Diabetes and Dining Out

• If you don't know what's in a dish or don't know the serving size, ask.
• Try to eat the same portion as you would at home. If the serving size is larger, share some with your dining partner, or put the extra food in a container to go.
• Eat slowly.
• Ask for fish or meat broiled with no extra butter.
• Order your baked potato plain, then top it with a teaspoon of margarine or low-calorie sour cream, and/or vegetables from the salad bar.
• If you are on a low-salt meal plan, ask that no salt be added to your food.
• Ask for sauces, gravy and salad dressings "on the side." Try dipping your fork tines in the salad dressing, then spear a piece of lettuce. Or add a teaspoon of dressing at a time to your salad. You'll use less this way.
• Order foods that are not breaded or fried because they add fat. If the food comes breaded, peel off the outer coating.
• Read the menu creatively. Order a fruit cup for an appetizer or the breakfast melon for dessert. Instead of a dinner entree, combine a salad with a low-fat appetizer.
• Ask for substitutions. Instead of French fries, request a double order of a vegetable. If you can't get a substitute, just ask that the high-fat food be left off your plate.
• Ask for low-calorie items, such as salad dressings, even if they're not on the menu. Vinegar and a dash of oil or a squeeze of lemon are a better choice than high-fat dressings.
• Limit alcohol, which adds calories but no nutrition to your meal.
• Phone ahead. When you make the reservation, ask if your food can be prepared with vegetable oil, low-fat margarine, little salt, no extra sauce or butter, and broiled instead of fried. Ask to see a copy of the menu in advance to jive with your diabetic meal plan.
• If you like the healthy diabetic choices on a restaurant's menu, let the manager know. If you want more low-calorie, low-cholesterol diabetic menu choices, say so. Restaurants, like any business, offer what their customers want.

Diabetic Meals on the Go

• Watch words like jumbo, giant, deluxe, biggie-sized or super-sized. Larger portions mean more calories, more fat, cholesterol and salt. Order regular or junior-sized.
• Choose grilled or broiled sandwiches with meats such as lean roast beef, turkey or chicken breast, or lean ham. Order items plain without toppings, rich sauces, or mayonnaise. Add flavor with mustard, and crunch with lettuce, tomato, and onion.
• Skip the croissant or biscuit. Eat your sandwich on a bun, bread or English muffin and save calories and fat.
• Stay away from double burgers or "super" hot dogs with cheese, chili, or sauces. Cheese carries an extra 100 calories per ounce, as well as added fat and sodium.
• Choose the salad bar, but avoid high-fat toppings like dressings, bacon bits, cheeses, and croutons.
• Order bean burritos, soft tacos, fajitas, and other non-fried items when eating Mexican fast foods. Ask if they have beans that aren't refried. Avoid deep-fried taco salad shells - a taco salad can have more than 1,000 calories!
• Try thin crust pizza with vegetable toppings.
• End your meal with sugar-free, fat-free frozen yogurt or a small cone of fat-free yogurt.
• Chinese food may seem like a healthy choice, but be careful: many dishes are deep fried or high in fat and sodium, especially in the sauces.

• Grilled chicken
• Whole wheat rolls or bread
• Fruit or cottage cheese
• Salad with dressing on the side or fat-free
• Single hamburger, regular or children's size
• Low-fat deli sandwiches on wheat or pita bread
• Wrap on whole wheat tortilla (no dressing)
• Fat-free/low-fat milk or water
• Low-fat or sugar-free frozen yogurt

• All-you-can-eat buffets
• Fries and onion rings
• Super-sized foods