Pumpkin Spice Coffee
If fall for you means warm, delicious drinks to keep toasty, do your research on those amazing pumpkin spice lattes, hot cocoa, apple cider, and peppermint mochas. These drinks are super sweet and delicious, but they also contain loads of sugar and can make your blood sugars jump if you're not careful. Make sure you ask about the nutritional information when ordering a sweet drink (like at Starbucks) and keep your meter or CGM close by. You can also enjoy these sweet beverages to treat a low, or share them with a friend!
Did You Know?
A ‘short’ pumpkin spice latte at Starbucks (with whipped cream) is exactly 27g of carbs. Most customers are not aware of the ‘short’ (8oz) size, but it is an option which can be nice if you're looking for a smaller amount of sugar. Be sure you know your options when you order food or drinks!
What if I want to eat out?
Fast food and meals from restaurants generally have nutrition information available online. If you cannot find carb information for something, ask the staff of the restaurant if they will supply it for you. The restaurant may not have this information available, so you will have to approximate based on the ingredients.
Calorie King is a useful tool which provides carbohydrate counts from meals at national restaurants. Be sure you read the carbohydrate information and not the calorie count when making your dosage calculations.
After eating out, you may find it helpful to record the number of carbs in the meal by storing the information in a binder or in a note on your cell phone. The next time you eat that meal, determining the carb count and insulin dosage will be much easier.
Can I still eat fast food?
Yes, you can have fast food with diabetes. This should be eaten in moderation (for all adults and children, regardless of whether they have diabetes!). Fast food restaurants and large chain restaurants should have their nutrition information available online. If you cannot find carb information for something, ask the staff of the restaurant - they should be able to give it to you.