Even though in most cases gestational diabetes is a transitive condition that lasts only so long as the pregnancy, great care should still be taken in regards to your diet. Despite its usually temporary nature, gestational diabetes is still a serious condition that needs to be approached with the same level of care and determination as any other form of diabetes in order to protect your health. The most nutritious meals that you will find that you can be absolutely sure are in line with your gestational diabetes nutrition requirements are going to be the ones that you cook yourself in your home. That being said, sometimes there is no time or energy after a busy day to cook, and the fast food sign looks so inviting. It’s going to take a bit of extra effort, but finding fast food that’s OK with gestational diabetes is most certainly a possibility.
Be Sure To Know The Ingredients
The only way to be absolutely sure whether or not a particular menu offering is going to be compatible with your particular nutritional requirements is to find out what exactly goes into that food. Most fast food restaurants have all of their nutritional information publicly available on their web sites, and it is important that you take the time to look at the food in order to be sure that it is safe to be consumed with diabetes.
When it comes to finding fast food that’s OK with gestational diabetes, there are a few things in particular that you are going to want to look for. Some of this, you will be able to find on the restaurant’s web site, but others are going to take a little bit of common sense.
Batter and Breading – Chicken breast and fish are normally great protein choices, but the problem with ordering them from a fast food restaurant is that they are almost always breaded and fried. This tastes great, but it adds extra calories, fat, and processed carbohydrates that you definitely want to avoid.
Buns and Bread – Just like with the hamburger, the quintessential fast food, most fast food items are going to come in sandwich form. While this certainly makes them convenient for munching on the go or while driving, all the refined flour and carbohydrates in the bread wreaks havoc on what would otherwise be a normal blood sugar level. If you have gestational diabetes, these must be avoided.
Potatoes – French fries, potato wedges, potato cakes, and more are staples of the fast food and drive-thru scene. Unfortunately, you need to avoid these foods if you have gestational diabetes for much the same reason as bread: consuming them results in blood sugar spikes.
Salad – There is nothing healthier than a salad, right? When it is a plain green salad with a bit of oil and a few meats or nuts, it is definitely a very healthy option. The problem with fast food salads is that they tend to come with croutons, fried noodles, sugary salad dressings, and more. While they are normally a good option, care should be taken.
Added Sugar – It may not seem like there is a lot of sugar to be found in fast food, but it is everywhere. From sodas to sugary ketchup to the buns themselves, most fast food items have sugar, usually in the form of high fructose corn syrup, added to them, and sugar is the number one enemy of diabetics and their blood sugar levels.
Photo Credit: Ekrem Gokce
Tips To Ordering Fast Food That’s OK With Gestational Diabetes
Leave off the bun or bread to cut down on flour and carbohydrates.
Ask for all sauces to be on the side.
Order grilled chicken instead of crispy. Most fast food restaurants will have this option.
Ask that any croutons or other additions, such as salad dressing, be left off of your salad. You can add them later if they are OK.
Finding fast food that’s OK with gestational diabetes may seem like an impossible task, especially given fast food’s reputation for being almost universally unhealthy. While the vast majority of offerings are in no way on the list of foods for diabetics, there is no reason why you can’t, through making smart decisions, keep your blood sugar levels normal and remain in good health, even when you have gestational diabetes.
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