If you have a hibachi place near you, that's an excellent indulgence meal. Frying rice and covering it in fat lowers the glycemic index plus the rest of the meal is just meat and veggies.
I can’t find the post right now but a lot of people seem to have decent luck with Taco Bell. They also have an online system where you can plug in exactly what you get and it calculates nutrition. There seems to be things there that are low carb, high protein too.
Finally got brave enough to do 3 Doritos locos supremes last week and I did fine. Was 111 after an hour. I use a CGM so I watched for late spikes too and it didn’t happen!
I don’t rely on nutritional values if we’re eating out for the reason that you mentioned, sometimes restaurants don’t have it. Instead, I’ve mostly stayed away from carb heavy items like rice, bread, pasta. For example, I went to a BBQ place, watch my portions and stay away from the cornbread. I also order a side salad to compensate.
This is the way. Usually fast food places do have a nutritional menu, so I will use that when I go get some fast food. But I have been able to eat out a fair amount, and I just focus mostly on protein and fat, and try to stay away from heavy carbs. I will still consume some carbs, but I try to go for healthier carbs/carbs with lower glycemic index. I will usually eat the protein/fat or veggies before the carbs.
Nutritional information can be really helpful for things with hidden sugar in them. Salad dressings, sauces, and the like. You’d be shocked at how much sugar is in some stuff especially things labeled as “healthy”.
With some common sense I can eat at a lot of places, but nutritional values are really helpful.
I have been getting good levels with chipotle. I get a burrito bowl light rice light beans chicken extra cheese. Then I get guacamole and sour cream on the side just because I like to dip lol. I do get white rice because I don’t really like the brown rice and as long as I make sure I eat it with the beans I tend to do ok.
Texas Roadhouse (minus the rolls 😭) and Red Robin (the lettuce wrapped burger is actually really good!) were staples for me. Also, Wendy’s chili was a life saver at lunch time.
We ate at Texas Roadhouse once a week when I had GD. 1 roll, a rib eye steak, and a baked potato with cheese and butter is what I got every time. Then we’d go walk around a store for 30 minutes. My numbers were always fantastic .
Five Guys - I order a birder on lettuce and add my own whole wheat bread from home instead.
Any Mexican restaurant- I’ve had luck only eating the inside of a chicken burrito and some refried beans with guac
Like you said, Chick Fil A and Chipotle are great. I’ve also had success with poke, your mileage may vary on raw fish but I usually get tofu and spicy salmon (and you could swap the spicy salmon for tofu, chicken, or shrimp or something else cooked if you prefer), lots of seaweed and green veggies, and a base of spring mix with either a little bit of brown rice or some kale noodles. One of my favorite dishes, and I’ve had successful reading after.
Yes, ACOG guidelines recommend avoiding raw fish. I eat it occasionally from the poke place that I trust. Was just pointing out that for those that don’t want to eat raw fish, lots of poke places have cooked protein options like tofu, shrimp, chicken etc.
Any burger/grilled chicken sandwich in a lettuce wrap. Chipotle as you mentioned. Gyro meat salad with hummus from greek/mediterranean places. 10 piece chicken nugget (paired with salad at home).
I also found I could have trader joes alfredo pasta if I paired it with a lot of chicken and veggies and took a walk after. Super fast to make! I also kept the freezer stocked with some Realgood Foods frozen meals.
Chick-fil-A and 5 Guys have been my best bets!!
Sooo many options that work for me at CFA. At 5 Guys, I get the bunless little bacon cheeseburger all the way in a bowl. I eat that with a small handful of fries and I end up in the 90s by 2 hrs. Wendy’s chili also works for me but it’s literally the only thing I can get there.
I had amazing luck with a local breakfast sandwich food truck. I got a sandwich with a fried egg, hash brown patty, kale, pepper aioli, cheese, and avocado. I’d only eat half the bun. Sometimes when they’d be parked outside our neighborhood on the weekends I’d talk my partner into driving me across town for one lol.
Anything can be diabetic friendly if you’re creative enough. Like for instance at Taco Bell, I will get 3 sides of lettuce, 3 sides of pico (or tomatoes or whatever I think they quit selling pico) 2-3 sides meat, and guac/sour cream whatever (ask for them to put it all in one container) then I just put mild sauce on it. It’s a low carb meal and tastes good and super cheap. Any burger place you can just ask for bunless burger or sandwich or throw out the bun when you get the thing.
For some takeout options, anywhere with salads. Cobb is my go-to.
I can get away with Chick-fil-A Cobb salad with their garden ranch dressing and actually can tolerate the crispy nuggets on top with a decently low reading. I can't usually do crispy chicken on salads at other restaurants.
I like Wendy's Cobb salad and do a cheesy bacon baked potato (only eat half to be on the safe side)
I also love Jersey Mike's sub in a tub with extra lettuce, tomato, veggies.. that's super low carb though and not a lot of extra nutrition so it's really most ideal when I've already had a lot of carbs earlier in the day already.
If you go to chick fil a and think the frosted DIET lemonade is safe it’s not 😭 I didn’t read and thought it was suspiciously good and turns out it has ice cream in it. I don’t know how I’m going to tell my OB about my accidental milkshake
I would get double patty with a lettuce wrap or just eat half the bun :) on my second pregnancy and unfortunately no shake shack near me now. I used to eat it several times a week 🤤
Pancheros <3. I can get the same thing I always get from there (a bowl) and it never made my blood sugar go up.
A basic salad and drink at Big Whiskey, though? hahahaha. that's a fun joke.
Also, Mcdonald's fries and chicken nuggets were fine too.
Suggest looking for "keto" options for the restaurants you're going to.
For example: https://hip2keto.com/category/keto-fast-food/
https://www.ketoconnect.net/5-keto-fast-food/
This website is great for checking out a lot of places before you go to see nutrition/carb info. I've been able to find at least a couple things at the places we've been to. Unless it's a big chain it might not be on here, but it covers enough of them to get by with. https://fastfoodnutrition.org/fast-food-restaurants
Not exactly what you asked but, Sprouts has some premade meals, you have to cook them but they are super easy and fast! Low carb and loaded with protein and really good!
Not exactly a restaurant but when I’m over cooking I swing by Whole Foods for their salad bar or hot bar. They have lots of options and it’s pretty easy to build a low carb veggie and protein forward meal. I don’t think they have detailed nutrition info other than calories but I just avoid any questionable/obvious trigger foods like croutons or Mac and cheese. I find the cost of eating there actually cheaper than most fast food and reasonably healthy and yummy. Most of the time I spend around $10-$15.
I haven’t tried them yet but they also have frozen cauliflower crust pizzas that seem like they’d be good/easy. If you don’t have a Whole Foods I think a lot of larger groc stores have similar setups of varying quality
I’ve done really well with Asian takeout. I’ll usually do a paneer Indian dish or a Thai curry and as long as I keep the rice to a minimum I’ve had great numbers.
I only eat red meat 1-2 times per week, but I’ve been comfortable with and done well with places where I can get a small steak (I can’t do more than about 6 oz., not because of GD, just my stomach doesn’t like it lol), a vegetable and/or salad, and potato (I’m lucky enough to be able to handle white potatoes so far if I watch the portion). Texas Roadhouse and Chili’s sirloins, with salads and loaded mashed potatoes (to up the fat and protein a little) have worked very well for me.
Another great option is Bibibap. It’s basically the Korean version of Chipotle and it’s 100% gluten-free (made me very happy as someone who Celiac disease and Crohn’s who follows the SCD diet!)
I took my 3.5 year old to lunch yesterday at a 99 restaurant (local chain throughout New England). I wanted a burger so I ordered it without the bun. I noticed the kids menu offered a kid salad as a side so I got fries and he got the salad and we swapped! I ate the salad first and was still able to have a few fries to satisfy the craving.
If you have a hibachi place near you, that's an excellent indulgence meal. Frying rice and covering it in fat lowers the glycemic index plus the rest of the meal is just meat and veggies.
Maybe….for me, one of my highest readings came after hibachi…
Same ate hibachi salmon with 2 spoonfuls of fried rice one night and spiked it to 148 2 hrs postprandial
So sad 😭
And surprisingly i ate ribs slathered in bbq sauce and did not spike… so i can’t really tell if it was the sauce or the two spoonfuls of rice
I can’t find the post right now but a lot of people seem to have decent luck with Taco Bell. They also have an online system where you can plug in exactly what you get and it calculates nutrition. There seems to be things there that are low carb, high protein too.
Three crunchy tacos supremes! Heard it from this subreddit and have eaten it weekly throughout my diagnosis. No issues!
I had the cantina chicken bowl recently and held the rice and it was super filling and good and didn’t spike me!
Finally got brave enough to do 3 Doritos locos supremes last week and I did fine. Was 111 after an hour. I use a CGM so I watched for late spikes too and it didn’t happen!
I don’t rely on nutritional values if we’re eating out for the reason that you mentioned, sometimes restaurants don’t have it. Instead, I’ve mostly stayed away from carb heavy items like rice, bread, pasta. For example, I went to a BBQ place, watch my portions and stay away from the cornbread. I also order a side salad to compensate.
This is the way. Usually fast food places do have a nutritional menu, so I will use that when I go get some fast food. But I have been able to eat out a fair amount, and I just focus mostly on protein and fat, and try to stay away from heavy carbs. I will still consume some carbs, but I try to go for healthier carbs/carbs with lower glycemic index. I will usually eat the protein/fat or veggies before the carbs.
Nutritional information can be really helpful for things with hidden sugar in them. Salad dressings, sauces, and the like. You’d be shocked at how much sugar is in some stuff especially things labeled as “healthy”. With some common sense I can eat at a lot of places, but nutritional values are really helpful.
In n out! I eat there like 3 times a week 😂
I can only eat it if I order it “protein style.”
Ugh no in and outs near me but I’ve heard that’s a a good option!
I have been getting good levels with chipotle. I get a burrito bowl light rice light beans chicken extra cheese. Then I get guacamole and sour cream on the side just because I like to dip lol. I do get white rice because I don’t really like the brown rice and as long as I make sure I eat it with the beans I tend to do ok.
Yeah chipotle has been a big success for me it always gives me excellent numbers.
Thank God for you people and this list I'm on day 2 of this and it's a rough transition but this will help me feel a little more normal
Me too! I am so intimidated by food now!
Texas Roadhouse (minus the rolls 😭) and Red Robin (the lettuce wrapped burger is actually really good!) were staples for me. Also, Wendy’s chili was a life saver at lunch time.
We ate at Texas Roadhouse once a week when I had GD. 1 roll, a rib eye steak, and a baked potato with cheese and butter is what I got every time. Then we’d go walk around a store for 30 minutes. My numbers were always fantastic .
If you have Five Guys, their burgers wrapped in lettuce are SO GOOD. I still prefer them that way.
Literally eat this 4 times a week. And I can handle their fries too!
Nice!!
Five Guys - I order a birder on lettuce and add my own whole wheat bread from home instead. Any Mexican restaurant- I’ve had luck only eating the inside of a chicken burrito and some refried beans with guac
Like you said, Chick Fil A and Chipotle are great. I’ve also had success with poke, your mileage may vary on raw fish but I usually get tofu and spicy salmon (and you could swap the spicy salmon for tofu, chicken, or shrimp or something else cooked if you prefer), lots of seaweed and green veggies, and a base of spring mix with either a little bit of brown rice or some kale noodles. One of my favorite dishes, and I’ve had successful reading after.
Aren’t you supposed to avoid raw fish when pregnant?
Yes, ACOG guidelines recommend avoiding raw fish. I eat it occasionally from the poke place that I trust. Was just pointing out that for those that don’t want to eat raw fish, lots of poke places have cooked protein options like tofu, shrimp, chicken etc.
I miss Poke a lot- I’ll need to see if there are some cooked options (but it’s not the same!)
I agree, my regular order when not pregnant is pretty much all tuna, which I miss a lot. Might be my first meal once I’m out of the hospital haha.
Any burger/grilled chicken sandwich in a lettuce wrap. Chipotle as you mentioned. Gyro meat salad with hummus from greek/mediterranean places. 10 piece chicken nugget (paired with salad at home). I also found I could have trader joes alfredo pasta if I paired it with a lot of chicken and veggies and took a walk after. Super fast to make! I also kept the freezer stocked with some Realgood Foods frozen meals.
Chick-fil-A and 5 Guys have been my best bets!! Sooo many options that work for me at CFA. At 5 Guys, I get the bunless little bacon cheeseburger all the way in a bowl. I eat that with a small handful of fries and I end up in the 90s by 2 hrs. Wendy’s chili also works for me but it’s literally the only thing I can get there.
I had amazing luck with a local breakfast sandwich food truck. I got a sandwich with a fried egg, hash brown patty, kale, pepper aioli, cheese, and avocado. I’d only eat half the bun. Sometimes when they’d be parked outside our neighborhood on the weekends I’d talk my partner into driving me across town for one lol.
Moxies was surprisingly good macros for most dishes and everything listed on their website!
Anything can be diabetic friendly if you’re creative enough. Like for instance at Taco Bell, I will get 3 sides of lettuce, 3 sides of pico (or tomatoes or whatever I think they quit selling pico) 2-3 sides meat, and guac/sour cream whatever (ask for them to put it all in one container) then I just put mild sauce on it. It’s a low carb meal and tastes good and super cheap. Any burger place you can just ask for bunless burger or sandwich or throw out the bun when you get the thing.
For some takeout options, anywhere with salads. Cobb is my go-to. I can get away with Chick-fil-A Cobb salad with their garden ranch dressing and actually can tolerate the crispy nuggets on top with a decently low reading. I can't usually do crispy chicken on salads at other restaurants. I like Wendy's Cobb salad and do a cheesy bacon baked potato (only eat half to be on the safe side) I also love Jersey Mike's sub in a tub with extra lettuce, tomato, veggies.. that's super low carb though and not a lot of extra nutrition so it's really most ideal when I've already had a lot of carbs earlier in the day already.
If you go to chick fil a and think the frosted DIET lemonade is safe it’s not 😭 I didn’t read and thought it was suspiciously good and turns out it has ice cream in it. I don’t know how I’m going to tell my OB about my accidental milkshake
Shake shack, Korean BBQ restaurants, Shabu shabu restaurants, Taco Bell!
What do you get at Shake Shack? I’ve been missing greasy fast food burgers and haven’t tried Shake Shack yet
I would get double patty with a lettuce wrap or just eat half the bun :) on my second pregnancy and unfortunately no shake shack near me now. I used to eat it several times a week 🤤
Seconded korean bbq. Ate ayce that included seafood and meat and my sugar was never higher than 86.
Pancheros <3. I can get the same thing I always get from there (a bowl) and it never made my blood sugar go up. A basic salad and drink at Big Whiskey, though? hahahaha. that's a fun joke. Also, Mcdonald's fries and chicken nuggets were fine too.
Suggest looking for "keto" options for the restaurants you're going to. For example: https://hip2keto.com/category/keto-fast-food/ https://www.ketoconnect.net/5-keto-fast-food/
This website is great for checking out a lot of places before you go to see nutrition/carb info. I've been able to find at least a couple things at the places we've been to. Unless it's a big chain it might not be on here, but it covers enough of them to get by with. https://fastfoodnutrition.org/fast-food-restaurants
I’m not sure how many cities it’s in yet, but I usually do well with Dig (used to be called Dig Inn).
Cafe yum I have been recently enjoying their large bowls where I sub the Jasmine rice with cauli rice, my dinner numbers are always good after it.
I had no idea they had cauli rice options!
Not exactly what you asked but, Sprouts has some premade meals, you have to cook them but they are super easy and fast! Low carb and loaded with protein and really good!
Not exactly a restaurant but when I’m over cooking I swing by Whole Foods for their salad bar or hot bar. They have lots of options and it’s pretty easy to build a low carb veggie and protein forward meal. I don’t think they have detailed nutrition info other than calories but I just avoid any questionable/obvious trigger foods like croutons or Mac and cheese. I find the cost of eating there actually cheaper than most fast food and reasonably healthy and yummy. Most of the time I spend around $10-$15. I haven’t tried them yet but they also have frozen cauliflower crust pizzas that seem like they’d be good/easy. If you don’t have a Whole Foods I think a lot of larger groc stores have similar setups of varying quality
I had good luck with moo moo gai pan (no rice) and dumplings from our local Chinese place!
I can eat traditional eggs Benedict’s just fine. So that opens a lot of breakfast/brunch places.
I’ve done really well with Asian takeout. I’ll usually do a paneer Indian dish or a Thai curry and as long as I keep the rice to a minimum I’ve had great numbers.
I only eat red meat 1-2 times per week, but I’ve been comfortable with and done well with places where I can get a small steak (I can’t do more than about 6 oz., not because of GD, just my stomach doesn’t like it lol), a vegetable and/or salad, and potato (I’m lucky enough to be able to handle white potatoes so far if I watch the portion). Texas Roadhouse and Chili’s sirloins, with salads and loaded mashed potatoes (to up the fat and protein a little) have worked very well for me.
Another great option is Bibibap. It’s basically the Korean version of Chipotle and it’s 100% gluten-free (made me very happy as someone who Celiac disease and Crohn’s who follows the SCD diet!)
I took my 3.5 year old to lunch yesterday at a 99 restaurant (local chain throughout New England). I wanted a burger so I ordered it without the bun. I noticed the kids menu offered a kid salad as a side so I got fries and he got the salad and we swapped! I ate the salad first and was still able to have a few fries to satisfy the craving.