Eat Healthy when Eating Out
IN WEIGHT MANAGEMENTIt’s easy to make healthy choices when you’re cooking at home, but what do you do when you’re faced with a menu full of tempting foods that aren't in your meal plan? Here’s some good news: a diabetic diet doesn’t have to be boring or overly restrictive. Try the following tips from the American Diabetes Association Web site, www.diabetes.org, to get the most out of your next dining experience. Plan ahead. Choose a restaurant with foods that you know fit into your meal plan. This shouldn’t be too difficult, as many restaurants are trying to meet their customers’ needs by offering healthier menu items. Often you will find menus identify low-carbohydrate and low-fat dishes for you. Shop around. Some restaurants remove the skin from chicken before cooking, omit the extra butter on a dish, broil meats instead of fry them, and serve sauces on the side. If you need a meal prepared a certain way, ask your server to check with the cook on how they can best meet your needs. Fit your needs. Not everyone with diabetes has the same meal plan or the same nutrition goals. Talk to your doctor and dietitian about your needs. Ask about eating out and how to make it healthier. Get just enough. When you eat out, order only what you need and want. If the serving size is larger, put the extra food in a take-home box before you start eating, or share some with your dining partner. Speak up. If you like the healthy choices on a restaurant’s menu, let the manager know. If you want more low-fat, low-carbohydrate choices, say so. Restaurants, like any business, offer what the customers want. They only know what you want if you tell them.
| Foods You Can Choose So what’s on the menu? The American Diabetes Association offers an array of appetizing foods you can choose the next time you eat out on the town.
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