Contents:
- Medical Video: Choosing the Best Cereal - Diabetes Center for Children at CHOP
- Order wisely
- Breakfast tips
- Simple steps to eat fast food well
- Don't order jumbo
- Make it a habit to order food without topping
- Eat a salad
- Don't just eat foreign food
- End with a healthy dessert or snack
Medical Video: Choosing the Best Cereal - Diabetes Center for Children at CHOP
When you are diagnosed with diabetes, you are advised not to eat fast food. Likewise for people who feel healthy, it is not recommended to consume fast food frequently.
Even though you may want fast food, believe it or not, it turns out you can make healthy fast food. Yes, eat fast food is healthy. How to? First of all, know for sure what your future plans are for healthy living.
In maintaining the basic rules of good nutrition, consider the following:
- Eat a variety of foods with the appropriate amount.
- Include non-flour vegetables at each meal.
- Choose grains.
- Limit "bad fats" (saturated fats and trans fats).
- Eating foods that contain salt to a minimum.
- Stick to the ideal and appropriate portion.
- Follow the guidelines of dietitians or doctors.
Order wisely
The food you ordered is the key. It's easy to eat foods that are high in fat, salt, and calories in just one fast food meal. But it is still more possible to make wise choices and eat healthy enough foods.
Here are some tips to help you choose well:
- Look at the food nutrition information. Most fast food places have a place that provides that information in restaurants. You can also search online.
- Know that on average fast food can contain 1,000 calories or more, and can increase your blood sugar levels, even exceeding the target.
- Know the nutritional value of the food you ordered. Although there are several good choices, most fast foods are high in fat and calories.
- If you see a combo meal, ask to replace the fries with salad, carrot, or apple slices for french fries.
- If you eat fast food for one meal, add other foods that contain healthy foods, such as non-fried vegetables, fruit, and seeds.
- Think about how your food will be cooked. Chicken and fish can be a good choice, but they can have more calories and fat if they are breaded and fried.
Breakfast tips
If you want to have breakfast with fast food, choose eggs with a slice of whole wheat bread or an English muffin. Or try fruit and yogurt with some beans sprinkled.
Avoid muffins loaded with sugar, fat, and calories. Even "low fat" muffins are usually very high in calories from what should be contained in a food.
Order cold cereal with fat-free milk, pancakes with sugar-free syrup, or plain scrambled eggs. Limit meat and sausages because they have high saturated fat.
Simple steps to eat fast food well
The fast food we eat can last longer than we know. With a little information, you can avoid problems that can affect your health.
Pay attention to words like jumbo, giant, deluxe, or super sized. Larger portions mean more calories. They also mean more saturated fat, cholesterol, and salt.
Stay away from double burgers or "super" hot dogs with cheese, chili or sauce. Just order an ordinary sandwich or small size.
Order plain food, without topping, sauce or mayonnaise. Add the taste of your food with mustard, tomatoes and onions.
Ask for a sandwich or burger without cheese. Cheese carries an additional 100 calories per ounce, as well as extra fat and sodium.
Grilled or steamed sandwiches with meat, such as roast lean beef, turkey or chicken breast, or nonfat ham.
Fill your salad plate with carrots, peppers, onions, celery, broccoli, cauliflower, spinach and other vegetables. Also add those that contain healthy fats such as sunflower seeds, also with foods that contain protein such as grilled chicken, beans, or peas.
Be careful choosing potatoes and macaroni salads covered in lots of mayo and topping, because it's high in calories, like dressing, bacon bits, cheese, and croutons.
Order bean burritos, soft tacos, fajitas, and other non-fried foods when eating Mexican fast food. Choose chicken meat rather than beef. Limit roasted peanuts. Or ask if they have beans that are not fried.
Give lettuce, tomatoes and salsa in addition. You can also add a little cheese, plus sour cream or guacamole.
Pizza can be a good choice of fast food. Choose pizza that is thin with topping vegetables. If you want meat or cheese, limit it to 1-2 slices, because they can add calories, fat, and sodium.
Chinese cuisine may look like a healthy food choice, but many dishes are fried or have high levels of fat and sodium, especially in sauces. You can ask for the sauce to be given to the food just a little to the waiter you eat.
If you eat fried chicken without skin, know that the chicken has the same amount of fat as an ordinary chicken.
End your meal with sugar-free foods, you can get whole fat-free yogurt or in the form of frozen yogurt. Even better if you bring fresh pieces of fruit from home or order them at the restaurant where you eat, if you have one.
Sorbet has less fat and calories than ice cream, but its sugar content is high. They can raise your blood sugar levels if you don't put extra carbohydrates in your meal plan.
If you eat outside the home, make the right food choices, ask for what you need, and try to balance your food in the restaurant with the healthy food you eat at home. You can enjoy it yourself and treat your diabetes at the same time.
