Soups, vegetable sticks with dips, olives, undressed salads, chicken tikka, grilled shish and seekh kebabs are generally healthier choices than spring rolls, samosas and pakoras. Naans are often very large; they're made with low-fibre white flour and may be drenched in butter.
1. Chipotle options. Chipotle can be a great choice for people with diabetes because of the customization of every dish. They also have their own nutrition calculator so you can build your meal and know the exact nutritional break down of what you're ordering.
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.
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.
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%.
Aside from breakfast - Yes, you can enjoy a genuine Subway sandwich if you have diabetes. You'll need to forego the white bread and instead pick the 9-grain wheat bread. Subway creates this delicious bread completely from whole wheat. If you pick a mini whole wheat sandwich, then you are looking at 27 carbs.
Is pizza safe for people with diabetes? The short answer to this question is yes, people with diabetes can enjoy all types of pizza. However, it's a good idea for all people, not just those with diabetes, to limit their intake of pizza.
Yes – if you choose wisely and in moderation. When choosing menu items at McDonald's for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, pay attention to nutritional values. Count those carbs and serving limits. Carbohydrates have the potential to affect your blood sugar levels faster than fats or proteins.
Healthier choices include steamed brown rice, sautéed or steamed vegetables, spring rolls, or soups like egg drop soup or hot and sour soup. Veggie-based items like edamame, lettuce wraps, braised bamboo shoots, or cucumber salad are a few other great options you can try.
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.
Choose Grilled Fish instead of Fried Fish
In addition, fried food is often wrapped in a breading of flour, which is rich in carbohydrates and causes glycemic peaks. For these reasons, you can enjoy a delicious dish greatly reducing the negative effects by choosing Fish and Chips with grilled cod instead of fried.
Burger: You can have a burger, but consider forgoing the bun. Top with lettuce, tomato and onion, and skip the condiments to avoid unnecessary sugars. Bean salad: Beans are a good option. While baked beans tend to be higher in sugar, a light bean salad is a great choice.
Low-fat types like cottage cheese, ricotta cheese, or mozzarella are high-protein choices that help keep your blood sugar in check. Enjoy a quarter-cup of cottage cheese with a half-cup of fruit, a piece of low-fat string cheese, or ricotta spread on whole-grain crackers.
People with diabetes can safely eat cheese as part of a balanced, healthful diet. As with other foods, moderation is key, and so a diet that includes too much cheese would be harmful to people with or without diabetes.
A 5-ounce can of tuna provides around 20 grams of protein and no carbs, which makes it a great snack option if you have diabetes. Additionally, tuna provides small amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which have been shown to help manage diabetes due to their potential to lower inflammation and improve blood sugar control.
In case you didn't get the memo: Yes, those of us with diabetes CAN eat ice cream. Even though some outside the diabetes community don't think so, and they try to convince us we can't or shouldn't, the fact remains that an ice cream sundae or vanilla waffle cone every once in a while isn't going to kill us.
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.
Potatoes are a versatile and delicious vegetable that can be enjoyed by everyone, including people with diabetes. However, because of their high carb content, you should limit portion sizes, always eat the skin, and choose low GI varieties, such as Carisma and Nicola.
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.
Finally, avoid processed meats. Items like deli meats and sausage can contain compounds and additives that are inflammatory agents, exacerbating diabetes and leading to other chronic illnesses in the future.