OUR QUEST FOR GOOD NUTRITION
IN THE FAST FOOD LANE

• How many times a week do you eat away from home?
• Why learn about eating out?
• Do you really know what you are eating?
• What are the best fast food choices?

Americans spend billions of dollars each year on fast food. Eating out is simply a part of life. Believe it or not, fast food can provide some very good choices. However, we need to know what those choices are because it can also be loaded with calories, fat, and sodium. Heart disease is the number one killer of men and women, and our diets can be part of the problem. The fact is, you can make healthier fast food choices no matter how pressed you are for time. Smart food choices will help keep your blood glucose level in good control.

Proper nutrition and blood sugar control doesn’t have to be lost in today’s fast-paced lifestyle. You need to know how to make healthy food choices that will fit into your meal plan when eating out. If you know what questions to ask and how to order, you can stay in control of your diabetes when eating out.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions and make requests at restaurants. Here are some questions that you may want to ask:

• Can the food be cooked a different way? For example, can fish be grilled or poached instead of fried?
• Can an item or ingredient be switched, such as mustard instead of mayonnaise, baked potato instead of fries, or green salad instead of coleslaw.
• Can sauces and dressings be served on the side? Are low-fat dressings available?
• Can you order a half portion?

This may seem like a lot of work, but here are some tips to help you to make healthy choices when you are eating out:

• Choose places that you know offer some healthy choices on the menu.
• Keep copies of menus from your favorite restaurants at home. This way, you can decide what you will eat before you arrive and balance your choices with your food during the rest of the day.
• Avoid the fatty extras such as mayonnaise, butter, sauces, and melted cheese.
• Don’t eat at buffets unless you know you can resist eating too much.
• Watch portion sizes. Plan to take home leftovers. Set aside the portion you want to take home as soon as your food arrives and ask for a doggie bag.
• Look for foods that are grilled, baked, broiled, poached, lightly sauteed, boiled, steamed, roasted, stir-fried, blackened, or teriyaki-style.
• Choose regular hamburgers without special sauces, grilled or broiled chicken sandwiches, or salad with a small amount of dressing on the side.
• Choose sandwiches made with lean roast beef, turkey, or ham.
• Take the skin off chicken.
• Share a main dish with a friend.