Fast Food Guide

Eating at fast food restaurants can be a challenge for someone with diabetes. Meals can be high in fat, sodium, calories, and carbohydrate. Finding fast food that fits into your meal plan takes planning. If you know the nutritional content of the menu items you want to eat, you can make educated choices within your meal plan.

While going for fast food, the diabetics should be aware of the nutrition information from the individual restaurants. Menu items should be analyzed by computer and not by chemical analysis of the product. The same rule should also be applied to soft drinks.

The diabetics should specialty mind while taking drinks like milkshakes, smoothies, and coffees. Before picking up the drinks, the patients should know about the nutritional information which may include serving sizes (weight), calories, carbohydrates, fiber, protein, fat, percent calories from fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, and sodium.

Also, the patients may seek the guidance of a registered dietitian or diabetes educator as they can teach you how to interpret this guide so that you can make food choices that best fit into your meal plan.

Tips for Healthier Eating

Know your meal plan

Meal plans should be based on the eating habits of the person with diabetes. For most adults, 2-4 carbohydrate servings (30-60g) per meal and 1-2 carbohydrate servings (15-30g) for snacks are reasonable amounts.

Children, teenagers and athletes need more calories and may need to eat more carbohydrates. Check with your diabetes educator for the proper amount of carbohydrates for meals and snacks.

Test blood sugar levels 2-3 hours after your meal to evaluate its effect.

A high fat meal may cause your blood sugar to rise 6 to 8 hours after eating. You can work fast food into your diet once in a while and still maintain good health. The basis of a healthy diet is one that is made up of a variety of foods such as whole grains, fruits and vegetables, lean meats, low fat dairy products, and healthy fats. Choosing foods that are not processed foods and are high in fiber will improve the quality of your diet and keep sodium low.

Healthy range of fat

Healthy ranges of fat are 30-60g for children, 40-80g for teenagers, 30-60g for women, 40-80g for men, and 80-120g for athletes or those with very high activity levels. People over the age of two generally should get no more than 30 percent of their calories from fat.

Limiting saturated fat to less than 10% (no more than 20g for adults) is also important for a healthy heart.

The following chart will help you determine the maximum fat intake for your calorie level.

• Sodium (Salt) should be limited to 2400mg/day. People with high blood pressure should generally eat 2000mg or less/day. Discuss your sodium limits with your diabetes educator.
• Fill up on fiber - choose salads, vegetables, and whole grain breads. Bring fruit or raw vegetables from home to add to your meal.
• To reduce fat, calories, and sodium, limit fried foods, cheese, bacon, pickles, olives, mayonnaise, tartar sauces, sour cream, and "special sauces". Order sauces, gravy, and dressings on the side and use a small amount.
• Choose a small order of fries instead of a large. A side salad or a serving of vegetables is a better choice than fries. Eat fresh vegetables, light mayonnaise, and reduced calorie dressings whenever possible.
• Choose grilled or baked chicken or fish instead of beef. Grilled chicken sandwiches or salads are usually the best fast food choices. When ordering beef, choose the smallest burger without special sauces and cheese. Ask for extra lettuce, tomatoes, and onions.
• Control portions - consider splitting a meal with a friend or take half home for another meal. Avoid super-sizing!
• Speak up - don’t be afraid to ask questions to make sure that you are getting what you really want. Ask how a sandwich is prepared or if the restaurant offers a low fat salad dressing selection.
• If possible, exercise more to help burn additional calories and control blood sugar levels.