Challenges when carbohydrate counting

What might be the potential problems of carbohydrate counting and insulin dose adjustment when you are dining out or getting a takeaway? Discuss your thoughts.

At social events like barbecues, people get chatting, and distracted, particularly when alcohol is involved and food is delayed.

Alcohol can go hand in hand with dining out and will have its impact on blood sugars (see Alcohol).

There may be a large quantity of carbohydrate in the meal; this means digestion is delayed and the rise in blood glucose is slow, but may be very high several hours after the meal.

table set for dinner

Pixabay / CC0 1.0

Here are some problems that people with Diabetes have highlighted on previous courses:

"..difficult to estimate amount of carbohydrate of food you haven’t cooked yourself."

"..can’t weigh foods and feel embarrassed looking up pictorial carbohydrate guides."

"Restaurant or takeaway food may have additional sugar to enhance flavour of sauces."

"Restaurant or takeaway food may be high in fat and so alter absorption of carbohydrate into the blood stream."

"No control over timing of meal, particularly if it is a number of courses over a long period of time."

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