As entertaining as dining out can be for most people, this activity can be stressful and frustrating for people with diabetes. While the added issues of blood sugar testing, mealtime medications, and insulin injection can make you feel like it isn’t worth it sometimes, following a few simple steps will allow you to get all the pleasure you remember from dining out.
Look At The Menu Online
The first thing you can do is read the menu. In the past, this might require going to the restaurant early or getting a takeout menu so you can have plenty of time to review the items and make sure to find the best option for you. However, with most restaurants now having their menus listed online, you can easily view these from the comfort of your own home.
Once you have the menu, you can figure out if you need to make any changes to the food you want to order. That could be leaving off pasta and replacing it with a side salad or substituting grilled chicken breast in place of another higher calorie protein.
Due to changes in the law in recent years, large restaurants and chains must provide nutrition information to the patrons. This can help with making your advance plans.
Plan Your Mealtimes
Additionally, you should plan your mealtimes for approximately the same time you normally eat. Your body is trained to respond to increased blood sugar from your diet at those times, so coordinating your meals with that schedule will help your meal go more pleasantly.
It is also important to choose restaurants that you will feel comfortable in doing any necessary testing and insulin injections (if needed), whether that is due to private booths or lounge areas.
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