger, order a small one and add lettuce and tomato. Get a small size French fry, if any at all. Fried chicken or chicken wings are also somewhat high in fat and should be eaten sparingly.
Restaurant Type
Chinese
Vegetables of course are always a good choice along with fish, shrimp and scallops and chicken. I do not like having soy sauce just because it is almost pure sodium. Stay away from anything fried and of course watch portion sizes. You can always get a take out container and take some home for a snack later.
Mexican
Chicken on soft tortillas with beans and salsa are ok. Try to avoid hard corn shell tacos with sour cream or tortilla chips with cheese and/or guacamole. Also anything that is deep fried is a good thing to avoid.
Italian
Thin crust pizza with vegetables is ok but do not go and order extra cheese, sausage, bacon and pepperoni. This is what makes pizza no good for a diabetic. All the good stuff. Do not fret, you will get used to eating pizza this way and then you will not even want it anymore with all that good stuff. Also try not to eat more than 3 or 4 pieces. Because even though mozzarella cheese is probably the best cheese for a diabetic to eat, cheese is still cheese. Pastas are a good thing to avoid, but sometimes at social gatherings this is your only option. So if this is the case, watch your portion size and don't eat any pasta stuffed with cheese. Finally if you are in an Italian restaurant, anything made with fish and chicken is fine. Try to avoid fried vegetables, sausage, cheese or italian lunchmeat as these are all high in fat.
Vegetables of course are always a good choice along with fish, shrimp and scallops and chicken. I do not like having soy sauce just because it is almost pure sodium. Stay away from anything fried and of course watch portion sizes. You can always get a take out container and take some home for a snack later.
Mexican
Chicken on soft tortillas with beans and salsa are ok. Try to avoid hard corn shell tacos with sour cream or tortilla chips with cheese and/or guacamole. Also anything that is deep fried is a good thing to avoid.
Italian
Thin crust pizza with vegetables is ok but do not go and order extra cheese, sausage, bacon and pepperoni. This is what makes pizza no good for a diabetic. All the good stuff. Do not fret, you will get used to eating pizza this way and then you will not even want it anymore with all that good stuff. Also try not to eat more than 3 or 4 pieces. Because even though mozzarella cheese is probably the best cheese for a diabetic to eat, cheese is still cheese. Pastas are a good thing to avoid, but sometimes at social gatherings this is your only option. So if this is the case, watch your portion size and don't eat any pasta stuffed with cheese. Finally if you are in an Italian restaurant, anything made with fish and chicken is fine. Try to avoid fried vegetables, sausage, cheese or italian lunchmeat as these are all high in fat.
Ordering tips:
First of all if you are not sure of what is in something on the menu or don't how big the serving size is, do not be afraid to ask.
Try to eat the same amount of food that you would if you were eating at home.
If your order has a baked potato and you cannot substitute extra vegetables for example (your best bet) go ahead and order it plain, then top it yourself with just a little bit of margarine. If you do not want the potato at all and cannot get a substitution, you can always tell them to leave it off the plate.
Of course, asking that no salt be added is always a good idea.
It is also a good idea to ask for any salad dressing, gravy, or sauce to come in a cup on the side. You will find that dipping your food in the bowl on the side with a fork is fine and you will consume much less.
Ordering foods that are breaded or fried is never a good idea, no matter what type of restaurant you are in. Simply because this adds unneeded fat.
Always ask for fat free, or sugar free items (such as salad dressing or syrup) even if they are not on the menu. Many restaurants now offer these items but do not offer them on the menu.
Limit alcohol, which adds just fat and offers no nutritional value at all.
