The holiday buffet is a known diet buster. For people with diabetes, a table piled high with big, high-carb, high-fat meals is an impending blood sugar disaster.
WebMD diabetes community member max9821 avoids weight gain and blood sugar swings by planning ahead and bringing her own meals. “I always make sure I have plenty of BYO food on hand, so I’m never tempted to gorge myself on other foods.”
This approach seemed to work. “Not a single kilogram of weight gained, and fasting blood sugar stayed in the low 80s,” wrote max9821 after a holiday family gathering.
Patients don’t really need to avoid buffets during the holidays. They just need to make better choices. Take this little quiz to see how well you know your holiday party food.
Test
- Salads are a healthy buffet option, but which of the following salad dressings has the fewest calories?
- a. Russian salad dressing
- b. Italian salad dressing
- c. Caesar salad dressing
- Which of the following should be used as a reference to see the correct portion size of the food?
- a. Medium sized dinner plate
- b. your own head
- c. own fist
- Which of the following appetizers is the healthiest?
- a. Carrots with hummus
- b. Pretzel Crisps
- c. avocado dip and French fries
- If you had to choose a wine, which would be the best?
- a. Margaritas
- b. White wine with soda
- c. Vodka and Coke
Answer:
- b. Italian salad dressing is the best choice of the three, with just over 70 calories per 2-tablespoon serving. (Russian salad dressing has 106 calories, and Caesar salad dressing has more than 160 calories.)
Better yet, choose a low-fat or fat-free salad dressing. Whichever salad dressing you choose, don’t spoon a big spoonful over the salad. You should spread the salad dressing on the side and first dip your fork in the dressing before taking the salad. Doing so can reduce your intake by almost 100 calories.
- c. Each fist is about the size of 1 measuring cup of food. For adults, 2 cups is the correct size of food portion.
1 cup is non-starchy vegetables (string beans, broccoli, mushrooms). The remaining 1 cup consists of whole grains and lean protein (skinless chicken breast, fish, tofu).
- a. Carrots and hummus are full of vitamins and low in calories and fat.
Pepper crackers are low in calories, but also low in nutrients. They don’t fill people up, so patients are likely to go back to the table for more food.
Avocados are good, but avocado spread is high in calories, and the corn crisps that accompany the meal are usually fried.
- b. Alcohol does not have to be considered a contraindication as long as the doctor says the patient can drink. However, alcohol must be consumed in moderation – no more than 1 glass for women and no more than 2 glasses for men. To reduce the sugar and calories in white wine or spirits, add a serving of soda water.
Consult your doctor
- Can you recommend a diet therapist to help plan a holiday meal?
- Can I eat sweets?
- Can I eat sweets? Can I drink alcohol?
- Do I need to count carbs?
- Do I need to count carbohydrates? How should I count them?
- Do I need to count carbs?
- If I overeat and my blood sugar spikes, how can I lower it?