Eating out should be a pleasurable for you as well as for everyone else. It’s fine for you to go out for a meal on occasions but try where possible to make good food choices. If you are on insulin therapy, remember you may need to adjust your dosage
RESTAURANTS
Look at the menu and decide on how many courses you would like. Below are some ideas on how to control your fat and sugar intake. This advice below is not specific to any one type of cuisine but tries to cover all types.
STARTERS
Try low fat starters such as tandoori chicken or chicken tikka, prawns instead of deep fried starters such as somosas, pakoras and spring rolls.
Choose a stock based or vegetable soup as an alternative to a cream soup and is better than spring rolls or prawn toast
Choose plain bread rather than garlic bread.
Choose a fruit cocktail, smoked salmon or salad as an alternative to prawn cocktail. If available have a low fat dressing rather than an oil based dressing.
MAIN MEALS
Be careful with curries , which have the name masalas or kormas as these are high in fat!
If you are having a traditional roast meal choose grilled/roast lean meat/chicken with plenty of boiled vegetables. Accompany this with jacket potatoes or boiled potatoes instead of chips/ roast potatoes
Try Grilled fish for a change
Try to choose pasta dishes that are tomato rather than cream based, as these are lower in fat. Limit any cheese you add to the pasta.
Choose thin based pizza and try to have extra vegetables or lean meats/chickens instead of extra cheese, pepperoni, sausage as these are lower fat choices. A thin base and side salad is much lower in fat than deep pan and garlic bread.
Try to be careful with sweet and sour dishes as the meat / chicken is fried in batter and the sauce is sweet.
Choose boiled /steamed rice rather than fried.
When choosing stir fry choose lots of vegetables Chicken, lean beef or fish are good additions.
Dhal dishes are a good choice as these are high in fibre which is beneficial to your blood glucose control
DESSERTS
Choose fresh fruit or tinned fruit in natural juice.
Try a scoop of ice cream either with fruit or alone.
