Chinese: Steamed Chicken and Broccoli “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.
If you're eating Chinese food, chances are there's going to be rice on your plate. And if that rice is white, be prepared for a major blood sugar spike. White rice is so troublesome that one study found that for each serving a person ate per day, their risk of developing type 2 diabetes jumped by 11%.
Chinese and Other Asian Cuisines
You are sure to spike your blood sugar and put a damper on weight loss if you have mounds of white rice, fried rice, or chow mein or pad thai noodles. The same is true if you get fried or breaded chicken, fish, or shrimp dishes.
Worse Bet: Chinese Combo
Deep-fried egg rolls, fried rice, and a main dish dripping in oily sauce make this meal an unhealthy choice. The total sodium in this type of meal is more than most people with diabetes should have over 3 days.
Chinese: Steamed Chicken and Broccoli
“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.
Watch out for sodium
Soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, hoisin sauce, black bean sauce, shrimp paste, bouillon cubes ... These flavor enhancers undoubtedly make dishes taste more delectable.
So I dug into the research, and yes — shirataki noodles are a great option for anyone with diabetes, prediabetes, or those who just want to limit carbs. And it's not just because they're carb-free. They also have quite a few health benefits worth noting.
Diabetics can make healthy choices when ordering noodles away from home. Order boiled or baked noodles and avoid those that have been fried or stir-fried. The latter are cooked using a lot of oil, which increases calories and fat. Avoid pastas in cream or butter sauces and order tomato sauce instead.
Steamed vegetables
Popular examples include steamed dumplings and steamed greens. Try steaming greens like bok choy or Chinese broccoli — available at most Asian markets — with oil, salt, and pepper for a simple, low carb addition to your Chinese meal.
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.
Good, lower-calorie choices include: steamed, broiled or roasted chicken, beef, pork or shrimp Chow Mein, Chop Suey, Moo Goo Gai Pan, and of course, steamed veggies. Anything described as crispy, coated, marinated, twice-cooked or battered suggests higher calorie and fat contents.
Brown rice has a medium GI score, making it more suitable than white rice — which has a high score — for people with diabetes.
Share on Pinterest In moderation, some types of rice can be healthful for people with diabetes. It is best to choose brown or wild rice because these types have a higher fiber content than white rice, so it takes longer for the body to digest them.
Indeed, people with type 2 diabetes who ate a 50-gram (g) serving of pasta experienced lower spikes in blood sugar than they did after eating equal portions of white bread, potato, or rice, according to past clinical studies referenced in a study published in the April 2021 issue of BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health.
MSG has been associated with an increased risk of metabolic disorders, primarily due to animal studies that have linked the additive to insulin resistance, high blood sugar levels, and diabetes ( 2 , 7 ).
The classic stir-fry recipe is the perfect way to make a healthy, diabetes-friendly and low-carb meal from whatever you might have in the fridge or pantry. Heat up a little oil in a skillet (a wok is great, but any skillet will do), throw in some protein and vegetables, and stir.
The right dietary choices help manage the blood sugar and cholesterol levels while keeping one's weight in check. The best Indian Food options that are good for people with Type 2 Diabetes are: Lentil soup, also known as the famous Indian Yellow Dal, Mixed Vegetables and Vegetable curries.
Classic dumpling recipes often call for heavy cream or a high-fat cream-based soup as a broth, not to mention immoderate amounts of butter and all-purpose white flour. In other words, they're anything but appropriate for a diabetic trying to keep their blood sugar in check.