People with type 2 diabetes can calculate their carbohydrate intake at home and keep their blood sugar stable with a controlled diet.
Choosing meals and snacks away from home may seem more random, but healthy choices should be made in all situations. No matter where you are, you need to know how to make sensible food choices.
Driving restaurants
According to Toby Smithson, co-author of The Simple Diabetes Meal and Nutrition Plan, “Fast food provides an average of 1,000 calories, more than half of your daily calorie needs, and also raises blood sugar levels. So-called ‘deluxe meals’ may be high in sugar, fat, and therefore calories.”
Best bet: Cheese-free burgers for kids provide the fewer carbs, protein and fat needed. smithson recommends staying away from fries and opting for salads, carrots or apple slices as a side dish.
Sandwich shops
Smithson says when buying a sandwich, you can choose to add vegetables and remove the high-fat mayonnaise or high-sugar barbecue sauce. In addition, many delis offer combo sets that include half a sandwich, half a salad or a cup of soup, which can be good for controlling carbohydrate intake.
Best bet: Choose fresh, lean cuts of meat instead of meat products. This is because meat products tend to contain more salt. Turkey and chicken are good choices because they are usually low in fat and salt, provided they are not included in a mayonnaise-based salad.
Choose breads and rolls made from whole grains because they are more nutritious than white bread. But according to Smithson, “whole grains do not equate to high fiber or low carbohydrate.”
In general, a 15-centimeter tortilla or half a sandwich provides 15 grams (1 serving) of carbohydrates. You need to consume 2 to 5 servings per meal. Therefore, it is recommended to eat a salad for protein and milk or fruit for carbohydrates.
Vending machines
Vending machines offer mostly high-salt and high-sugar foods. Bagged crackers with peanut butter or cheese look great, but Smithson believes that “these foods are too low in protein and provide mostly carbohydrates.”
Best bet: Nuts. She says, “Nuts are low in carbohydrates, rich in protein, and provide ‘beneficial’ monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fatty acids.” . But beware: many vending machines sell large packages, so if you only need to eat about 18 cashews or 28 peanuts, you need to save the rest for another time.
Convenience stores
Convenience stores don’t offer as much variety as grocery stores, but they do offer some good choices, with more options in the refrigerated section.
Best bet: Try bagged vegetables with a sauce. Most vegetables are lower in calories and also lower in carbohydrates, so they keep blood sugar levels in check,” said Alison Massey, director of diabetes education at Mercy Medical Center. In addition, vegetables are rich in vitamins and minerals.”
Other options: 1 piece of fruit the size of a tennis ball or 1 small cup of plain yogurt.
Coffee shop
Take a relaxing morning at a coffee shop or enjoy an afternoon tea time. The premise is to avoid coffee with a lot of sugar.
Best bet: Go for simple drinks, Massey says, “Choose unsweetened teas, Americanos, ‘skinny’ lattes with unsweetened syrup and low-fat milk. Such drinks are lower in calories and carbohydrates, but you still need to check the nutritional data to confirm.”
Office snacks
Easy to indulge in eating out? Lori Zanini, a certified diabetes educator on the HealthCare Partners website in Los Angeles, says, “Healthy eating needs to be planned ahead.”
It’s still important to maintain a healthy eating plan at the office.
Best choices: Zanini suggests, “If it’s been more than 5 hours since your last meal, it’s recommended to eat a snack that provides one serving of carbohydrate (15 grams) and one serving of protein.” Try the following foods.
- 1 apple with 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter.
- 2 tablespoons of raisins and 1/4 cup of almonds.
- 3 cups popcorn and some toasted pecans.
- Peanut butter whole wheat bread sandwich.