Eating in restaurants can be challenging for people living with diabetes, due to unknown ingredients, generous portions and long waiting times can cause problems.
Despite these challenges, it should not stop you from enjoying a meal out! Here is what to consider when eating out to help keep your sugars stable.
Look them up
The first thing I do before eating out is look at the menu to get an idea of the food, and to get excited! 🙂
This way you can prepare earlier in the day if you need to. For example if you know it will be a carb heavy meal, you might decide to stay active and get some cardio in.
The majority of chain restaurants have macros available online which you can use to carb count. Also double check on apps like MyFitnessPal which has macros listed on there.
Of course independent restaurants may not have this information, so you’ll have to wing it or ask them before/when you arrive.
Timing
Knowing when to inject can be difficult when you don’t know the wait time.
I have a few methods which might help!
1.If my sugars are running slightly high, I’ll order something lower carb to start and a higher carb main. I’ll inject 10 minutes (ish) after ordering.
2. If my sugars are normal or running slightly low I’ll order a starter and main with carbs. Again I’ll inject around 10 minutes after ordering, but I will also order a drink with sugar and/or some bread to keep me going.
Ask the waiter what the wait time will roughly be so you can prepare and enjoy your food!
Different Ingredients
Restaurants often use more flour and sugar in recipes and sauces, so this means more insulin may be needed than usual.
Sometimes it is worth injecting a few extra units to account for this, and if you start to go low, you can always eat/drink more! Make sure you test regularly during the meal!
Asian dishes and tomato sauces often contain a lot of sugar – so bear this in mind!
Final tips
- I really like to go for a slow walk after eating. This can help with digestion, keep your levels stable and it is sociable!
- Always remember to account for alcohol in your insulin (if it is sugary), and if you are drinking a lot, eat carbs with it to prevent a hypo!
- Enjoy yourself… If you are running slightly high (not so much that you feel bad), inject a correction dose and forget about it. You deserve to have a nice meal out every now and then.
Thank you for reading Restaurants and Diabetes, I hope this was useful! Be sure to subscribe!
If you liked this post, be sure to check out 5 ways to handle high carb meals and Been diagnosed with type 2 diabetes? Here’s what to do!