Dining Out with Diabetes: What to Order at Restaurants

Dining Out with Diabetes: Food Sequencing, Portions & Fast-Food Swaps to Reduce Blood Sugar Spikes This episode explains how people with diabetes can still dine out by using strategies around portion control, mindful eating, and food sequencing to reduce post-meal blood sugar spikes. It notes that typical restaurant meals average about 860 calories, 122 grams of carbs, near-zero fiber, and high sodium, and describes how high blood sugar damages blood vessels and contributes to plaque, heart attack, stroke, and limb loss. The script outlines how the food industry drives overeating through oversized portions, ultra-processing, backward sequencing (bread first), hidden sugars in sauces, unhealthy oils, additives, plastics, and high sodium, and offers counter-strategies: box half the meal, eat fiber/vegetables first then protein/fat then carbs, choose lower-sugar sauces, prioritize whole grains/legumes, avoid sugary drinks, use CGM feedback, and make fast-food swaps (e.g., lettuce wrap plus salad/apple wedges) to cut calories and carbs.