Fried Chicken Restaurants In general, poultry is a smart choice while following a diabetes-friendly diet—except when it's breaded or dipped in flour and fried. This version adds not just carbs but saturated fat and calories as well to menu items at restaurants like KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) and Popeyes.
KFC options
Opt for 2 Whole Wings (Original Recipe or Extra Crispy), or any cut of their grilled chicken. For your sides, pick from: green beans, coleslaw, sweet kernel corn, corn on the cob, and/or mashed potatoes.
Fried food
It is better to not give your diabetic parent any fried food, since they are high in simple carbs and fat–a toilsome combination for diabetics. Since fat takes a while to digest, it will not only raise your parent's blood sugar but can also keep it high for a really long time.
Avoid Fried Foods Like French Fries and Chicken Nuggets
Fried foods are usually breaded, which can add up to lots of carbohydrates, unhealthy fats, and calories, says Kimberlain. Too much fat in your diet can lead to weight gain, she adds, which can worsen type 2 diabetes.
How often can a people with diabetes have a cheat meal? “Cheating once a week for normalcy is acceptable. However, cheating every other day can become an issue”, Shilpa added.
“When ordering Chinese, focus on dishes packed full of lean proteins and vegetables with limited rice and noodles,” advises Palinski-Wade, who suggests ordering steamed chicken and broccoli with the sauce on the side.
The Original Recipe Chicken Breast provides 390 calories, 21g fat, 4g saturated fat, 1190 mg sodium, 11g carbohydrate, 0g sugar, and 39g protein.
Resist the Crunch of Sodium-Laden Chips and Crackers
You may love their lip-smackin' saltiness, but potato chips, tortilla chips, or corn chips (including those in restaurant nachos), crackers, and pretzels are not the best food choices for people living with diabetes.
Barbecued or grilled meat or fish starters are likely to be lower in fat than richer dishes, so opt for chicken satay, tikka, mixed grills or tandoori. Scan the menu for steamed or boiled dishes like steamed rice, noodles with vegetables, grilled meat and fish dishes.
The result: McDonald's wins
While chicken is an obvious Men's Health staple, KFC's reliance on greasy oils and subsequent sky-high calorific content makes Maccy's an unlikely victor.
We know air frying is better than traditional frying because it cuts down on fat and calories typically added when frying in oil. So, in that sense, air fried foods are the better choice when you have diabetes, especially if you're looking to lose or maintain weight.
The American Diabetes Association recommends choosing whole grain bread or 100 percent whole wheat bread instead of white bread. White bread is made from highly processed white flour and added sugar. Here are some delicious and healthy breads to try: Joseph's Flax, Oat Bran and Wheat Pita Bread.
Cruciferous Vegetables
Vegetables that belong to the cabbage family such as cauliflower, Brussels, broccoli, and sprouts should never be consumed raw. These vegetables contain sugar that is difficult to digest. Eating these vegetables raw may lead to a number of gastronomical problems.
People with type 2 diabetes should limit or avoid high-fat cuts of meat, such as regular ground beef, bologna, hot dogs, sausage, bacon, and ribs, because like full-fat dairy, they're high in saturated fats, explains Kimberlain.
Though other chicken options at KFC may not be keto-friendly, the grilled chicken is. KFC Fried Chicken is not a healthy choice at all as it contains about 8-11 grams of carbs per medium-size piece whereas KFC Grilled Chicken is the healthiest option to consider when you are following a low-carb diet.
Which Is The Unhealthiest Food At KFC? The unhealthiest item on their menu is chicken pot pie. It contains 790 calories, 46 grams of fat, 37 grams of saturated fat, 95 milligrams of cholesterol, and 2,120 milligrams of sodium.
KFC grilled chicken
In addition, fried chicken contains about 8–11 grams of carbs per medium-size piece. Grilled chicken is a much better option and available at many Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) franchises. Each piece of grilled KFC chicken has less than 1 gram of carbs.
Unless you overturn the original Fish and Chips recipe, you can't reduce its fat and carbohydrate content. For this reason, Fish and Chips are not a dish typically suitable for those who have diabetes.
People with diabetes can eat pasta but should choose whole grain types and watch their portion size. Diabetes-friendly pasta recipes may include alternative types of pasta, along with healthy vegetables, protein, and low-fat sauces.