Tips for Eating Away From Home If You are Diabetic

Controlling your blood sugar (glucose) levels can be challenging when you do not prepare your own meals. The following tips can help you manage your diabetes when you eat away from home. If you have questions or if you need help, work with your health care provider or diet and nutrition specialist (dietitian).

Planning ahead

Plan ahead if you know you will be eating away from home:

• Try to eat your meals and snacks at about the same time each day. If you know your meal is going to be later than normal, make sure you have a small snack. Being very hungry can cause you to make unhealthy food choices.
• Make a list of restaurants near you that offer healthy choices. If a restaurant has a carry-out menu, take the menu home and plan what you will order ahead of time.
• Look up the restaurant you want to eat at online. Many chain and fast-food restaurants list nutritional information online. Use this information to choose the healthiest options and to calculate how many carbohydrates will be in your meal.
• Use a carbohydrate-counting book or mobile app to look up the carbohydrate content and serving size of the foods you want to eat.

Free foods

A “free food” is any food or drink that has less than 5 grams of carbohydrates and less than 20 calories per serving. These food are high in fiber and nutrients and low in calories, carbohydrates, and fats. Free foods include:

• Non-starchy vegetables, such as carrots, broccoli, celery, lettuce, or green beans.
• Non-sugar drinks, such as water, unsweetened coffee, or unsweetened tea.
• Low-calorie salad dressings.
• Sugar-free gelatin.

Starting meals with a salad full of vegetables is a healthy choice that includes a lot of free foods. Avoid high-calorie salad toppings like bacon, cheese, and high-fat dressings. Ask for your salad dressing to be served on the side so that you dip your fork in the dressing and then in the salad. This allows you to control how much dressing you eat and still get the flavor with every bite.

Choices to control carbohydrates

• Ask your server to take away the bread basket or chips from your table.
• Choose light yogurt or Greek yogurt instead of non-fat sweetened yogurt.
• Order fresh fruit. A salad bar often offers fresh fruit choices. Avoid canned fruit because it is usually packed in sugar or syrup.
• Order a salad, and ask for dressing on the side.
• Ask for substitutes. For example, if your meal comes with french fries, ask for a side salad or steamed veggies instead. If a meal comes with fried chicken, ask for grilled chicken instead.

Beverages

• Choose drinks that are low in calories and sugar, such as:
  • Water.
  • Unsweetened tea or coffee.
  • Lowfat milk.
• Avoid the following drinks:
  • Alcoholic beverages.
  • Regular (not diet) sodas.

Other tips

• If you take insulin, wait to take your insulin once your food arrives to your table. This will ensure that your insulin and your food are timed correctly.
• Become familiar with serving sizes and learn to recognize how many servings are in a portion. Restaurant portions are typically two to three times larger than what you really need.
• Ask your server for a to-go box at the beginning of the meal. When your food comes, leave the amount you should have on your plate, and put the rest in the to-go box so that you are not tempted to eat too much.
• Consider splitting an entree with someone and ordering a side salad.
• Avoid buffets. They are typically too tempting and result in overeating.

Seek Additional Information

• American Diabetes Association: www.diabetes.org  
• American Association of Diabetes Educators: www.diabeteseducator.org  

Summary

• Plan ahead when eating away from home.
• Try to eat your meals and snacks at about the same time each day. If you know your meal is going to be later than normal, make sure you have a small snack. Being very hungry can cause you to make unhealthy food choices.
• Ask for substitutes. For example, if your meal comes with french fries, ask for a side salad or steamed veggies instead. If a meal comes with fried chicken, ask for grilled chicken instead.
• Ask for a to-go box when you order your meal. Divide your meal before you start eating.