What Fast Foods Can A Diabetic Eat?

Diabetes sure places a lot of limitations on what one can and cannot eat. If you have diabetes, you may be under the false assumption that you have to say goodbye to fast foods forever, but that is not the case. Yes, it is essential to control what you eat, primarily for the sake of your blood sugar levels. There is, however, a lot of room for occasional indulgences.

The problem is, diabetes can create so many complications that most often, we are quick to ban unhealthy, carb and calories loaded foods from our diet. The thing is that despite the bad reputation fast food joints unfortunately suffer, they do not serve high-carbs, high-sugar, high-fat foods all the time.

There can be instances when you have no choice but to opt for some fast-food meal, perhaps while on a long road-trip or while waiting at the airport. So we’re here with some good news for you, you needn’t stick to salads and grilled chicken all the time- you can indulge in a burger and fries once in a while.

But apart from that, we have a whole list of the fast-foods that are safe for consumption for people with diabetes and will not sabotage the blood sugar. All it takes is to make a healthy and safe choice from a fast-food menu. Here is what all you can eat without fearing a sugar spike:

1.    Turkey Sub

We’re all incapable of resisting the finest fast-food restaurant in the USA. So if you’re anywhere near it, you can safely enjoy a fresh turkey sub with whole grain bread. You can enhance the protein and nutrient level with your favorite veggies, such as cucumbers, bell peppers, tomato, crunch lettuce, and whatnot.

Now, the part that would be harmful to your diabetes is the honey mustard and mayo. Thus, you’ll far better by skipping the condiments and opting for only little seasonings and oil.

Of course, the flood nachos and quesadillas are not healthy for you too. Fresco-style means fresh tomatoes, so adding the guac and sour cream would defeat the purpose and harm your blood sugar. A scoop of guacamole with loads of onions, lettuce, and tomatoes is the maximum indulgence you must allow.

2.    Soft Tacos in Fresco-Style with Un-shredded Chicken

If you order this fast-food just as it is, you will stay in the safe zone. You can upgrade the meal with pico de gallo, onions, lettuce, and tomatoes if you like. However, if you opt for the hot sauce, then be ready for an additional 90 mg sodium.

Opting for a guacamole add-on will also increase the calorie intake by 70 mg sodium by 210 carbs by 3 g, and fat by 6 g. So if you’re considering add-ons, calculate your safe calorie, carb, and sodium intake first.

3.    Chicken and Burger Joints

Here is where you need to make the safest meal choices. For diabetic patients, it is best to stick to the grilled chicken and small burger varieties only. However, where you give in to temptation for double or triple cheeseburgers, nuggets, fried sandwiches, and the works, you’d raise the risk levels relatively high.

You can enjoy the kid-sized burgers and opt-out of the fatty, sweet, and mayo-based dipping sauces. If it is any comfort, though, you can order lots of tomatoes and lettuce to go with your safer choices. Also, French fries, mashed potatoes, onion rings, gravies, and the works are just as harmful as they sound.

You would do well with salads with a side dressing and desserts such as yogurt and fresh fruits to accompany your meal.

4.    Pizzas

This can be good news or not that good news, depending on how you take it. We know pizzas do go over the top in the calories department and also carbs and saturated fats. Yes, stuffed-crust or thick pizzas fall into the unhealthy, hands-off category for you.

But now for the good news for you- thin-crust pizzas can be a manageable and low-glycemic treat for you if you stick only to a slice or two. Now, of course, pizzas are incredibly delicious and difficult to limit to only two slices, but for a person with diabetes, that’s the best to allow.

What about the toppings on the max-two slices you can consume? It is best to opt for light cheese. While you’re at it, also ask the waiter to leave the fatty meats such as sausages and pepperoni out of your slices. Instead, ask them to load up with vegetables with your choice of protein. As a round-up, the perfect pizzas for people with diabetes look like the following:

• Extra sauce
• Thin crust
• Extra onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, tomatoes, and other veggie toppings
• Chicken or anchovies
• No sausages and pepperonis at all
• Side of green salad but no chicken wings, pasta, or breadsticks at all.

The dessert pizzas, including cinnamon sticks, are high in sugars, excess fats, and refined starches, so it is best to avoid those altogether.

5.    Blackened Salmon with Cajun Spice

Salmon packs a ton of protein, and ordering the blackened Cajun variety will provide you a meal bursting with nutrients and juicy flavors. You will have a happy tummy and a healthy meal of merely 240 calories.

As for the sides to go with your delicious salmon, we recommend steamed broccoli and garlic-flavored green beans.

6.    Mexican Fast Food

It would be best if you exercise extra caution and thoughtfulness when selecting Mexican fast food. The right choice can fill you up with a nutrition, but you could significantly damage your blood sugar if you’re not careful.

The best choices in the Mexican category for fast food is lean steak and grilled chicken because they are high in protein while being low-fat. Black beans and pinto are protein and fiber-rich, so they work well for people with diabetes. Avocado guacamole will be a healthy Mexican choice too because they are sources of good fat.

So go for tacos instead of tostadas or burritos and the other problematic ingredients. These include tortillas that oversized and over-starchy, fried tortilla chips, generous amounts of harmful cooking fats, etc.

7.    Chili

If you’re on a mission of managing your diabetes while staying true to a healthy diet, no one will ever recommend bottomless steak fries to you. But if you’re out for a night with friends or family, you certainly have the right to some indulgence.

How does the idea of a cup of chili grab you? Well, it indeed is the safest meal choice, being under six hundred calories. A cup of chili will provide you fifteen grams worth of protein and merely 220 calories. You wouldn’t feel left out as your mates enjoy calorie-loaded burgers at the very least.

8.    A Bowl or Veggie Burrito

You can enjoy a hearty bowl of burrito with loads of protein-rich beans, fajita veggies, and one scoop of guac on the top. Your total calories would be around 230 and carbs up to eight grams. Of course, your diabetes-friendly variation will not have any sour-cream and cheese on top, but that’s okay!

You can cut back on carbs by requesting a half order of beans and rice and a lettuce top-off.

9.    Zucchini Scampi

Now, if you’re hoping we’d say mac and cheese here, we hate to disappoint you. But as a consolation prize, we can tell you zucchini scampi is a safe fast-food choice for you, and you’re going to love it, we promise.

If you head over to Noodles, you’d love the efforts they have made to offer diabetic-friendly meals. You can now opt for caulifloodles or zoodles, which are vegetable noodles that offer you all the comfort and satisfaction a bowl of pasta would.

These diabetic-friendly noodles are now present in many fast food joints and do not blow your carb intake for the day. The zucchini scampi is incredibly delicious and contains approximately 12 sugar grams, carbs up to 25 grams, and calories up to 350 only.

10.  Hamburger Happy Meal

We know it is not in anyone’s power, diabetes or not, to resist McDonalds. If nothing else, then childhood memories are often just too compelling, and we cannot help but indulge in a burger or two at McDonalds.

But if you have diabetes, then making free choices could be damaging to your blood sugar. Thankfully, the happy hamburger meal is a safe choice for diabetics with a side of salad. The portions are just right for diabetes in this.

Final Thoughts

Fast foods lose their place of honor in a person’s diet if they develop diabetes. Many live under the belief that sensitive blood sugar levels will never bear the weight of fast-food meals ever again. The good news is that you can make some safe fast-food choices for an indulgence now and then. We hope you find our list helpful and healthy. Cheers!