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Eating Out - Decisions

Status
This thread is now closed. Please contact Anna DUK, Ieva DUK or everydayupsanddowns if you would like it re-opened.
M

Muddybird_26

Member
Relationship to Diabetes
Type 1
Hi Folks

When eating out how do you convey that you may need something slightly different from what is on the menu when in a cafe / restaurant. For example if the options are carb rich but you would prefer more veg. Do explain that you have type 1 and you need to take insulin before a meal?

I struggle with my food selection when I am at a cafe / restaurant. I find it difficult explaining that I have T1 and that I want / need something else other than what is available (I'm not asking for a completely different meal, just one that they can reduce the carbs and up the veg). I'm just wondering if there are other folk with T1 who have the same issue or if you just go with the flow of what is on the menu?

I find I need space and time to consider what is on offer, where my blood sugars are at etc. I feel pressured when out with others to make a quick choice which, often ends up not being so good.
Do go into an eatery with an idea in mind of what you are going to eat so that you are prepared??
 
Hello @Muddybird_26 ,
Accepting at face value that you have your reasons for wanting to reduce carbs (so up the veg) I have found over my 4 years with insulin dependency that all bar one restaurant were happy to help and work with my needs. So I quickly adopted the view of being open and telling a waitress or chef that I was insulin dependent and needed to evaluate the carbs in my food before dosing AND (if the venue was busy or potentially going to be busy) asking about lead times for when my food might arrive.

Chefs, in general, know the weights and sizes of individual meal components. They need to because they need to keep to a budget and ensure each meal makes the planned profit! Often waiters and waitresses hesitate about how to answer my queries and I explain the chef will know. Sometimes they come back and tell me the chef has just weighed something and give me a number such as 137 gms and if that is downright awkward for that particular food I ask for an amount that works for my maths; it has never been a problem. I tend to not tell them that in practice the carb count is actually in itself a guestimate, so I don't encourage them to guess. I'm sometimes asked if everything was all right and even did the carb count work? I invariably just say yes and only rarely get into the detail such as I won't know for another 2 hrs!

I often use a split bolus technique, but that I guess is irrelevant to you and your pump.

Overall I feel I'm doing my bit to normalise the existence of my D and I'm often helping someone who has not encountered D to become slightly aware that there is this fundamental difference between those who don't take insulin and actively seek to avoid carbs and those of us who do need insulin - so have that different need for managing D. Both amusingly and of course helpfully there are regular venues that I go to where they remember the weights of various carb heavy food types. I do often go in knowing from Google what is on the menu and with a fall back plan if I'm in a group, in a hurry or my consulting feels not quite right. But I can trust my G7 to alert me of highs or lows and I can still manage those occasions with my MDI. I don't have alarms with my CGM, just "alerts", so have a certain amount of time to deal with things.

Hope that helps a bit.
 
As a Type 1 technically, you do not need to restrict carbs and can eat a normal diet. Personally I choose to eat low carb as it suits me. They don't need to know that I am diabetic, when I am asking for something a bit different like salad and coleslaw instead of chips. I am the customer and they can either accommodate my request or they can't. If they can't I have to decide if I am going to eat some or all of the chips and inject for whatever I decide or leave them. If I am going to a restaurant that has a website, I will look at their menu in advance and decide on one or two options that are obviously lower carb. Sometimes I have 2 starters instead of a starter and a main course, but having an idea of what I am going to have before I get there really helps me as, like you, I find making a decision on the spur of the moment more challenging and feel pressured, but yes, there are also times when you just have to "wing it".
 
If possible, have an idea ahead of time of what you’re going to eat. Most chains have the menu online. I don’t bother to mention my Type 1 at all. If, for example, I was to order grilled fish and it came with absolutely loads of chips, and three rounds of bread and butter, I’d just leave some carbs. Type 1s can eat a pretty normal diet and that includes carbs. It’s only if you eat large amounts of carbs in one go that it becomes a bit trickier because you usually have to split the bolus. What counts as large amounts depends on the person and their size, etc, but for most people it would be something like 120g to 150g in one go.
 
I don’t mention the D word. In the case of ordering a fried breakfast (for instance.) I just would express preference of, “no baked beans. Skip the hash browns.” Just tailoring my personal preference to what works for me & my insulin regime.
if I’m with a group dining out? I tend to hang back if anything in the dish is not for me, I ask for an amendment or omission.
 
I do not eat a diabetes-specific diet and would not expect a chef to change their menu to suit me.
OK, so it depends upon the restaurant and the quality of "cheffing" going on.
If I was going to the kind of chain restaurant that has an online menu, I may request a burger without the bun or salad instead of chips.
However, if I was going to a local independent bistro where the chef has considered the balance and "experience" he wants his clients to eat, I would not request any changes.
I have never asked anyone to weight my food or even tell me how much it weighed. I have learnt to "eyeball" the meal and decide how much insulin I need. For me, the conversation would take away the enjoyment I get from eating out.
I never pre-bolus when eating out because the choice would either be guessing how long the preparation will take or sitting with the food in front of me staring at my dish. I accept I may experience a spike.
 
I’m a recently Type 2 and on a no/lo carb diet. I’m just starting to realise how much food in cafes and restaurants revolves around carbohydrates. Everywhere now caters for people with gluten intolerance, vegans and vegetarians. It would seem perfectly reasonable to ask somewhere to prepare a carb free meal. After all, it’s not difficult.
 
The trouble is, it’s not so difficult to make a meal with no gluten or meat or eggs. But it’s pretty much impossible to make a meal that has no carbs at all, even vegetables have some. So then you have the question of how low do you go, and everyone is different. My daughter is on an insulin pump, so can just take as much insulin as is necessary for the food. In the early days we used to take a copy of Carbs and Cals everywhere and try to make an educated guess of the carb count using that, nowadays she just guesses and if it goes a bit wrong, correct it later. I realise that it’s different for non-insulin users, but a lot of places will swap potatoes for more veg or salad or something, if they don’t then maybe leave that bit and don’t eat there again!
 
Usually fine with foods on menu, if say burger came in a large roll then might ask to substitute chips for a salad.

When I tried low carb would ask for omelette if one wasn't on menu, most independent cafes ok with this but not big chain ones.

Tbh couldn't think of anything worse than mentioning type 1 to cafe staff, just don't like any fuss & it's no one's business anyway.
 
WillyG said:
I’m a recently Type 2 and on a no/lo carb diet. I’m just starting to realise how much food in cafes and restaurants revolves around carbohydrates. Everywhere now caters for people with gluten intolerance, vegans and vegetarians. It would seem perfectly reasonable to ask somewhere to prepare a carb free meal. After all, it’s not difficult.
Click to expand...

Just adapt it to your needs, eg buy a burger and eat none or some of the bun, have a Ploughman’s Lunch but leave all or some of the bread, have chilli and ask for no rice and add a side salad, etc etc.
 
WillyG said:
I’m a recently Type 2 and on a no/lo carb diet. I’m just starting to realise how much food in cafes and restaurants revolves around carbohydrates. Everywhere now caters for people with gluten intolerance, vegans and vegetarians. It would seem perfectly reasonable to ask somewhere to prepare a carb free meal. After all, it’s not difficult.
Click to expand...
Hello. I’ve been to some fantastic Argentinian steak houses on my travels in my time. Had a night out with the lads a little while back in such an establishment.
 
We don’t eat out that often, but when we do, I look on it as an opportunity to appreciate good food and good cooking, not to seek to adapt a chef’s carefully planned combination of ingredients. As a T1 I’m fortunate not to need to restrict carbs, though I would restrict obviously carb-heavy stuff. So, if they’re part of the meal, there’s usually some potato or rice left on my plate, and if we get to the pudding stage (rarely, as we much prefer to have interesting starters) I just have a spoonful or two of whatever my OH is having. I don’t inject in advance of the food appearing because I have a better idea of portion size when it’s in front of me; I roughly calculate the carbs, inject accordingly, and correct later if necessary.

Chain establishments are certainly more predictable as regards carb content and portion size, but then, so is the food.
 
CALORIES just desserts …. or all food @ lol Made me laugh . Thanks for sharing
 
Proud to be erratic said:
Hello @Muddybird_26 ,
Accepting at face value that you have your reasons for wanting to reduce carbs (so up the veg) I have found over my 4 years with insulin dependency that all bar one restaurant were happy to help and work with my needs. So I quickly adopted the view of being open and telling a waitress or chef that I was insulin dependent and needed to evaluate the carbs in my food before dosing AND (if the venue was busy or potentially going to be busy) asking about lead times for when my food might arrive.

Chefs, in general, know the weights and sizes of individual meal components. They need to because they need to keep to a budget and ensure each meal makes the planned profit! Often waiters and waitresses hesitate about how to answer my queries and I explain the chef will know. Sometimes they come back and tell me the chef has just weighed something and give me a number such as 137 gms and if that is downright awkward for that particular food I ask for an amount that works for my maths; it has never been a problem. I tend to not tell them that in practice the carb count is actually in itself a guestimate, so I don't encourage them to guess. I'm sometimes asked if everything was all right and even did the carb count work? I invariably just say yes and only rarely get into the detail such as I won't know for another 2 hrs!

I often use a split bolus technique, but that I guess is irrelevant to you and your pump.

Overall I feel I'm doing my bit to normalise the existence of my D and I'm often helping someone who has not encountered D to become slightly aware that there is this fundamental difference between those who don't take insulin and actively seek to avoid carbs and those of us who do need insulin - so have that different need for managing D. Both amusingly and of course helpfully there are regular venues that I go to where they remember the weights of various carb heavy food types. I do often go in knowing from Google what is on the menu and with a fall back plan if I'm in a group, in a hurry or my consulting feels not quite right. But I can trust my G7 to alert me of highs or lows and I can still manage those occasions with my MDI. I don't have alarms with my CGM, just "alerts", so have a certain amount of time to deal with things.

Hope that helps a bit.
Click to expand...
Hi, thanks for responding @Proud to be erratic

My T1 is not the most stable due to hormone fluctuations (it's been a nightmare tbh - menopause). I have recently found that avoiding animal fats, red meats and having more of a focus on veggies helps. It's more towards a vegan diet but I do eat fish and chicken.

High carb meals are a struggle, I do eat carbs and I am don't do keto diets I keep it all in balance by eating good quality carbs but aim so that they are lowish on the carb count. At the end of the day I love my food and do alot of home cooking but enjoy going out for lunches. I just have this awareness of low level background stress of making a good choice in my food selection which, I want to reduce when going out for lunch.

That is great advice, you sound as though you are really clear in how you state what it is you want and set expectations. That is a good point about raising awareness of T1 / D, I hadn't thought of it in that way.

Yes, that really helps. You've given me lots of pointers and things to consider. It's great to read of someone else's experience.
Good idea about having a back up plan and checking out the menu's before going out so that you've made the selection in your own mind already.
I have found that I have certain favourite places to go to lunch as I know the menu or the style of foods that they do.

Overall, I think it's about feeling safe to a certain degree and not being put in a position where I'm faced with a selection that really is not good or / and the staff are not empathetic which has happened a couple of times. The key seems to be my approach, to be proactive rather than reactive (as well as being educated).

My thanks again, your response has been a big help and given me lots to think about
 
rebrascora said:
As a Type 1 technically, you do not need to restrict carbs and can eat a normal diet. Personally I choose to eat low carb as it suits me. They don't need to know that I am diabetic, when I am asking for something a bit different like salad and coleslaw instead of chips. I am the customer and they can either accommodate my request or they can't. If they can't I have to decide if I am going to eat some or all of the chips and inject for whatever I decide or leave them. If I am going to a restaurant that has a website, I will look at their menu in advance and decide on one or two options that are obviously lower carb. Sometimes I have 2 starters instead of a starter and a main course, but having an idea of what I am going to have before I get there really helps me as, like you, I find making a decision on the spur of the moment more challenging and feel pressured, but yes, there are also times when you just have to "wing it".
Click to expand...
rebrascora said:
As a Type 1 technically, you do not need to restrict carbs and can eat a normal diet. Personally I choose to eat low carb as it suits me. They don't need to know that I am diabetic, when I am asking for something a bit different like salad and coleslaw instead of chips. I am the customer and they can either accommodate my request or they can't. If they can't I have to decide if I am going to eat some or all of the chips and inject for whatever I decide or leave them. If I am going to a restaurant that has a website, I will look at their menu in advance and decide on one or two options that are obviously lower carb. Sometimes I have 2 starters instead of a starter and a main course, but having an idea of what I am going to have before I get there really helps me as, like you, I find making a decision on the spur of the moment more challenging and feel pressured, but yes, there are also times when you just have to "wing it".
Click to expand...
That is all very true and to a certain degree I am the same in that my approach has been to eat (within reason) what I want and also like you, I aim for a lowish carb diet as it suits me to.

Good point about seeing the menu in advance
 
Inka said:
If possible, have an idea ahead of time of what you’re going to eat. Most chains have the menu online. I don’t bother to mention my Type 1 at all. If, for example, I was to order grilled fish and it came with absolutely loads of chips, and three rounds of bread and butter, I’d just leave some carbs. Type 1s can eat a pretty normal diet and that includes carbs. It’s only if you eat large amounts of carbs in one go that it becomes a bit trickier because you usually have to split the bolus. What counts as large amounts depends on the person and their size, etc, but for most people it would be something like 120g to 150g in one go.
Click to expand...
Wow, that's alot of carbs!

I'm looking at how I manage my selection of food but also the type of communication that I give to the serving staff as there are times I do want to do this.

It's when I feel pressured to make a choice that's become a bit of an issue. Happened the other day when I saw a choice I would have made only to be told 'sorry, we've just sold the last portion' and ended ordering something else that had a huge baguette (I ate a third of it). I was with someone else and the waiting staff were waiting for me to make a choice. I often feel pressured to make a quick decision
 
helli said:
I do not eat a diabetes-specific diet and would not expect a chef to change their menu to suit me.
OK, so it depends upon the restaurant and the quality of "cheffing" going on.
If I was going to the kind of chain restaurant that has an online menu, I may request a burger without the bun or salad instead of chips.
However, if I was going to a local independent bistro where the chef has considered the balance and "experience" he wants his clients to eat, I would not request any changes.
I have never asked anyone to weight my food or even tell me how much it weighed. I have learnt to "eyeball" the meal and decide how much insulin I need. For me, the conversation would take away the enjoyment I get from eating out.
I never pre-bolus when eating out because the choice would either be guessing how long the preparation will take or sitting with the food in front of me staring at my dish. I accept I may experience a spike.
Click to expand...
Thanks @helli
All good points
 
WillyG said:
I’m a recently Type 2 and on a no/lo carb diet. I’m just starting to realise how much food in cafes and restaurants revolves around carbohydrates. Everywhere now caters for people with gluten intolerance, vegans and vegetarians. It would seem perfectly reasonable to ask somewhere to prepare a carb free meal. After all, it’s not difficult.
Click to expand...
You are right, carbs are every where as are animal fats.
In a world of gluten intolerance, veganism, vegetarianism and food allergies that there isn't much awareness for Diabetes. Looking at it all from the point of view of the serving staff it can't be easy but I think it's good to go in with a clear idea in mind of what you want and to be pro active. That's what is coming across in the advice in this thread.
 
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