How Can Restaurants Support Customers With Diabetes?

Eating out at a restaurant can be very difficult for someone with diabetes. There are still many restaurants out there that do not provide many options for our friends with diabetes, even though some are starting to focus on providing diabetic-friendly meals to their patrons.

Diabetes prevents you from being able to consume almost anything without worrying about how your blood sugar is regulated. Your blood levels are impacted by everything you eat, which could hinder your attempts to lose weight and land you in an undesirable situation.

Going out is meant to be enjoyable for everyone involved. Nonetheless, one party may have a relatively unsatisfactory experience if they are having trouble locating food on the menu that meets their needs. Some of my pals who are diabetics make plans in advance before visiting any restaurants. This means taking time out of their day to thoroughly go over the menu on their website and make dinner plans.

They’ll search for substitutes and alternatives to the food they’re unable to eat. In order to find out if the restaurant offers substitutions and, if so, how much, they can even get in touch with them. Sometimes they have no idea what to order at all, so they settle for the salad selections.

Consuming a salad with every meal gets monotonous and uninteresting. In that regard, what can dining establishments do to facilitate the enjoyment of their diabetic patrons? It won’t be long until all restaurants and eateries have to start serving this demographic, as diabetes is at an all-time high.

By providing options for a healthy lifestyle, becoming a diabetes-friendly restaurant not only helps you draw in more customers with the disease but also ensures the health of the next generation.

Here are a few modest ways restaurants can contribute to the country’s effort to combat the diabetes epidemic:

Table of Contents

Cuisine suitable for diabetics

A cuisine that is diabetes-friendly just means knowing how to regulate portions. The proper proportions of carbohydrates, proteins, and other vital elements are included in a diabetes-friendly diet. For diabetics, portion control is a useful strategy for both weight loss and diabetes management. You can see a list of foods that should be included and foods that should be avoided here.

Indicate how many carbohydrates and other substances are included in the dish

This is not the first restaurant or fast-food establishment to use this tactic. About the quantity of calories, carbohydrates, and other nutrient breakdowns in their cuisine, they are quite open and honest. A diabetic will benefit from knowing precisely how much they have eaten, how those figures may impact their blood sugar levels, and whether their insulin or other diabetes prescription has to be adjusted as a result.

Replacements or alternatives to desserts and carbohydrates

A low-carb diet is popular among diabetics. Their carbohydrate intake is severely limited, and exceeding the suggested dose may be harmful.

Leafy greens in place of taco shells, Portobello mushrooms in place of hamburger buns, eggplants or cauliflower bread in place of bread, and sweet potato fries in place of classic French fries are a few substitutions and alternatives for carbohydrates. This should not be an issue when there are so many easy solutions available.

Healthy dessert substitutions include rice cake with peanut butter instead of chocolate chip cookies, yogurt with fruits and nuts or sorbets in place of ice cream, and smoothies in place of milkshakes. For dessert, Tom Shingler, feature editor of Great British Chefs, recommends pairing law-fat natural yogurts with unsweetened dark chocolate.

Possess trained personnel on hand to assist in case of an emergency

Having someone who can react swiftly to someone in need could potentially save their lives in the event of an accident. The individual may be experiencing a difficult day if their numbers are disorganized and they feel lightheaded or weak when they go to the restaurant. A member of the qualified staff will know just how to treat the client and provide the necessary assistance using their emergency supplies.

Having specific diabetes supplies on hand at the location

For a small fee, bistros, bars, cafés, and the like can provide a glucometer, test strips, and an alcohol pad and prong. Though it is unrealistic, this is something that can eventually be made available.

Provide additional low-calorie, zero-calorie, and low-sugar beverages

Water and soda are being replaced with beverages including coffee, tea, low-fat milk, and even juices without added sugar. Having sugar-filled beverages raises their calorie intake in addition to their sugar intake. Known as empty calories, they mount up fast when a person consumes soda or juice.

Ultimately, this gives the customer no extra nutritional benefit and keeps them from achieving their weight loss goals.

Add plant-based proteins to your meals, such as lentils and beans

Many diabetics follow certain diets, such as vegetarianism or ketosis. Including non-mean proteins can let these customers have a protein choice.

Provide a secure setting where a person requiring insulin therapy can go to inject

Even though in the short term all of this seems monotonous, this is how the future appears to be. Planning and implementing these suggestions at a restaurant level may take some time, but they are sensible lifestyle adjustments that will pay off in the long run.

But what about the actual world?

While you wait for permanent modifications to be made to restaurant menus and operations, you may make supper or eat out go more smoothly by using some of the simple advice provided below. Discuss your demands and limitations with your server without hesitation or fear. They are available to assist you.

Look into alternatives to frying the dish, such as grilling, broiling, or poaching.

Ask to have your baked potato or house salad substituted for your French fries.

Ask to speak with the person making your soup. Soups with cream base have a higher calorie content.

Ask to have your sauce or salad dressing on the side rather than the top of your plate.

Industry insider advice for restaurants:

Registered dietician Nicole Osinga maintains a blog at www.nicoleosinga.com. She suggests that restaurants and pubs provide additional alternatives for meal customization with non-starchy vegetables in order to better assist their diabetic patrons. The secret to controlling blood sugar levels is to put these vegetables on most of your plate. .

When dining out, she finds it difficult to get half of her dish to be made up of non-starchy vegetables because these aren’t always available. It would be wonderful to include options like sautéed broccoli, grilled mushrooms, etc.

Among her many roles as an author, editor, and farmer, Gretchen Becker is the creator of the well-known diabetes blog Wildly Fluctuating. She recommends that establishments that serve food make sure their menus always provide at least one low-carb entrée. If not, they ought to let the substitution of vegetables with lower carbs for foods high in carbs, such as bread, potatoes, and rice.

Wine journalist Dan Berger publishes the four-page weekly wine commentary Vintage Experiences, which is updated online every week. Dan believes that the ideal approach for restaurants to cater to their diabetic and pre-diabetic patrons is to figure out how much sugar is in every wine and food item on their menu and offer it upon request.

Being a vegetarian, Dan’s wife values it when eateries take the time to give her the information she needs to follow her dietary restrictions.

Jamie McDermott works as a Program Associate in the University of Arkansas’s Department of Food Science. She offered the following restaurant recommendations:

listing each selection’s total calorie, carbohydrate, protein, fat, and fiber content

Permitting the replacement of high-calorie, high-fat, and high-carb foods with ones that are reduced in fat, fiber, and calories

Adding more alternatives for starches high in fiber, like brown rice, quinoa, and whole grain pastas

offering options such as hamburger rolls, light breads, and low calorie breads rather than just big, high-carb, white-flour ones

increasing the amount of beans and legumes overall on the menu

Including low-sugar/low-calorie substitutes for high-calorie/high-calorie sauces and condiments (e.g., creamy salad dressings, maple syrup, and barbecue sauce).

Before publishing, have meals evaluated by an RD—ideally one with expertise in diabetes management.

DiabetesCouncils Article | Reviewed by Dr. Sergii Vasyliuk MD on May 20, 2020