Best Fast Food for Diabetes and Gestational Diabetes: A Dietitian’s Picks

Yes, you can still eat fast food when you have diabetes! I’m a working parent living with type 1 diabetes, and quick restaurant meals are a regular part of my week. Having a few go-to orders in mind makes it so much easier.

Below are my favorite low sugar, higher protein fast food orders at Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks, Panera, Subway, and more, with the carbs, fiber, and protein for each. I also share my 10 best ordering tips and the fast food options I’d choose with gestational diabetes.

I checked every menu item and number in this post in November 2026. Most of the numbers come straight from each restaurant’s nutrition info, and I’ve noted the few that don’t. Menus change often, so double-check the nutrition links in each section before you order.

10 tips for ordering fast food with diabetes

It is estimated that over 30% of Americans eat at least one fast food meal every day… so, it’s unrealistic to assume you’ll never eat fast food again when you have diabetes. It’s important to be prepared and have some go-to menu options in mind. Keep these tips in mind the next time you’re ordering:

1. Look up the nutritional information for menu items if you’re able to ahead of time.
2. Don’t go to a fast food restaurant when you are overly hungry. Wait for a time when you can be most in tune with your hunger and fullness cues. If you’ve skipped a meal that same day, you may not be able to listen to your body to the best of your ability.
3. Make sure you always include a protein source.
4. Look for menu items with veggies.
5. Choose dishes more likely to be higher in fiber.
6. Steer clear of dishes with trans fat or high amounts of saturated fat. Keep in mind that most fried fast food items are fried twice by the time they make it to your hands. (The first time happens initially before most fast food is frozen at a production center, and again in the restaurant when “cooked.”) This means the amount of fat can be much higher and may result in a delayed glucose spike.
7. Avoid high sugar beverages.
8. Eat slowly, and stop when you feel full.
9. Don’t size up or super size an order.
10. Don’t assume that salads are the best option. They may be lacking in protein or have more carbohydrates than you think.

Best fast food options for gestational diabetes

If you’re here because of gestational diabetes, this is how I’d use this list during pregnancy. Your care team will give you carb targets for meals and snacks, so start there and use each restaurant’s nutrition calculator to build your order around those numbers.

Breakfast is often the trickiest meal with gestational diabetes, so I’d stick with the higher protein breakfast picks on this list, like Starbucks egg bites or a Sugar-Free Vanilla Protein Latte.

For lunch or dinner, a Chipotle bowl with a half portion of rice and beans, Chick-fil-A grilled nuggets with a side salad, Panda Express grilled teriyaki chicken with a veggie side, or a Subway protein bowl are all great options.

Skip the sweet drinks, include protein at every meal, and check your blood sugar when your care team recommends (usually 1 or 2 hours after eating) to see how each meal works for you.

Top diabetes-friendly Mexican restaurants

1. Chipotle

Chipotle can be a great choice for people with diabetes because of the customization of every dish. They also have their nutrition calculator so you can build your meal and know the exact nutritional breakdown of what you’re ordering.

• Burrito bowl or salad
  • Chipotle’s bowls and salads offer the most opportunity for complex carbohydrates and veggies. Add your meat of choice, fajita veggies, beans, rice, veggie-based salsa, and guacamole. And, depending on your carbohydrate goals, you can choose to have a whole portion or a half portion of things like rice and beans. If you want cheese or sour cream, ask for their “light” portion.
• My go-to order
  • A chicken bowl with a double portion of chicken, fajita veggies, white rice, 1/2 pinto beans, 1/2 black beans, lettuce, corn salsa, and light cheese.
• High Protein Cup (new)
  • Chipotle added a cup of adobo chicken to its menu in December 2025 with 32g protein. It’s a great add-on or snack, but some of Chipotle’s high protein menu items have been temporarily unavailable, so check the app for your location.

If you want to make your own Chipotle-style bowl at home, make sure to check out my Low Carb Burrito Bowl with Guacamole recipe.

2. Taco Bell

Taco Bell has dramatically changed its menu options over the last 10 years or so. The Power Menu Bowls I used to recommend are no longer on the menu, but there are still a couple of solid options.

• 2 beef soft tacos
  • Two tacos have about 34g carbohydrate, 6g fiber, and 18g protein.
• Cantina Chicken Bowl
  • Taco Bell lists this bowl at 25g protein, and it’s incredibly filling. Older nutrition info put it around 44g carbohydrates and 1,150mg sodium, but Taco Bell’s own calorie count for it went up in 2026, so check the app for current carbs before you dose or count.

3. Torchy’s Tacos

If possible, ask for whichever tacos you order on corn tortillas. Each taco will come with two tortillas wrapped around it (which I’ve never really understood), but you only need one. So, I always just save the second one to take home. Choose tacos that don’t have fried fillings and do have veggies and protein.

• Migas taco
  • This is my go-to order. I usually get two. Each migas taco on a flour tortilla has 27g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, and 17g protein.
• Crossroads taco (on corn)
  • Beef on a corn tortilla with 18g carbohydrates, 2g fiber, and 20g protein. It’s one of the lower carb tacos on the menu.
• Chicken fajita taco
  • A chicken fajita taco on a flour tortilla has 20g carbohydrates and 20g protein. It’s not high in fiber, but it will still leave you satisfied.
• Steak fajita taco
  • Formerly the beef fajita taco, now listed on flour with 20g carbohydrates and 20g protein. At Torchy’s, corn and flour tortillas both have about 15g carbohydrates, so pick whichever you like best.
• Mr. Orange taco
  • A seafood taco on corn with avocado sauce, 23g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, and 14g protein. It’s one of my favorites!

Top fried chicken options for people with diabetes

1. KFC

• Whole Wings (Original Recipe or Extra Crispy)
  • Wings are a great way to portion out exactly how much you want to eat. KFC has brought whole wings back as a limited menu item, so they aren’t always available. When they are, each wing has about 10g protein and 3 to 5g carbohydrate.
• 3 pc Original Recipe Tenders meal
  • Choose a non-starchy veggie for your side, like green beans. Ask to sub the biscuit for a second vegetable side. Three tenders have about 33g protein. KFC has changed its tenders over the years, so check their nutrition calculator for the current carbs before you count.

2. Chick-fil-A

Chick-fil-A has several meals that would be great for people with diabetes. For side items, choose a small waffle fries, side salad, or kale crunch salad. For an entree, these are great options:

• Grilled Chicken Sandwich meal
  • Chick-fil-A’s grilled chicken sandwich has 28g protein, 45g carbohydrates, and 3g fiber.
• Grilled Nuggets
  • The 8ct (1g carbohydrate, 25g protein) or 12ct (2g carbohydrate, 38g protein) is a great high-protein option that’s lower in saturated fat than its fried counterpart.
• Cool Wrap
  • A filling option with 43g protein, 32g carbohydrates, and 14g fiber.
• Market Salad with grilled chicken filet
  • This is one of my favorite fast-food salads! I love the fruit on top! Chick-fil-A has changed this one, so each salad (with dressing, granola, and almonds) now has 42g carbohydrate, 5g fiber, and 28g protein.

And if you want one of their dipping sauces, the Honey Roasted BBQ sauce would be your best choice.

Top sandwich options for people with diabetes

1. Subway

I have a few menu hacks at Subway for diabetes.

• Build your 6-inch sandwich
  • All of the 6-inch bread options at Subway are pretty similar when it comes to carbohydrates (about 36-40g), fiber (1-3g), and protein (7-9g). So choose the one that you enjoy the most. The Hearty Multigrain has the most fiber. Top your sandwich with veggies and black forest ham or roasted chicken.
• Protein Bowls
  • You can turn any sandwich into a protein bowl at Subway. The Tuna Protein Bowl has about 8g carbohydrates, 26g protein, and 690mg sodium.
• Salad
  • The Veggie Delite and grilled chicken salads are some of the lowest-sodium options. Add extra protein and veggies!

2. Panera Bread

While most of the sandwiches at Panera are quite high in sodium, some of their soups and salads are great options:

• Asian Sesame Chicken Salad
  • I love this salad from Panera! The whole salad has 35g carbohydrates, 6g fiber, and 29g protein.
• Fuji Apple Chicken Salad
  • This is hands down my favorite salad at Panera! The flavors are amazing! It’s gotten sweeter over the years (49g carbohydrates and 32g sugar for the whole salad), so I’d go with the half salad: 24g carbohydrates, 3g fiber, and 14g protein.
• Green Goddess Cobb with Chicken
  • Another great salad option from Panera, with 30g carbohydrates, 7g fiber, and 40g protein for the whole salad.

3. Jason’s Deli

Anyone who has ever experienced the salad bar at Jason’s Deli knows how good it is. Focus on leafy greens, lean proteins, veggies, beans, nuts, hummus, and more. But, if you’re not in the mood for the salad bar, there are other options too!

• Wild Salmon-wich
  • This is my favorite sandwich Jason’s Deli offers, with about 34g protein, 47g carbohydrates, and 5g fiber. Menus vary by location, so check that yours still has it.
• Sides
  • Fresh fruit or veggies are a great side option as is their hummus!

Best kid’s meals for diabetes

Here are the kids meals I’d reach for, each built around a protein.

1. McDonald’s

• 4pc chicken nugget meal with small french fry, apple slices, and 1% milk or water

2. Chick-fil-A

• 2 ct Chick-n-Strips meal (19g protein, 11g carbohydrate) or 5 ct Grilled Nuggets meal (16g protein, 1g carbohydrate) with apple sauce, french fries, or fruit cup, and milk or water.

3. Panera Bread

• Panera’s kids menu has gotten smaller, and the kids turkey BLT is gone. A cup of Cream of Chicken & Wild Rice soup (19g carbohydrates, 6g protein) works in a pinch.

Quick guidance by type of food

Mexican fast food with diabetes

Many fast food Mexican food options can come loaded with cheese, sour cream, and other sources of excess saturated fat and sodium. The choices for Mexican fast food for diabetes listed above reflect choosing dishes with lower amounts of saturated fat and sodium and higher amounts of fiber… while still tasting delicious!

Chinese fast food with diabetes

People with diabetes can absolutely eat Chinese food, and good options for Chinese fast food for diabetes do exist. For the purposes of this blog post, you can assume I’m referencing the “Americanized” version of Chinese food which we typically see here in the US and is usually higher in sugar (usually in sauces) than traditional Chinese food. The options in this post reflect choosing dishes with lower sugar sauces and a quality source of protein and veggies!

Fried chicken with diabetes

People with diabetes can eat fried chicken on occasion… the fried chicken menu options listed above prioritize veggie and fiber sources.

Fast food pizza with diabetes

Choosing the best pizza fast food for diabetes comes down to what kind of crust you choose and what your toppings are.

Sandwiches and burgers with diabetes

I think one of the most annoying things I hear recommended for people with diabetes at fast food restaurants is to “skip the bun”… and while I do sometimes recommend this … if you really enjoy a bun on your burger, you can still have it! These classic fast food for diabetes choices are all about making fast food work for you. I’ve chosen menu items that are lower in sodium, moderate in carbohydrates, and have more fiber.

---

And for those days when you do have time to cook up an easy and tasty meal, make sure to check out my cookbook The Easy Diabetes Cookbook!

This post was updated from its original publish date in February 2021, most recently in November 2026.