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If you’re trying to figure out eating out with gestational diabetes, this is your go-to guide for how to still enjoy yourself while eating out!
I promise, it’s possible! I thought it wouldn’t be and was completely bummed when I was diagnosed with GD a week before a trip to New Orleans. We were there for a week and I only spiked after ONE meal. I would call that a major, major win.
I know it can feel stressful and overwhelming, but below are some really solid tips. From what to order at various restaurants, to general tips and tricks, this guide will have you ready to go out stress free and actually enjoy yourself.
Need more gestational diabetes meal ideas? We’ve got you covered here with breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and more!
This post is all about eating out with gestational diabetes.
General Tips:
1. Always always always stick to water! Water helps a ton
2. Walks after meals help balance things
3. Prioritize protein, veggies, fiber, and fats
4. Chain restaurants can be a good idea since a lot offer nutritional information online
5. Be mindful of hidden carbs like in sauces, dressings, glazes, or breading
6. General guideline for plating: half vegetable, quarter healthy carb, quarter protein
7. Ask if they have a keto friendly or diabetic friendly menu
Specific Meal Ideas:
8. Burger without a bun with a side salad or just have a few fries/sweet potato fries with it
9. Salads with grilled meat and vinaigrette dressing
10. Steakhouses – get a huge steak and a veggie side
11. Fajitas and make a “fajita bowl” without the tortillas
12. Barbecue—try to find a vinegar based sauce or dry rubs as opposed to a thicker barbecue sauce
13. Hot wings (non-breaded) with blue cheese (be mindful of sauces)
14. Tacos with extra meat on corn tortillas no chips
15. Salad with ranch, meat, and a potato side
16. Chipotle bowls with brown rice, extra meat, and veggies
17. Chinese food like moo shi or egg fu young or moo goo gai pan
18. Chicken or veal piccata/alfredo over broccoli instead of pasta
19. Hot pot skip the noodles
20. Baba ganoush with a kebab
21. Gyro meat over a salad with hummus
22. Rice-based dishes (Chinese, Indian, Thai) over cauliflower rice instead of white or brown rice
23. Caesar salad hold the croutons with double protein
24. Thin crust supreme pizza with salad or wings
25. Chinese food over steamed veggies
26. Indian – tandoori chicken, channa masala, aloo gobi or gobi muttar with about 1/3 cup basmati rice or cauliflower rice
See! Lots of ways to go out and enjoy yourself. Might not be what you’d normally order, but you can still go out to eat and have a delicious meal. Just because you have GD doesn’t mean you can’t live a little 😊
