Posted 5/3/2012 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
As a diabetic it is critical that we know what we are eating. That means checking labels and looking up nutrition information. Most chain restaurants post their nutrition facts online.
Here is an example why it is important. A 6 inch Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki sub has 59 grams of carbs. The lowest carb offering that Subway has posted still has 43g of carbs and that is for the BLT.
A single slice of cheese only pizza can have 45+g of carbs per slice depending on the size of the slice and type of crust. If you end up adding toppings, extra cheese, etc that can increase the carb count.
The American diabetes Association recommends that diabetics keep their carb intake to 45-60 grams per meal. This should be considered a starting point. If your blood sugars do well at this level then you are fine. If not then you may need to adjust your per meal carb count down. Diabetics also need to try to eat the same amount of carbs at each meal, within 10-15 grams. Doing this will help stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day and make it easier to make any dietary, activity, and medication adjustments as needed. Consistency is as much a part of control as anything else.
In addition to carb intake, things like calories, fat, fiber, and type of carbs (simple or complex) all effect how your body is going to react to the carbs you consume. I suggest you do some research in how those effect people with diabetes. Also look into the glycemic index and/or low glycemic foods. The lower a food falls on the index the less negative effect it has on blood sugar.