Dining out is firmly etched in American culture. Close to one-third of Americans eat least one meal away from home on a regular basis (USDA). There's no reason to think that diabetes precludes you going out and enjoying a meal, or even that you can't occasionally get a hurried lunch from a fast-food establishment. What you do have to think about, however, are the basics of your nutritional therapy. With some advanced planning, you can enjoy eating out and manage your condition well at the same time.
Know Before You Go
Among the most important considerations for managing diabetes are keeping your blood sugar stable throughout the day and controlling your weight. This means, you've got to keep eating on roughly the same schedule. If you are dining with other people, ask them to be prepared to eat when you normally have that meal. In addition, you want to have a large variety of healthy choices when you go out, so choose the restaurant in advanced based on its menu selection. You might also check online to see whether the restaurant posts nutrition information about its foods. Also, call the restaurant ahead of time to ask whether you can make special requests and substitutions to your meal. It may be helpful if you have a small snack before you go to the restaurant, so you aren't overly hungry or in case your dining partners are delayed or your wait is longer than anticipated.
Choose Wisely
Select items from the restaurant's "healthy menu." Choose items that fit with your nutritional, caloric and carbohydrate needs. That means selecting items that are low in saturated fat, baked or broiled, and contain whole grains. Salads with dressing on side, fish and vegetables are generally safe choices, but you may have to ask that your healthy food not be drowned in creamy and fatty sauces. The American Diabetes Association says restaurants are more accommodating of special requests like using low-cholesterol eggs, skinless chicken, broiled meat in place of fried, no butter or added salt and all sauces on the side. It won't hurt to ask for nutritional information in the restaurants; more are providing this service. The Joslin Diabetes Center says you should limit your alcohol to no more than one serving.
Box Half
Restaurant portions are notoriously over-sized. Sitting there, you won't be able to judge what's a proper portion size, beyond the basics of lean meat being the size of a deck of cards. To avoid overeating or eating too many calories, ask your server to immediately box some of the meal for you to take home. Ask that he keep it heated in the kitchen and bring it back with your check, so you don't have the temptation of eating it.
Fast Food Tips
Fast-food restaurants pose a unique challenge to diabetics in that so many of the items have off-the-charts calorie content and low nutritional value. Even if you go in prepared to order a salad, the temptation from the smell of French fries alone or the sight of your favorite fast-food dessert can sidetrack your diet. Avoid using fast food restaurants for dinner, and try to go through the drive-thru for that reasons. If the value meals come with fries, chips bread made from white flour, ask for a substitution, like a fruit cup or side salad. Also ask that sauce be removed if you order a sandwich or burger. Watch out for words like "super-sized," deluxe or jumbo, because that often means an extra serving of calories, fat, cholesterol and salt. Avoid sugary drinks, choose water instead.
References
- Joslin Diabetes Center; Dining Out with Diabetes
- American Diabetes Association; Your Guide to Eating Out
- National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse; What I Need to Know about Eating and Diabetes; October 2007
- USDA; Let's Eat Out: Americans Weigh Taste, Convenience, and Nutrition; October 2006
- Mayo Clinic: Diabetes Diet: Creating Your Healthy-Eating Plan
