Eating Out with T1D: Carb Counting at Restaurants Made Easier
Dining out doesn’t have to mean guessing games! Here are a few tips to stay carb-savvy at restaurants:
Look it up first – Of course, many places do not list nutritional information. In that case, we will use one of the websites or apps listed on the carb website and apps post. Other times we will just SWAG it! (Scientifically Wild A** Guess) You will get the hang of that in no time!
Snap + Search: Take a photo of your plate and estimate carbs using image-based apps or AI tools (like some CGMs and pumps now support!).
Know your go-to guesses:
- Burger bun = ~25–30g
- Slice of pizza = ~30–40g
- Pasta, 1 cup = ~45g
- Fries, medium = ~45–60g
Stick to known favorites – If a certain meal works well for your blood sugars, repeat it!
Pro tip: High-fat meals (like pizza or fried food) can delay glucose spikes—consider a split bolus or extended insulin if you’re on a pump.
Are you like me and always trying to quickly find the nutrition facts at various restaurants and fast food places? Some places have them easily accessible while others I feel like I have to dig deep to find the carbohydrate counts. I wanted to make this page to have easy access to carb counts at some of the most popular restaurants and fast food chains. Save this page to your favorites so you have it next time you are out to eat!
T1D doesn’t take a break when you eat out—but with some planning, you can enjoy the food and keep your numbers in range.
Click on the name of each restaurant/fast food chain to access their nutritional information.
Fast Food: Chick Fil A (opens in a new tab) McDonalds (opens in a new tab) Burger King (opens in a new tab) Popeyes (opens in a new tab) Wendy’s (opens in a new tab) KFC (opens in a new tab) Wing Stop (opens in a new tab) Raising Cane’s (opens in a new tab) Piada (opens in a new tab) Chipotle (opens in a new tab) Five Guys (opens in a new tab) Blaze Pizza (opens in a new tab)
Breakfast Places: Panera Bread (opens in a new tab) Starbucks (opens in a new tab) Tim Horton’s (opens in a new tab) Dunkin (opens in a new tab) First Watch (opens in a new tab) Duck Donuts (opens in a new tab) Bruegger’s Bagels (opens in a new tab) Einstein Bros. Bagels (opens in a new tab)
Hoagies: Firehouse Subs (opens in a new tab) Jersey Mike’s (opens in a new tab) Subway (opens in a new tab) Jimmy John’s (opens in a new tab) DiBella’s Subs (opens in a new tab) East Coast Subs (opens in a new tab) Primo Hoagies (opens in a new tab) Restaurants: Eat N Park (opens in a new tab) Condado (opens in a new tab) BJs Brewhouse (opens in a new tab) Cracker Barrel (opens in a new tab) Red Lobster (opens in a new tab) Olive Garden (opens in a new tab) Buffalo Wild Wings (opens in a new tab) Texas Roadhouse (opens in a new tab) Lonestar Steakhouse (opens in a new tab) Outback Steakhouse (opens in a new tab) Bonefish Grill (opens in a new tab) Primanti Bros. (opens in a new tab) Cheesecake Factory (opens in a new tab) We will continue to add to this list, if you want to see more, please let us know!
