Low Carb: McDonald's

Let's be honest: the majority of people sometimes go to McDonald's. For my family and me, it's often the fastest and the safest option during the road trip. Regardless of which part of the world you are in, you know what to order, and you know what to expect; no surprises.

But what if you want to go low carb? Especially with type 2 diabetes?

I think it is possible, but you'll need to be creative.

Avoid

• fries
• burger buns
• McNuggets (they are breaded)
• Filet-O-Fish (also breaded)
• the majority of sauces (sugar!)
• desserts

Get

• no bun burgers
• salads

My go-to item in McDonald's

Most McDonald's locations now have these self serve machines. Choose your favorite burger–for me, it's either a Big Mac, or a quarter pounder with cheese–yes, the "Royal" something, if your country uses metric system; but then tap that Customize button, and remove the bun. In some locations they will even pack your no-bun burger into a plastic container; in most cases though, you'll get it in a regular cardboard box. Ask them to give you a fork!

The burger with no bun will still have ketchup or another spread on it, but in my experience, it does not affect my blood glucose levels at all.

Here's the data from my continuous glucose monitoring:

What about McNuggets? I tried them once with CGM, and they spiked my glucose. Maybe it's because of they are breaded; or maybe because it's hard to eat them without dipping them in a sweet and sour sauce; but regardless, I prefer to avoid them.

How about salads? Salad is definitely an option, and they actually have chicken breast salads, but I tried it once and just did not like it, but you might try it as well! It should be a safe option from the blood glucose point of view.

So, your choices are pretty much limited, but–still okay for a quick road trip meal!