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April 2006
Healthy Eating Out
How to dine out without stressing out
Who doesn’t enjoy going out to eat? As long as you make sensible choices, you can easily work restaurant fare into your meal plan—while keeping your diabetes under control.
Here are some general tips for making the right choices from Monica Pyzia, registered dietitian and certified diabetes educator for Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network’s Helwig Diabetes Center.
Be a menu detective. Foods that are baked, broiled and grilled are healthier than foods that are fried. Other lean words to look for are tomato sauce, vegetables, fruits, mustard, vinegar, marinated and kabobs.
Have it your way. You can treat yourself to fast food once in a great while. “Just opt for smaller servings often worded as junior or regular,” Pyzia says.
Opt for whole grains. When you can’t resist reaching for the bread basket, choose whole-grain breads and rolls. Foods high in fiber reduce the speed of absorption of sugar helping control your blood sugar levels.
Watch out for hidden sugar. Just because a menu item doesn’t sound like it has sugar in it doesn’t mean it’s not lurking in the ingredients. Restaurant dishes with the words honey mustard, honey-glazed and duck sauce contain sugar. Best advice: “If you’re not sure what a word means nutritionally—ask,” Pyzia says.
Say “Hola” to ethnic foods. For healthy Mexican meals, stay away from fried foods like tortilla chips. Good choices include black bean soup, fajitas and soft tacos. Choose Italian fare by opting for healthier sauces such as marinara or white wine, limiting your bread and topping pizza with vegetables instead of high-fat meats. For Chinese food, choose vegetable stir-frys, steamed brown rice and soup as an appetizer.
Look for sweet alternatives. Just because you have diabetes doesn’t mean you have to skip dessert. Look for selections that are made with Equal or Splenda, order fruit or share a dessert with your dining partners.
Here’s Help With Restaurant Dining
- Ask your doctor about making an appointment with a certified diabetes educator, who can customize your meal plans and give you tips about what to order when dining at a restaurant.
- Check out the newly updated edition of the American Diabetes Association’s Guide to Healthy Restaurant Eating.
- Visit the American Diabetes Association’s Web site for “Your Guide to Eating Out.”
This page last updated 2/12/08 04:08 PM
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