Diabetes is a health condition which affects millions of adults as well as individuals from younger age groups in America. It can lead to other health conditions which can greatly affect the quality of a person’s life, and to counter it, staying within your doctor’s advised practices is a much. This often includes medication and the right kind of diet.
One of the hardest parts of being a diabetic would be to stick to a healthy diet—especially if you often buy from fast food places or restaurants close to work or for when you need ready-to-eat meals. Being aware of the nutritional information of fast food ideas for diabetics will help you stay within your healthy diet plan and can also help you and your loved ones enjoy eating out without the fear of risking your health!
Fast Food Ideas for Diabetics
You wouldn’t have to give up on fast food items if you are a diabetic. If you are trying to stay healthy, all you need to do would be to have the right fast food ideas and you can still enjoy those treats. Staying within your healthy diet is possible if you try the following ideas and fast food options:
Chick-Fil-A’s Grilled Chicken Sandwich
A lot of restaurants offer grilled chicken sandwiches which are usually prepared from chicken breasts which contain minimal amounts of fat. The trick when you order sandwiches of any kind would be to not have the mayo. This sandwich from Chick-Fil-A has only 400 calories—good enough for a full meal which has only 3.5 grams of fat, 6 grams of fiber, and 30 grams of protein. This also comes along with a large fruit cup—already included in the 400-calorie count!
Chili-Topped Potato from Wendy’s
Actually, this is not something you would find on their menu. It’s something you can make by buying their plain potato and then having a small chili. It will give you half of your daily needed fiber amount of about 12 grams. It has 460 calories for a full meal which you can simply down with water, and only 40 milligrams of cholesterol.
Chicken Teriyaki Bowl from Jack in the Box
If you want a full meal on the go or something to enjoy when the family goes for Jack in the Box, this is something you can enjoy guilt-free. This meal is low on saturated fats at just one gram while having a good amount of protein at 25 grams. Overall it has 585 calories—good enough considering it’s a full rice meal which can help you last a day outside!
Arby’s Regular Roast Beef Sandwich
This entry from Arby’s only has 350 calories 39 grams of carbs, and 12 grams of fat. You can even add a chopped salad which has only 80 calories to make you feel fuller and some balsamic vinaigrette dressing with 65 calories. You will get a satisfying meal while staying under 500 calories. Another offering you can consider from Arby’s is their Melt sandwich which has only 330 calories!
Premium Grilled Chicken Classic from McDonald’s
You may have thought you have no safe options from McDonald’s but you do! Their Premium Grilled Chicken Classic Sandwich has only 350 calories and 9 grams of fat. Grilled chicken sandwiches are often excellent choices when you would like to stay within the healthy range.
Fresco Chicken Soft Taco from Taco Bell
While almost everything from Taco Bell looks like it’s loaded with calories, this is one of the fast food ideas for diabetics which can give you a fuller feeling. It has only 150 grams of calories and 3.5 grams of fat. You can pair this with a lighter choice of fresco style salad!
For more information on the fast food items mentioned here and for other fast food ideas for diabetics, check out the articles “10 Best Fast Food Meals” found in WebMD and “Rescue Your Fast Food Meal” in Prevention.com.
Other Fast Food Ideas for Diabetics
When thinking of other healthy ideas for dining out when you are affected by diabetes, here are some general tips you should take into consideration:
Mexican Fast Food Places
If you are a fan of burritos, a lot of Mexican fast food places offer you the option of adding or removing which ingredients you want. A great thing to do would be to have the pinto beans or black beans instead of the fried beans. For your order, you can make it healthier by requesting for more tomatoes, salsa, and lettuce.
Pizza Places
Just because pizza is notorious for having a lot of cheese, fats, and other “bad” stuff, you can still indulge in them every once in a while. To avoid too much consumption, order a thin instead of the regular-crush pizza, and have the vegetable toppings instead of pepperoni or other meat. You can also request for a little less cheese on top!
Salad Bars
Enjoy the salad bar as much as you can! This is a great way to have as many vegetable as you want in your salad with the knowledge that you’re still eating healthy. You just have to keep in mind what items to avoid. The toppings or dressings are those which have the most calories. Avoid mayonnaise and stick to light vinaigrettes or just add a very minimal amount of dressing. A good tip to follow would be to take a smaller dish, have just a tablespoon or so of dressing, and dip your food every once in a while there to have better control of the intake instead of drizzling it all over the salad.
Fried Chicken
You can avoid the extra fat by removing the skin from your chicken. To feel fuller, eat your chicken with fries—preferably wedges for less fat absorbed or simply some mashed potatoes with just a bit of gravy.
You don’t have to feel denied of the good food when eating on the go or when you and your family decide to eat out. Make any meal healthier by ordering fruit juice or water, and you can enjoy these healthy ideas the next time you decide to eat fast food meals!
