OK, you got me! Would you like me to make a new topic and list in alphabetical order the restaurants (with perhaps a link to the nutrition information of the food they serve)? If people could continue adding suggestions to this thread, I could keep checking back and adding names to the list… Is there a way to lock the new topic (the list) so that people will come to this thread instead to add other suggestions (so I can keep the list neat and clean; I’m a little obsessive about keeping things neat )?
Yay!! You are amazing!! I love lists as well and would love to gather up some handy resources like this to be able to share.
Any way you want to tackle it is awesome.
@ locking the thread… Which other ones are you thinking people would go to?
Once we have a list (for restaurant or any other things we tackle as a community) I’ve been thinking about how and where to put them so that people can find them easily… Thoughts?
So for example, on social media, to be able to say something like “see the incredible resource list of dia friendly restaurants the community at tudiabetes has put together”…
Oh my gosh!! Thank you sooo much!
If you know how to count carbs all reasturants are carb friendly. If you cannot find a choice on the menu, ask for a substitution or just find another place to eat.
From a t2 not on medications which means what I eat is it, no corrections available.
Initial A1c 12.0 now 5.6 no meds buts lots of willpower.
Please note I responed as a type 2 , who has gone from an A1c of 12.0 to being off meds, at 5.6. Which takes a lot of will power.
This obviously does not apply to everyone.
I admit that I don’t eat out much as it stresses me out to not know exactly what’s in my food.
I hate “surprises” hehe, and always amazed at how little servers really know about the content of the food they’re serving.
With that being said, however, as much as it pains me to agree with others here, but chain restaurants certainly seem to be the most transparent with their nutritional values. I like places like Cheesecake Factory (they have a nice Salmon and veggies dish that I tend to order there) plus a huge selection of other great dishes so even picky eaters are guaranteed to find something there for their liking. As far as fast food goes, I like Five Guys burgers. They never even blink when I ask for a lettuce wrap, which is so nice. I also love Indian food, but stay away from the curry dishes in favor of tandoori style chicken or fish with a side of vegetables (many places will replace the rice for extra veggies). Mediterranean food is also nice as I can ask for a meat plate with a side salad and tahini sauce/dressing (based on sesame seeds, so high fat, low carb) it’s sooo good!.
I usually stick to meat/fish and veggie dishes as you can see. I recently got some diastix so I can test the glucose content in unfamiliar food when I do go out. It did wonders to ease my nerves about all the “hidden sugar” out there.
I typically avoid chain restaurants because the food is awful
And I am fortunate to live in San Francisc where they are mostly banned .
Which means many fine local restaurants who cook there own food.
I agree with Judith, eating out has not been a problem.
I agree with that statement and I live in Seattle so the culture/attitude revolving food here is very similar.
It can be much harder to find the nutritional value when you go to locally owned restaurants, or even a straight-forward answer regarding to what’s in the food, as I said, most servers do not know every ingredient. Many chefs frown upon any requests for substitutions too, as a lot of thought went into creating their dishes, and I totally get that, as this is their craft.
That’s why I prefer cooking my own food most of the time, despite living in an area that is well-known for having many great restaurants.
If you are in the South, try going to the deli at a Publix grocery store. I love to pick up their ready-made Boar’s Head Turkey or Boar’s Head Ham and Cheese sub sandwiches. They are fairly plain – dressing and condiment free-- so you can eat them as such or add what you want in measured amounts. I like the turkey, lettuce and cheese sub plain. My husband and I usually split one sandwich, and the carb count comes in at about 40. With an 8-carb serving of fresh fruit, this is a “picnic” lunch that we often enjoy in the car, at a park, or on the beach. It carries me well into the evening with no spiked highs or lows. Is it low carb? No, but it is balanced, nutritious, and easily countable for the correct insulin dose. Plus, it is yummy, too.
The sandwich sounds good, but just a reminder those of us who don’t use insulin don’t have an option to correct a high number. Personally I am very comfortable modifying my carb intake to keep my numbers lower.
Insulin is an an important and a necessary tool. But there are downsides to using it.
Please no lectures, no profananity laced tirades or name calling.
@Kenrick Well, they kind of do.
They can only detect glucose, no other forms of sugar or carbs so you have to mix saliva with the food first as the saliva will begin breaking down the food into glucose. It sounds a little gross but that’s how I use it. So yeah… I put that stick you’re supposed to pee on in my mouth.
I don’t mind a little premastication… thanks, that is a great tip! @bagpipegirl I had forgotten all about subway salads too, and there are a bunch of them real close to me… next time I will do a sandwich salad!
Ive noticed lately that there are a lot of subways real close to everyone! I haven’t been to one in years. Do they measure out their ingredients, or is it a less exact art form?
I like the Great Panda restaurant here in Huntsville, AL. It allows substituting mixed vegetables for the fried rice or noodles normally served with Chinese dishes.
There’s also a local Hardee’s fast food place that offers low-carb breakfast bowls, suitable earlier in the day. I haven’t found whether this is the local Hardee’s only, or a wider area.
I miss being in a part of the US with Jimmy Johns (I think mostly the midwest/south?)—I used to be able to get delivery from them at work. I loved their lettuce wrap option (giant lettuce leaf used in lieu of bread)—would get that, with turkey, avocado, bacon, hot peppers, mustard and sometimes cheese. So so good. Wish more sandwich shops did that, although I don’t know where they sourced their freakishly large lettuce.
Chipotle is another great quick option—I also get the salad with beans, meat, fajita veggies, guac, and salsas. No dressing (the guac and salsas sort of combine to be dressing enough), rice, cheese, or sour cream—latter two not high in carbs but drive up the calorie count past where I want a meal to be.
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