Eating Out

By making healthy choices people with diabetes can still enjoy dining out. If dining out regularly you should choose healthy items. Keep in mind that an occasional indulgence will not effect your overall diabetes control.

General tips for eating out

Ask about ingredients in unfamiliar dishes.
Have only one or two courses instead of all three.
Avoid pastries, crumbed or battered foods.
Ask that creamy or cheesy sauces are not added to your dish or avoid dishes described as au-gratin or creamed.
Ask for a smaller serve of meat, e.g. sirloin steak rather than rump or t-bone.
Remove any visible fat on food when it is served e.g. take the skin off of chicken, trim fat off of meat.
Order an entrée size for your main meal if serving sizes appear large.
Choose unbuttered breads. Garlic and herb breads are buttered before they are served.
Ask for vegetables to be served without butter or margarine, and salads to be served with dressing on the side.
Use buffet meals to fill most of your plate with salad and vegetables. Opt for those with minimal sauces or dressings.
Choose a small plate.
Skip the rich desserts – most restaurants will provide a fresh fruit salad. If you do order dessert, share it.
Alternate alcoholic drinks with diet soft drinks, water, fruit juice or soda water.
Ask for a jug of iced water for your table.
Enjoy your food. Relax, eat slowly and stop eating and drinking when you are full.

Tips for making healthy food choices when eating out

Lebanese and Greek
Choose	Avoid
Hommous or Tzatziki dip. Yiros with less meat and more salad. Grilled marinated meat on skewers. Cabbage rolls or stuffed vine leaves.	Yoghurt or bean based dips. Yiros with lots of meat. Felafel . Moussaka. Baklava.
Italian
Choose	Avoid
Minestrone or vegetable soup. Pasta with tomato based sauces and vegetables and/or a small amount of lean meat, chicken or fish. Plain bread. Pizza – thin base, with topping including vegetables and ask for a light sprinkle of cheese. Vegetarian Lasagne.	Pasta with rich creamy sauces or tomato based sauces with fatty meats. Garlic or herb bread. Pizza – pan fried thick base with fatty meats (e.g. bacon and salami) with extra cheese.
Asian
Choose	Avoid
Clear soups. Steamed dim sims and spring rolls. Stir fry dishes with lean meat, chicken, tofu & vegetables. Sushi. Boiled/steamed rice. Noodles (if not fried). Fruit desserts. Almond Jelly.	Cream soups. Fried spring rolls, dim sims, prawn toast, prawn chips and wontons. Fried or battered meats and vegetables e.g. Tempura, Honey prawns. Plum or peanut sauces. Fried rice/noodles. Dishes with coconut cream or milk. Fried icecream, banana or pineapple.
Mexican
Choose	Avoid
Salsa dip with tortilla chips. Refried beans. Taco/Tostada/Burrito/Enchilada with fish, lean meat, chicken and beans and lots of salad.	Sour cream or guacamole and corn chips. Heavy heese toppings.
Australian
Choose	Avoid
Baked potato with ham and salad. BBQ or rotisserie chicken with skin removed. Grilled chicken burger (skin removed) with salad. Grilled fish . Steak sandwich with salad . Hamburger with one meat patty and lots of salad on a wholemeal roll if available. Wholemeal roll / toasted sandwich with egg or lean meat or cheese and lots of salad.	Margarine and sour cream on a potato. Battered or fried chicken. Chicken skin. Fried chicken burger. Battered, crumbed and deep fried fish. Steak sandwich with egg, bacon, cheese and meat. Hamburger with margarine, egg, cheese, bacon & mayonnaise. Rolls with meat/egg and cheese, margarine and mayonnaise. Croissants with ham and cheese. Pies, pasties, sausage rolls.

Insulin and Eating Out

When dining out you may eat later than expected. If you take your insulin before your meal to avoid hypoglycaemia, take your insulin with you and give your injection as the meal arrives. Choose a meal containing carbohydrate, or ask for extra bread, rice, potato or fruit juice if there is inadequate carbohydrate in your meal. Similarly, if eating at a friend’s house, don’t be afraid to ask for a snack if you have administered your insulin and your meal is delayed.

Other Important Points

By making healthy choices people with diabetes can still enjoy dining out.
Enjoy your food. Relax, eat slowly and stop eating and drinking when you are full.