Healthy Eating On-the-Go
When going out to eat, don't leave your new healthy habits at home. Restaurant meals, even fast-food, can offer good choices for your type 2 diabetes diet.
It's still important to eat a wide variety of foods and watch your portions. In addition, you need to be on the lookout for food that can be loaded with
calories, fat, cholesterol and sodium.
When eating out (or eating in), three basic nutrition rules apply: 1) eat a balanced diet; 2) choose foods low in fat
(especially saturated fat, trans fats and cholesterol); and 3) avoid high levels of sodium. Portions still count—if you eat more calories than
your body can use, you will gain weight (whether or not you are eating something that is fat-free or not). So when eating out, make food choices
with these guidelines in mind, just like you would at home. If you need help figuring out what to order, try asking for the menu's nutritional information,
which is now available at most fast-food restaurants.
- Balance fast-food with healthier food. If you're having a fast-food meal, focus your other meals for the day on healthier foods like fruits and vegetables
- Consider the cooking method. Chicken and fish are good choices as long as they are not breaded or fried. Choose grilled or broiled sandwiches instead
- Pick healthy toppings. Avoid rich toppings like sauces, mayonnaise and cheese on sandwiches. Add flavor with mustard and tasty veggies like tomato, onion and lettuce
- Be salad bar savvy. While salad bars are a great option at fast-food restaurants, creamy dressings and toppings like bacon and croutons can pack on the fat and salt. Check the nutritional information on salad dressings before you create your salad, and stick mostly with vegetables for toppings
- Choose thin crust pizza. Pizza can be part of your healthy type 2 diabetes diet, as long as you opt for thin crust and vegetable toppings. Limit your portion to 1 or 2 slices, keeping in mind that meat toppings and extra cheese add extra fat and salt to your meal
- Say no to soda. Wash down your meal with water and calorie-free diet drinks instead of regular soda, fruit punch, sweet tea and other sugar-sweetened drinks