Diabetes & Fast Food

If you have diabetes, you know how hard it is to eat at fast-food restaurants. It can be a huge drag to crave a quick burger and feel you have to steer clear of it because you've been told a fast-food meal is the worst thing for your diabetes. However, you can eat meals at fast-food restaurants as long as you are properly informed about them.

Significance

Whether or not you are diabetic, you shouldn't eat fast food seven days a week. These foods are saturated with fat and sugar and should be consumed sparingly. Yet one fast-food meal a week will probably do no harm, even if you're diabetic--though if you are diabetic, you will have to be more proactive about your meals.

Types

The key to managing your diabetes is controlling your intake of carbohydrates because too much sugar and starch will cause insulin overload. That said, diabetes management depends not so much on the types of foods you eat but on their portion sizes. At fast-food restaurants, for instance, you should eat a small cheeseburger but skip the fries in order to keep your blood sugar from spiking.

Considerations

Depending on where you choose to eat, you will have to carefully scan the menu. If your fast-food restaurant has a salad bar, you should load your salad with vegetables and skip fatty toppings like bacon bits and croutons. If you order pizza, top it with vegetables and go easy on the cheese and meat. If you have a sandwich, add only a thin layer of mayonnaise.

If you choose to eat at ethnic restaurants, you'll have to be aware of their healthier options. For instance, at a Mexican restaurant, you should order salsa instead of cheese as a dip. If you're at an Italian restaurant, include chicken on your pasta and make sure to eat only half of what's on your plate. It's also important not to eat additional carbs like breadsticks and cakes if your main dish is pasta.

Prevention/Solution

Avoid all-you-can-eat buffets. These buffets are diet traps because they encourage you to fill your plate and go back for second or third servings.

As for desserts, you can certainly have them, but it is better to split your dessert with another person. At the very least, you should watch out for toppings like whipped cream and hot fudge--chances are, your dessert already has plenty of sugar and starch on its own.

Benefits

As a diabetic, you have a leg up on non-diabetics because you are forced to take control of your diet. You should never treat any food as a "forbidden fruit" because you are perfectly free to enjoy high-calorie foods in moderation.