[dbaratta]

I avoid eating out. Even a salad with dressing is dangerous for me. My guess is that the dressing is loaded with sugars of some sort and not knowing how much I don't know what to bolus, I either take too much or too little so I just don't go out very often at all......

[yannah]

vinegar and oil. try to avoid balsamic.

[Debbie Sue]

Don't use dressing at all. The flavors of the veggies and meat will be satisfying in itself. I will have a dill pickle on the side with mine.

[owlyn]

Originally Posted by dbaratta

I avoid eating out. Even a salad with dressing is dangerous for me. My guess is that the dressing is loaded with sugars of some sort and not knowing how much I don't know what to bolus, I either take too much or too little so I just don't go out very often at all......

Couple of things:

If you are eating at a chain restaurant, just check the net before you go. Many chains post their nutrition values right on line. For those that don't, often, other sites may have the information. Great example- Chili's. I was getting the grilled shrimp Ceasar salad and avoiding the coutons. Sounds safe, right? Look it up (be sure to be sitting down).

I saw this trick in a great book, "The Diabetic's Book", by June Biermann and Barabara Toohey. Unfortunately, it is no longer in print. Anyway- here's the trick: don't put the dressing on your salad. Instead, put it in a bowl, and dip your fork in the dressing, then spear some salad. You use almost no dressing, but you still get the taste.

[kmac]

Something that has been suggested to me is to carry your own dressing. I have the same problem when I eat lunch at work. I think the dressings must be low fat ( also known as "with lots of sugar") in an effort to be healthy. Right now I am doing as Debbie Sue suggests but I am going to pick up some individual packets of dressing so they don't need refrigerating. Oil and vinegar is another good idea--no need to refrigerate.

It is too bad to feel you have to avoid going out for a meal, but we all do what we have to do. When in doubt, if available, I will order a cheese omelet and not worry about carbs. Maybe you can come up with a default like that.

I hope you find the answer that works for you.

Kathi

[foxl]

I have done two road trips -- day trips -- the last couple of weeks. So not only eating out, but not at luxury restaurants, either!

I went armed with single-servings bags of nuts and pumpkin seeds ... but did fine.

You can always use 1/2 or less of dressing, and some kinds are fairly reliable -- Blue Cheese (a standby from the 60's) is almost always low-sugar. Or as Kelli says, oil and vinegar -- the non-mixed kind, in cruets, and order it on the side so you can taste or test!

From what I hear -- DH heard an interview with a former FDA chief on this -- MANY chains actually inject chicken or meat with HFCS to "enhance flavor."

I'd rather eat what I prepare myself, anyhow!

[Josselyn]

Originally Posted by foxl

I have done two road trips -- day trips -- the last couple of weeks. So not only eating out, but not at luxury restaurants, either!

I went armed with single-servings bags of nuts and pumpkin seeds ... but did fine.

You can always use 1/2 or less of dressing, and some kinds are fairly reliable -- Blue Cheese (a standby from the 60's) is almost always low-sugar. Or as Kelli says, oil and vinegar -- the non-mixed kind, in cruets, and order it on the side so you can taste or test!

From what I hear -- DH heard an interview with a former FDA chief on this -- MANY chains actually inject chicken or meat with HFCS to "enhance flavor."

I'd rather eat what I prepare myself, anyhow!

Hi Linda.
What's HFCS?

Please and thank you.

[jenb]

I use fresh salsa as dressing and ask for olive oil if I want the added fat.

Jen

[foxl]

Originally Posted by Josselyn

Hi Linda.
What's HFCS?

Please and thank you.

HFCS = High Fructose Corn Syrup.

[jenb]

Hi Poppy. I dine in restaurants a lot. I usually order grilled meat, chicken or fish, forego the starches like rice and potatoes, and have uncooked, steamed or sauteed veggies. If dessert is on my mind I ask for fresh berries - if they're not available, no sweets for me! I test BG frequently and add little tiny boluses if I see a rising trend. The biggest problem for me with dinners out is extra fat which causes me to rise several hours after the meal. So I set my alarm for the wee hours of the a.m. and test and bolus then if needed.

Don't let your diabetes make you afraid to enjoy going out. Do it a few times and learn the tricks (like a portion the size of your hand is about a cup, a deck of cards is about the size of a serving of meat, etc.), test frequently, and have fun!

Jen

[rkicklighter]

I don't post much but had to comment on this one. My work requires up to 85% travel for 6 to 8 months a year so eating out is mandatory. As a pumper and serious carb counter, I do pretty well in most areas of the US. However I tend to stay away from the chain places and seek out the local Mom and Pop establishments. Applebee's, Chili's, Outback, they are all just about poison for me. A simple steak with veggies from either of these places will require 10 to 40% more insulin than the same meal cooked at home.

Most times it's a guessing game for me, "let's see how close we can get" then test at 2 hours and either go "ok, that worked" OR "holy ****, I screwed that one up".

The worst time for me is when in some of these foriegn countries and you really don't know what you're about to eat. Many times my job is in remote, out of the way places where the only available food is what's cooked onsite or from the road side vendor. A town of any size could be 100 miles away. Sometimes I take my own food but in the high security sites, you can bring nothing in with you.

For these countries I keep a log of what has and has not worked in the past. My CDE and I have had several conversations about compensating for these situations but it always comes down to do the best you can with the information available and try to correct after the fact.

Just my experiences.......

RK

[kmac]

Originally Posted by jenb

I use fresh salsa as dressing and ask for olive oil if I want the added fat.

Jen

This is a really good tip that I NEVER would have thought of on my own. Thanks a million for sharing. Easy, delicious and BS friendly.

Kathi

[GeishaGirl]

Believe it or not, the KFC grilled chicken has zero carbs. I just checked the ingredient list, and while they're "seasoned" with tons of **** (MSG being one of them!) there is NO HFCS at all.

I've also had good luck (believe it or not) with McD's salads, if I leave off the croutons. Literally everything at McD's now comes with nutritional information on the label -- ie, the box the hamburger comes in, the fries sleeve, etc. EVERYTHING has nutritionals.

Panera (if you have one by you) now has this FANTASTIC Cobb salad with only 9g of carbs, including dressing. If you leave off the croutons, their Chicken Caesar salad is good, too

That's the best I've got I always do badly elsewhere.

[art]

I eat in restaurants all the time.
For me it's a matter of knowing what to order.
The majority of time you can order things that don't pop your BG's.
In the chain places stick to the stuff you know.

Remember in the beginning you were told to use your meter to see what really shoots your Bg's up?
Well I did.

Restaurant? Food? Think protein. A good steak never hurt anybody.

Art

[princesslinda]

I avoided eating out much when first diagnosed, as I found I did best at home where I better could control all the variables of cooking and portion control.

Now, we eat out weekly. I have the pocket-sized Calorie-King book in my purse and it lists many popular restaurant menus and their carb counts...which makes it less stressful.

Like Art, i'll get often get a nice steak or grilled fish or chicken. I like balsamic vinaigarette dressing and will just get it on the side, dipping my fork tines in it before I pick up the lettuce. I still have over half of the dressing left when the salad is finished...and my blood sugar responds well.

I avoid rice, pasta, potatoes (sometimes i'll get a sweet potato) and I don't eat sweet sauces.