Dr. Ahmed A wide variety of the best Fast Food Options For Diabetics are presented here.
Since people worldwide have different tastes and preferences, here is a wide variety of the best diabetes-friendly takeouts.
Diabetics do not get to enjoy the quality of life as much as they like, mainly because the food made these days is highly unhealthy for them.
However, that is not the case anymore as more and more advancements are being made in the food industry and restaurants are making food items that are very inclusive to the needs of patients with diabetes.
Here we have a list of fast food options that will be well suited for diabetics.
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Fast Food Options For Diabetics: If You Feel Like Eating Chicken
In general, poultry is a good choice for a diabetic diet—except when it’s floured or dipped in batter and deep-fried.
Items on the menu at restaurants like KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) and Popeyes include not only carbs but also saturated fat and calories.
Therefore, when you are looking to add some chicken to your fast food diet then make these choices:
- go for skinless chicken instead of fried chicken,
- choose green beans instead of mashed potatoes or mac & cheese, and
- Choose Cole Slaw instead of some biscuits.
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Fast Food Options For Diabetics: What About Mexican Food?
From Chipotle:
Because each meal can be customized, Chipotle can be a fantastic option for persons with diabetes.
They also have their own nutrition calculator, so you can construct your own meal and know exactly what you’re ordering in terms of nutrition.
Here’s what I suggest:
Burrito bowl or salad with chicken, fajita vegetables, 1/2 cup beans, 1/2 cup rice, 1/2 cup cauliflower rice, veggie-based salsa, and guacamole (Ask for their “light” serving if you want cheese or sour cream.)
The beautiful thing about Chipotle’s made-to-order menu is that you may request a ½ of any starchy carbs, such as rice or beans, or ask for all of them to be omitted entirely. It’s a simple request that makes including a few chips in your dinner much easier.
If you’re a vegetarian, order the Salad Bowl with Chicken, but rather than chicken, request a double quantity of black beans.
Choose Tomatillo Green-Chilli Salsa over tomato-based salsas, which have twice the sodium content (260 mg per serving compared to around 500 mg respectively).
From Torchy’s Tacos:
If feasible, request corn tortillas for any tacos you order. Each taco will be wrapped in two tortillas (which does not really make sense), but you only need one, so try to save the second one to take home with you.
Choose tacos with vegetables and protein instead of fried fillings as the former is a much healthier option.
Migas on corn tortillas (remember to take that extra tortilla off or ask for just one tortilla), Chicken fajita taco, Beef fajita taco, or Mr. Orange taco are our top suggestions.
From Taco Bell:
Salad tacos with lettuce, tomato, mild cheese, pinto or black beans, avocado, and olives, no cream cheese or chips, and rather than creamy sauce, salsa or pico de gallo.
Power Menu Bowls with Chicken or Steak. (Albeit not the lowest carbohydrate option on the menu, they do provide a decent mix of fat, fiber, and protein when eating fast food.) Alternatively, make two soft tacos and replace the beef with chicken.
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Fast Food Options For Diabetics: Want To Go For Some Chinese?
Chinese foods are generally loaded with salt or sugar which makes them avoidable for people with diabetes.
Chinese restaurants like Pei Wei and Panda Express do offer some options that are acceptable. What a person needs to keep in check is the portion size.
Fast food options are generally cheat meals and if portion sizes are exceeded then it may be detrimental to one’s health.
From Pei Wei:
There are just two salad bowl options on Pei Wei’s menu, but each one has more vegetables than the other main courses.
Choose the Asian chopped chicken salad for a lighter dinner. 660 calories, 35 g of fat, 5 g of fat, 44 g of carbs, 46 g of protein, and 1,850 mg of sodium make up the Asian sliced chicken salad.
It comes with chicken, carrots, peppers, onions, cilantro, and crispy wontons on a bed of greens with lettuce and a sesame ginger dressing.
Dishes with varying levels of spiciness can be found on the Pei Wei menu. If you would like spicy food, look for products with a small flame in front of the menu listing.
Some folks find that increasing the spiciness level helps them regulate their portion sizes. It’s more difficult to eat too much spicy food.
From Panda Express:
When compared to other dishes on their menu, the next selections are low in salt and reasonable in carbohydrates:
- Grilled Teriyaki Chicken, Asian Chicken, Potato Chicken, or Broccoli Beef with vegetable-focused side dishes
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Fast Food Options For Diabetics: How About Starbucks?
Tomato & Mozzarella Panini
Fresh mozzarella, tomato, and basil are a winning combination, — particularly when served hot on toasted focaccia and containing just under 400 calories. Pair it with the Seasonal Fruit Blend cup for additional antioxidants and fiber.
Its nutritional value is summarised as; 360 Calories, 12 g fat, 5 g sat fat, 590 mg sodium, 47 g carbs, 3 g fibre, and 15 g protein. [Ref]
Eggs & Cheddar Protein Box:
With multigrain muesli bread and honey peanut butter, two cage-free hard-boiled eggs, sliced tart apples, grapes, and white Cheddar cheese are combined.
Its nutritional value is summarised as; 470 calories, 21g sugar, and 25g fat. [Ref]
Chicken & Quinoa Protein Bowl with Black Beans and Greens:
According to the Starbucks website, this dish is a mix of fresh greens, tomatoes, roasted corn, black beans, jicama, paprika, and cotija cheese that are blended with grilled chicken and a medium-spiced chile vinaigrette for a bright but not over-the-top sensation.
This fast food item is a great blend of fiber and protein, however, you must reduce the position size to half in order to control your sodium intake.
This item is composed of 420 calories, 11g sugar, and 17g fat. [Ref]
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Fast Food Options For Diabetics: Feel Like Going For McDonald’s?
Choose their Classic Cheeseburger:
This specific option is much healthier than other options available on their menu list. However, this can be made even healthier by following the steps mentioned below.
If you’re attempting to stay under low-sodium guidelines, choose a side salad, but go easy on the dressing. The salt content of most McDonald’s dressing packets is over 400 mg per serving.
If you want to add fries, go with the Kids Fries, which have only 110 calories, 5 grams of fat, 80 mg of salt, and 15 mg of carbohydrates.
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