Every person with diabetes knows that the key to successful diabetes management is in proper diet. Diabetic people have to carefully watch their consumption of carbohydrates, fats, and calories. This is easier to do when you cook and eat at home – you can carefully consider and pick every item you get in the store to ensure a well-balanced diet. Eating out requires your close attention to what an eating place has to offer and choosing between tasty and healthy may seem to be not an easy task.

Luckily, you don’t have to look for a fancy restaurant to enjoy a meal with your family and friends. In fact, you can perfectly enjoy a visit to your favorite fast food joints if you navigate their menus smartly because many of those restaurants have diabetes-friendly items to choose from. When you are visiting a fast-food restaurant, make sure to pick items that are low on calories, carbs, and fats and high on proteins and fiber.

Having diabetes doesn’t mean that you can’t treat yourself to a meal in a fast-food restaurant. Even though you’d better avoid some of their items due to high content of fats and sugar, visiting these top fast-food restaurants will leave you satisfied with their delicious diabetes friendly choices:

McDonald's For People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

Fast food doesn't necessarily need to be off-limits if you have diabetes, but it's essential to know what to order to keep your blood sugar levels in check. Most fast-food joints typically get a bad rep for serving foods that are high in carbs, fat, and sugar, but this doesn't mean that a trip to McDonald's should be completely off-limits if you have type 1 or type 2 diabetes. Let's not forget that fast food does come with some benefits such as consistent quality wherever you go and convenience. Sometimes, fast food is the only option available if you're stuck in an airport or on a road trip, so read on to find out what you can eat at McDonald's if you have diabetes.

Starbucks For People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

Starbucks drinks are some of the most popular in the world and for good reason — the coffee chain's selection of seasonal drinks is second to none. From pumpkin spice lattes in fall to refreshing cold coffee concoctions in the summer, Starbucks surely knows how to lure customers in. But can you enjoy Starbucks drinks if you have diabetes? Most drinks at coffee chains such as Starbucks are loaded with sugar and calories, which means they are not the healthiest of choices even for people who don't have diabetes.

Chick-fil-A for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

When you have diabetes, going out to eat with your friends and family can be really challenging. However, the good news is that it’s not impossible to have a diabetes-friendly meal at fast food joints, and Chick-fil-A is a restaurant that offers multiple options for people who are watching their carb intake.

Taco Bell for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

If you have diabetes, enjoying a quick meal at Taco Bell can prove to be a challenge. When it comes to eating out at fast food places such as Taco Bell, it can be difficult to follow a low-carb diet that's required to keep your blood sugar levels in check. People who live with diabetes typicallyrestrict their carbohydrate intake to fewer than 50 g per day and finding items with fewer than 20 g of carbs can be pretty tricky at Taco Bell. However, the good news is that it's not an impossible mission to enjoy a trip to Taco Bell with your friends and family if you have diabetes. There are several tasty menu choices that are low in carbohydrates and that you can enjoy without going over your carb limit for the day.

Wendy's For People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

If you have diabetes, it's essential to keep your blood sugar levels in check every day to avoid a spike. This doesn't mean, however, that every fast food treat should be off-limits. Enjoying a trip to Wendy's with your family and friends is totally possible if you have diabetes. You just need to arm yourself with a little knowledge and planning so you can find low sugar and low carb options on Wendy's menu.

Burger King for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

If you're managing diabetes, a trip to Burger King may seem like everything on their menu is off-limits. However, even though fast food is definitely not low-carb, there are multiple diabetes-friendly options on the Burger King menu, so you don't have to write off fast food if you have diabetes. When you have diabetes, you need to get a steady source of carbohydrates in order to keep your blood sugar levels stable. This means approximately 45 to 60 g of carbs per meal, based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Dunkin' Donuts for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

For people who don't live with diabetes, Dunkin' Donuts can be a welcomed treat. While the treats at the popular donut joint are not the healthiest choices, eating them from time to time is not the end of the world. On the other hand, if you have diabetes, too many slip-ups can have potentially life-threatening consequences. When you live with type I or type II diabetes, you need to monitor your blood sugar levels at all times to avoid a spike that can have serious consequences.

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Subway Menu for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

As many other fast-food chains, Subway is a place that serves food that may have a high amount of carbs, sugar and fat, which is why many people who have diabetes tend to avoid it. However, Subway has an advantage over other fast-food restaurants because it allows you to create your own custom sandwich, and you can use different types of bread, some of which are diabetic friendly.

Domino's Menu for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

Enjoying a pizza at Domino’s when you have diabetes is not easy. Most of the items on the menu have lots of carbs and sugar, which can cause your blood glucose levels to spike. The best thing to do for people with diabetes is to avoid Domino’s pizza. However, there are moments when you’re with family and friends and you have to eat there. If that’s the case, the best solution is to study the nutritional information provided by the restaurant and choose the items that have the lowest amount of carbs.

Chipotle for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

Choosing healthy meals at Chipotle is not always easy, but the good news is that this fast food chain includes nutrition information for their entire menu. If you have diabetes and want to enjoy a meal out with your friends or family, it is possible to choose some low sugar options at Chipotle.

Sonic Menu for People With Diabetes - Everything You Need To Know!

Just like with many other fast-food restaurants, there are not many low-carb options at Sonic, but the good news is that people with diabetes can still enjoy some of the items on their menu if they happen to be at Sonic with their family and friends.

Panera Bread for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

Panera Bread is all about carbohydrates, with delicious loaves of bread, baguettes, sandwiches, and pastries making up a big part of the menu. It could be difficult for a person with diabetes to enjoy something at this popular chain while also watching their carb count and blood sugar. The good news is that there are ways to enjoy a trip to Panera Bread with your friends and family, even if you have diabetes. The portions here are large, as with many other fast food establishments, but unlike many others, you have the option of getting a half-size portion of a salad, soup, or sandwich. This means that it's easier to stay within your carb calls when navigating through the menu at Panera Bread.

Pizza Hut for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

When you live with diabetes, pizza should definitely not be at the top of your preferable food list. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy a slice from time to time. Pizza Hut is one of the most popular places to get pizza in the country, and even though it’s not the most diabetic-friendly place out there, it’s still possible to have some of the items on their menu without experiencing a spike in your blood sugar levels.

KFC for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

If you have diabetes, it is important to know the carbs content of a meal choice from a fast food restaurant because not every food item on the list is acceptable. KFC is no exception, but the good news is that this fast-food chain publishes the nutritional content of their meals online and in their restaurants, so you can know exactly what's in your meal.

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Popeye's Menu for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need To Know!

Popeye's is a fast-food chain that specializes in southern-style fried chicken and has been one of the most popular chains in America since the early 1970s. Besides chicken, Popeye’s, which is short for Popeye's Louisiana Kitchen, also has seafood and other dishes on its menu inspired by New Orleans cuisine.

Arby's for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

When you're managing diabetes, eating out at a fast-food restaurant isn't always easy. However, fast food is sometimes the only option, which means that you need to look carefully at the nutritional information provided by the restaurant. This way, you can control the amount of carbs, sugar and calories in your meal to prevent a blood sugar spike.

Little Caesars For People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

Little Caesar's is one of the most popular pizza chains in the U.S. It was founded in 1959 by Mike and Marian Ilitch and since then it has become the third-largest pizza chain by total sales in the U.S. If you have diabetes, it can be difficult to find something suitable to eat when you're going to Little Caesar's with friends and family. That's because pizza has lots of carbs, fat, and a very high number of calories, all of which should be avoided if you live with diabetes.

Dairy Queen For People With Diabetes - Everything You Need To Know!

Whenever you want to have a sweet frozen treat, Dairy Queen is often the first place that comes to mind. The first Dairy Queen opened in 1940 in Joliet, Illinois, and since then, the chain has expanded to over 6,800 worldwide locations.

Panda Express for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

Fast-food restaurants have a poor reputation for offering up dishes high in carbohydrates, salt, fat, and sugar—but that doesn't mean a trip to Panda Express is out of the question, even if you have diabetes. After all, fast food has its advantages, such as convenience and uniform quality wherever you go, and it's frequently the only option for a meal if you're on the road or trapped in an airport.

Jack in the Box for People with Diabetes - Everything You Need to Know!

The first Jack in the Box has opened in San Diego, California, in 1951 and since then it has become one of America’s favorite fast-food restaurants. The focus of the restaurant is burgers and fries, but you can also find various other items on the menu.