Tackling Business Dinners With Confidence
Choose Your Order Early
Most restaurants have their menus available online, and many also share nutritional information for each dish. If you check out your options before you leave, you can make healthy choices without feeling the pressure of figuring out a new menu with clients across the table.
If the restaurant doesn’t have an online menu or the information you want, you can call them ahead of time to ask about ingredients, dish preparation, and possible substitutions. You can also notify the staff about dietary restrictions while making a reservation.
Know Which Menu Items to Look For
“Try to find meals with the Diabetes Plate for Meal Planning in mind,” says LeBeau.
A meal that follows the Diabetes Plate plan looks like this:
- 50 percent nonstarchy vegetables (asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kale)
- 25 percent carbohydrates (brown rice, quinoa, whole-grain bread or pasta, corn, acorn squash, potatoes, beans)
- 25 percent lean protein (chicken or turkey, fish or other seafood, lean beef or pork, tofu, tempeh)
As you make your menu choice, avoid foods that are fried or topped with a cream sauce, and choose water or zero-calorie drinks, says LeBeau. Pick baked, steamed, grilled, or broiled foods instead of fried or breaded.
Avoid foods with sweet sauces like barbecue, teriyaki, or anything honey-based. Also be sure to ask for salad dressings or other sauces on the side so you can control how much you use.
“I would also caution people to be on the lookout for the free items that can be dropped at the table,” says True. “Chips and breads can be extra refined carbohydrates and not ideal.”
Kim recommends looking at the menu and weighing out your enjoyment-to-sugar-spike ratio. “If eating even half the portion of a pasta dish will make you feel more satisfied and motivated to work out than eating a whole serving of mediocre salad, the pasta would be a better option in that case,” says Kim.
You can also ask for simple swaps when ordering — such as requesting that black beans be subbed for refried beans.
“To keep from overloading on sugar, skip dessert,” says Kim. “If you’ve got to indulge your sweet tooth, be sure to keep the portion size very small.”
If you know you will be tempted to finish an extra-large portion, you can ask for half of it to be boxed up when they deliver it. You can also build a smaller meal by pairing appetizers or sides.
What if There’s Alcohol Served?
Avoid drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, which can actually make your blood sugar too low, says True. Alcohol affects everyone a bit differently, so it’s important to measure your blood glucose before and after you drink to monitor how it affects your sugar levels.
If you want to politely avoid drinking, a simple “no thanks, not tonight” is an easy out, says True. You can also order sparkling water with lime, says True, who recommends avoiding tonic water, which can have sugar in it.
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