Tips On How To Eat Out When You Are Diabetic

Photo credit: Maria Orlova

COVID-19 was especially hard on people who have diabetes. First, there was the fear of catching the virus. Reports state that 1 in 10 people with COVID and diabetes died within 7-days of being hospitalized. Then there were the limitations that the quarantines put on them. They were necessary, but they interfered with their ability to maintain proper medical care, exercise, and sometimes to keep a good supply of healthy foods on hand to eat. As summer 2021 approaches, many cities are talking about re-opening restaurants, concert venues, and other social settings with limitations. People are ready to start socializing a bit. But it will not be “business as usual.” There will be changes for everyone. What adjustments will the diabetic have to make to return to the open social world?

Prepare now

Maybe you are new to dining out with diabetes. If not, it probably has been a while. There are some things you need to do. Don’t be caught off guard and find yourself at a restaurant with almost no selections for you. Don’t go out without a clear picture of your diabetic situation at that moment. That can be the difference between a special dinner and a trip to the Emergency Room. Here are some ways to prepare:

●    Update your blood-monitoring system
If you have not upgraded in a while, it may be time. Your blood glucose monitor is the only way to know what is going on inside your body at any given moment. Ascensia is an industry leader in diabetic tools and education. They have invested more than 70-years into groundbreaking discoveries to make the lives of diabetics more comfortable. This was even before they invented the Contour Meters line.   

●    Include the Bayer Glucofacts Deluxe Software Download in your preparations.
This download gives you and your doctor an accurate overview of how your blood sugar runs on a daily basis. If eating at a certain time or a certain place drives your numbers into the danger zone, you need to make adjustments.

●    Browse the restaurant’s menus online before you go
This lets you know what they have to offer and keeps you from having to hold everyone up while you figure out if there is anything on the menu that is a good choice for you.

●    Be careful for the few days before to maintain a level blood sugar reading.
If you are planning on going to dinner on Saturday night, be sure you are diligent all week and keep everything stable. This gives you a good foundation and will allow you to remain steady for a while.
 

Photo credit: Alexandr Podvalny

Tips for how to eat at a restaurant when you’re a diabetic

 
It can be a bit difficult ordering food in a restaurant that is diabetic-friendly. It is hard to know if sauces, dressings, and flavorings have sugar in them. But there are some ways to help you enjoy a good meal with little effort. Below you will find some tips to help you accomplish that.

• Try to eat at your normal mealtime. If you can’t, do not go in over-hungry. Eat a snack before you go. This will help you avoid chips and salsa, bread, and other appetizers before your meal.
• Watch your carbs. Foods heavy in carbohydrates almost always shoot up the blood sugar. Watch your portion sizes too.
• Don’t be fooled by the baked potato. While they are better for you than fries, adding butter, sour cream, and cheese makes this a dangerous food for the diabetic. Order your dressing on the side. Consider adding a few slices of your meat and some veggies to the potato and skip the creams.  
• Grilled is always a better choice for you: Grilled chicken, Grilled fish, Grilled steak
• Also, watch for steamed, poached, braised, and broiled. These are healthy terms. Stay away from crispy, crunchy, fried, or creamy choices.
• Always order salad dressings, butter, and sauces “on the side” so you can control how much you eat. Your best choice for salad dressing is always vinaigrette.
• Ask for it. Ask if you can trade your fries and bread for a spinach salad. If you are having tacos, ask them to trade the cheese for fresh salsa. Maybe you want them to go light on the meat and throw in some Fajita veggies.
• Water it up. Order water with your meal, maybe with a little lemon. The water will fill you up, making you eat less. It is good for washing out all the salt and chemicals from your meal. There are no calories in water, and you can have all you want.
• Order your sandwich “Open-faced”. This makes it easier to eat half of it and take the other half home. You get half the bread, cheese, dressings, and meat. Substitute chips or fries for sliced fruit, pickles, salad, or yogurt.

With a little planning and some careful choices, you can enjoy dining out again. By using the right diabetic equipment, you will have a clear view of what you can and cannot eat. Like anything else in a diabetic’s life, eating out is a discipline and should not be abused. But as a treat, it is a wonderful thing.  

This is a guest blog entry