Instead, opt for protein-rich items such as eggs, cheese, and bacon, and ask for these items to be served in a lettuce wrap or without the bun. With a little bit of creativity and careful menu selection, you can enjoy a satisfying and low-carb diabetic breakfast at McDonald's.
Opt for menu items with lower carbs and watch those calories. For example, a good choice for breakfast could be an Egg McMuffin, with 30 g carbohydrates and 300 calories. A sausage McMuffin comes with 29 g carbs and 400 calories. Leave off the cheese, and you decrease your carb intake and save yourself 50 calories.
Burger King, McDonald's
Common menu hazards: All the burgers, sandwiches, and wraps from these drive-thru joints come on buns made of enriched wheat flour and sugar, both of which spike glucose. French fries are made entirely of starchy potatoes and often fried in low-quality oils.
Avoid Fried Foods Like French Fries and Chicken Nuggets
Too much fat in your diet can lead to weight gain, she adds, which can worsen type 2 diabetes. Weight gain also increases your risk of heart disease, a risk that's already elevated when you have diabetes, according to the American Heart Association (AHA).
McDonald's is a classic stop for a quick breakfast and their Sausage Burrito is a smart option for people with diabetes. It's relatively low in calories with only 310, it hits the low-carb mark with 26 g, and it has 12 g of protein to slow carb digestion and balance blood sugar levels.
Fried Chicken Restaurants
In general, poultry is a smart choice while following a diabetes-friendly diet—except when it's breaded or dipped in flour and fried. This version adds not just carbs but saturated fat and calories as well to menu items at restaurants like KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) and Popeyes.
However, in general, cheese on toast is likely to be safe for most diabetics to eat in moderation.
Overdoing it on greasy, fried foods can lead to weight gain and wreak havoc on your blood sugar. French fries, potato chips, and doughnuts are particularly bad choices for diabetics because they're made with carb-heavy, starchy ingredients, which can cause blood glucose levels to shoot up.
Much of Chinese cuisine is healthy, balanced and vegetable- and grain-focused. In America, many of the most popular and widely familiar forms of Chinese food may not be the healthiest for those living with diabetes. But many of those foods can still be a part of a healthy meal pattern.
In KFC chicken, they use materials and ingredients that contain substances like maltodextrin. However, this substance can cause diabetes and increase the levels of blood sugar in our body if consumed regularly.
Breakfast is an essential meal. Research shows that people with diabetes who eat breakfast are less likely to overeat throughout the day. Unfortunately, many breakfast options contain processed carbohydrates and sugars, which can lead to blood sugar spikes.
Can people with diabetes have sandwiches? Yes, sandwiches are fine in moderation. Keep in mind that whole grain breads, soft taco shells, and wraps are better choices for controlling blood sugar than white bread. Lean meats, low-fat cheese, and plenty of vegetables make good sandwich choices.
Nut Butter and Fruit
Give the classic PB&J a healthy upgrade. Spread no-sugar-added peanut, almond, or other nut butter on whole-grain toast. Look for bread with at least 3 grams of fiber per slice.
Gullon Sugar Free Biscuits
Gullon offers a wide range of your favourite biscuits and cookies, minus the high sugar content. From classic shortbreads, to digestives and chocolate chip cookies, Gullon has something to satisfy any sweet tooth following a low sugar diet.
While there are some extra things to consider, ice cream can be included in a healthy meal pattern even if you have diabetes. It's best to eat ice cream in moderation and to choose an option with lower saturated fat, lower carbs and no or low added sugar.
Nutritionists Give It Two Thumbs Up
Lisa D. Harkins, RD and LDN at Ideal Nutrition & Fitness, LLC agrees. “An Egg McMuffin is not the worst thing you can have,” she explains. “It's much better than no breakfast, a doughnut, or a fatty, empty calorie Dunkin' Donuts coffee drink.”
The Best: The McDonald's Egg McMuffin® has 300 calories, 5 grams of saturated fat, 2 grams of fiber, 18 grams of protein and 820 mg sodium. This basic breakfast sandwich has fewer calories and less saturated fat than any of the McDonald's options with sausage, bacon or served on biscuits or McGriddles®.
Best Sandwich: McChicken
This is the smartest choice among all of McDonald's sandwiches since it contains 350 calories and 15 grams of fat. To us that's a little head-scratching, since it's a fried chicken option that somehow beats out even the Filet-O-Fish, which contains 390 calories and 19 grams of fat.