These top food offenders contain high amounts of fat, sodium, carbs, and calories that may increase your risk of high cholesterol, high blood pressure, heart disease, uncontrolled blood sugar, and weight gain. The good news is you can indulge in your favorite foods and still eat healthfully with our satisfying and delicious alternatives.
Think Twice Before Eating These Foods
At Diabetic Living, we believe that eating with diabetes doesn't have to mean deprivation, starvation, or bland and boring foods. However, some foods really are best left on the table or in the store. Everyone -- with diabetes or without -- would be wise to avoid or limit the foods on this list because they are high in saturated fat, sodium, calories, or carbs, or might contain trans fats. High amounts of sodium and saturated fat can lead to heart disease, while excess sugars, high carb counts, and added calories can cause unwanted weight gain and blood sugar spikes.
If you see some of your favorite foods on this list, don't despair: We've picked healthier options for you to choose from that taste great. So you can have your fries and eat them, too -- provided they're baked rather than deep-fat fried.
*Nutrition information cited was gathered from company websites or food packaging.
1. Nachos
You walk into a restaurant and you're feeling starved. A quick scan of the menu and there they are: nachos, one of your favorites. You order them as an appetizer and also order a meal. Unfortunately, most restaurant nacho orders equate to and often exceed an entire meal's worth of calories, carbs, and fat. For example, a regular order of Chili's Classic Nachos has 830 calories, 59 grams of fat, and 39 grams of carb.
Top your nachos with heart-healthy avocados!
Chili's Classic Nachos (regular order)*
- 830 calories
- 59 g total fat
- 31 g saturated fat
- 1,630 mg sodium
- 39 g carbohydrate
- N/A cholesterol
Taco Bell Nachos Supreme*
- 430 calories
- 23 g total fat
- 4.5 g saturated fat
- 690 mg sodium
- 44 g carbohydrate
- 30 mg cholesterol
You don't need to give up nachos to eat healthfully. Make a few changes to the basic recipe, such as using reduced-fat cheeses and baked tortilla chips like we do in our Loaded Nachos recipe. Finally, make the nachos your meal, not your appetizer.
2. Coffee Drinks
A simple cup of joe with a little milk or even half-and-half can be a low-calorie beverage perfect for a person with diabetes. But many coffee-shop drinks rival decadent desserts for their high calorie, carb, and fat contents. For example, a 16-ounce Starbuck's White Chocolate Mocha (with whipped cream and 2 percent milk) comes in at 470 calories and 63 grams of carb. Similarly, a medium Dunkaccino contains 350 calories, while the large size has almost 500 calories.
Or, choose tea instead!
Starbuck's White Chocolate Mocha (with whipped cream) *
- 470 calories
- 18 g total fat
- 12 g saturated fat
- 0 mg sodium
- 63 g carbohydrate
- 50 mg cholesterol
Dunkaccino (medium)*
- 350 calories
- 16 g total fat
- 13 g saturated fat
- 320 mg sodium
- 51 g carbohydrate
- 10 mg cholesterol
3. Biscuits and Sausage Gravy
Sometimes known as the bad boy on the breakfast buffet, traditional biscuits and gravy is indeed high in calories, fat (particularly saturated fat), and sodium. For example, the McDonald's Biscuit and Gravy* entree has 570 calories and 13 grams of saturated fat.
That amount of saturated fat may not sound like too much, but consider that the American Diabetes Association suggests eating less than 7 percent of calories from saturated fat -- and for most people, this is about 15 grams of saturated fat per day. Similarly, Bob Evans' Sausage Gravy* recipe has 1,828 milligrams of sodium, exceeding the ADA's recommended 1,500-milligram maximum per day.
McDonald's Biscuit and Gravy*
- 570 calories
- 36 g total fat
- 13 g saturated fat
- 1,610 mg sodium
- 50 g carbohydrate
- 25 mg cholesterol
Bob Evans Sausage Gravy recipe (includes biscuits)*
- 709 calories
- 44 g total fat
- N/A saturated fat
- 1,828 mg sodium
- 46 g carbohydrate
- 71 mg cholesterol
You can have all of the creamy comfort you love with our Crispy Chicken Tenders and Savory Waffles with Herb Gravy recipe. It makes a great dinner entree, too. Our Cheddar Biscuits and Country Sausage Gravy recipes also offer healthier alternatives to enjoy the breakfast favorite.
4. Battered Fish Dinners
Fish: It's always a safe choice when managing your weight and diabetes, right? It all depends on the preparation and the sides. A typical breaded-fish meal, complete with sides such as fries, hush puppies, and coleslaw, is simply best to avoid. The culprits are just about everything. For example, a typical platter with two deep-fried fish fillets, hush puppies, fries, and slaw comes to a total of more than 1,300 calories, 84 grams of fat, 113 grams of carb, and a whopping 3,000 milligrams of sodium. That's double the suggested meal carb level of 45-60 grams for many people with diabetes and the recommended 1,500-milligram daily maximum for sodium.
Can eating fish prevent diabetic neuropathy?
Another way to look at these dinners is through the lens of the plate method for meal planning: The goal is to fill half your plate with nonstarchy veggies, a quarter of your plate with a starch, and the remaining quarter with a meat or other protein source. Typical fish platters, with an emphasis on hefty protein and starch components, are the opposite of what promotes a healthy you.
Long John Silver's meal (2 pieces battered pollock, 2 hush puppies, fries, coleslaw, and tartar sauce)*
- 1,323 calories
- 84 g total fat
- 19 g saturated fat
- 3,005 mg sodium
- 113 g carbohydrate
- 100 mg cholesterol
Red Robin Arctic Cod Fish and Chips*
- 1,118 calories
- 67 g total fat
- N/A saturated fat
- 2,833 mg sodium
- 84 g carbohydrate
- N/A cholesterol
5. Fruit Juice Beverages
Fruit beverages make our list of worst foods for diabetes because they can be high in calories and sugar. For example, Minute Maid Enhanced Pomegranate Blueberry 100% Juice Blend* has 29 grams of sugar, 130 calories, and 31 grams of carbohydrate in an 8-ounce serving. Minute Maid does offer a line of low-calorie juice drinks with 2 grams of sugar or less per 8-ounce serving.
Fun facts about apples!
Reading labels is a great way to make the best choices. Also be aware that nutrition information is per serving; many beverages that come in cans or bottles contain more than one serving.
6. Deep-Fried Chinese Entrees
You want to make smart food selections when you're out and about, so you think: Asian? Check. Chicken? Check.
Not so fast. While some Asian chicken dishes are great choices, you're best taking a pass on items such as deep-fried orange chicken with white rice. This breaded chicken swimming in sauce typically comes in at more than 400 calories and 43 grams of carb per serving, and that's without the steamed white rice, which can often add another 200 calories and 44 grams of carb in a typical 1-cup serving. Also, this type of dish usually comes without vegetables.
Why you should order dishes with broccoli!
When choosing an Asian chicken dish, opt for:
Here are the nutrition values for typical orange chicken entrees. While the calorie and fat counts on the Lean Cuisine version are reasonable, the meal would have a better nutrition profile with brown rice, a cleaner ingredients line, and less sodium.
Panda Express Orange Chicken (excludes rice)*
- 420 calories
- 21 g total fat
- 4 g saturated fat
- 620 mg sodium
- 43 g carbohydrate
- 95 mg cholesterol
Lean Cuisine Orange Chicken (includes rice)*
- 310 calories
- 8 g fat
- 1 g saturated fat
- 640 mg sodium
- 46 g carbohydrate
- 20 mg cholesterol
You can make a simple orange chicken dish at home using our Teriyaki and Orange Chicken recipe. Sugar-free orange marmalade is the secret ingredient behind the sweet orange flavor.
7. Cinnamon Rolls
One of the most tempting smells in the mall or airport is freshly baked cinnamon rolls. But before you succumb, take a deep breath of fresh air and consider that a typical "mall" cinnamon roll contains more than 800 calories and 120 grams of carb -- well over the 45-60 grams of carb suggested for an entire meal for the majority of people with diabetes. Sometimes even a homemade cinnamon roll can be over the top. For example, Crowd-Pleaser Cinnamon Rolls with Cream Cheese Icing from BHG.com has 427 calories and 62 grams of carb per roll. With a few ingredient tweaks, you can save carbs and calories and use more healthful ingredients, such as rolled oats and whole grain or whole wheat flour.
Cinnabon Cinnamon Classic*
- 880 calories
- 36 g total fat
- 17 g saturated fat
- 830 mg sodium
- 127 g carbohydrate
- 20 mg cholesterol
Crowd-Pleaser Cinnamon Roll*
- 427 calories
- 20 g total fat
- N/A saturated fat
- 188 mg sodium
- 58 g carbohydrate
- 62 mg cholesterol
8. Restaurant French Fries
It's no surprise that this fast-food staple is on our list. French fries are loaded with saturated fat, sodium, and calories. Although most fast-food restaurants now offer trans-fat-free fries, that doesn't make them good for you. Here's a look at the nutritional breakdown for an order of large fries from three fast-food chains.
Burger King*
- 500 calories
- 22 g total fat
- 3.5 g saturated fat
- 710 mg sodium
- 72 g carbohydrate
- 0 mg cholesterol
Hardee's*
- 480 calories
- 27 g total fat
- 5 g saturated fat
- 1,020 mg sodium
- 73 g carbohydrate
- 0 mg cholesterol
McDonald's*
- 500 calories
- 25 g total fat
- 3.5 g saturated fat
- 350 mg sodium
- 63 g carbohydrate
- 0 mg cholesterol
To satisfy a craving for fries, try a more nutritious alternative, such as oven-baked recipes. Use sweet potatoes for a big dose of vitamin A and potassium.
9. Purchased Cookies
That cookie with all the sprinkles or chocolate chips could be hiding trans fats. Butter, high-fructose corn syrup, shortening, margarine, and partially hydrogenated or hydrogenated oils are the biggest saturated fat and trans fat contributors, and they can also pile on calories and carbs. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration cites the following foods that can harbor trans fats:
Instead of buying cookies, bake them at home with our best cookie recipes. Many recipes contain good-for-you ingredients, such as whole grains and fruit.
10. Fried Chicken
Fried chicken is another restaurant staple and all-time favorite comfort food that should be avoided. Frying the chicken adds significant carbs, calories, sodium, and fat -- it turns a good protein choice into a healthy-meal deal-breaker.
Here's a look at the nutritional breakdown for a fried chicken breast versus a grilled chicken breast from a leading chicken restaurant, KFC:
KFC*
- Extra Crispy Fried Chicken
- 490 calories
- 29 g total fat
- 4.5 g saturated fat
- 1,140 mg sodium
- 20 g carbohydrate
- 110 mg cholesterol
KFC*
- Grilled Chicken
- 220 calories
- 7 g total fat
- 2 g saturated fat
- 730 mg sodium
- 0 g carbohydrate
- 135 mg cholesterol
11. Purchased Pie
Thinking about ordering a piece of French silk pie for dessert? That one slice can pack up to 650 calories, 46 grams of fat, and 52 grams of carb at a restaurant such as Village Inn.* What about the frozen variety you might be tempted to grab while grocery shopping? It would be wise to check the food label before putting it in your cart.
Sara Lee French Silk Pie (per slice)*
- 580 calories
- 42 g total fat
- 23 g saturated fat
- 300 mg sodium
- 44 g carbohydrate
- 75 mg cholesterol
The good news is you don't have to say good-bye to your favorite pie. Our delicious and easy pie recipes are a great way to get the taste you crave without the excess calories, carbs, and fat. For example, our Silky Chocolate Pie has only 235 calories and 9 grams of fat per serving.
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