Eating out is where most people with diabetes lose track of their numbers, because restaurant menus hide carbohydrates in buns, rice, sauces, and drinks. This page is the starting point for our restaurant guides. Each one covers a single chain, lists carbs, fiber, sugar, and protein for real menu items, and shows worked example orders so you can see how much a few swaps change the total.
Quick answer: In every guide below, the biggest difference between a lighter order and a heavy one came from the same few choices: the drink, the bread or rice, the side, and the sauce. The example orders in our guides ranged from about 17 g of carbohydrate to over 200 g at the same restaurant. This is general education, not medical advice. Ask your care team what carb range fits you.
Pick your restaurant
| Restaurant | Carbs across the example orders in the guide | Guide |
|---|---|---|
| Starbucks | 31 g to 106 g | Starbucks with diabetes |
| Dunkin’ | 27 g to 104 g | Dunkin’ with diabetes |
| McDonald’s | Compares meals, drinks, and sides | McDonald’s with diabetes |
| Burger King | 67 g to 205 g | Burger King with diabetes |
| Wendy’s | 44 g to 172 g | Wendy’s with diabetes |
| Chick-fil-A | 17 g to 100 g | Chick-fil-A with diabetes |
| Chipotle | 20 g to 154 g | Chipotle with diabetes |
| Subway | 21 g to 155 g | Subway with diabetes |
| Panera | 24 g to 172 g | Panera with diabetes |
| Taco Bell | 40 g to 129 g | Taco Bell with diabetes |
| Panda Express | 18 g to 185 g | Panda Express with diabetes |
| Domino’s | 25 g to 155 g | Domino’s with diabetes |
| KFC | 8 g to 144 g | KFC with diabetes |
| Olive Garden | 45 g to 236 g | Olive Garden with diabetes |
| Waffle House | 26 g to 130 g | Waffle House with diabetes |
| Dutch Bros | 9 g to 115 g | Dutch Bros with diabetes |
| Sweetgreen | 21 g to 169 g | Sweetgreen with diabetes |
The ranges come from the example orders written for each guide and are only illustrations. They are not recommendations, and your own best order depends on your goals and your care team’s advice.
A four-step way to order anywhere
- Look up the drink first. A sweet drink can carry as many carbs as a whole meal, and it is the easiest item to change.
- Find the starch. Bun, wrap, tortilla, rice, chips, or fries usually make up most of the carbs. Ask whether a bowl, a lettuce wrap, or a smaller portion is available.
- Check the sauce. Sweet sauces and dressings add sugar that is easy to miss.
- Add it up before you order. The nutrition calculator in the restaurant’s app takes a minute and removes the guessing.
About the numbers
The chains’ own nutrition pages were not reachable when we built these guides, so most figures come from FastFoodNutrition.org, which lists each chain as its source. Pages are dated at different times, menus change, and portions vary by location. Every guide says which numbers are missing or look odd, and tells you to confirm in the restaurant’s app. If you track your glucose, our post-meal glucose tracker and CGM reading guide show how to see what a meal does for you.
Related guides
- How to read nutrition label carbs
- Diet for type 2 diabetes
- Thanksgiving with diabetes
- Walking after meals
- Normal blood sugar levels chart
About the author: Charles Kirkland is the founder of Metabolic Clarity Labs and author of The Journey Back. He is not a physician. This is general education, not a medically reviewed treatment plan.
Sources checked October 31, 2026. Discuss personal decisions with a qualified clinician. Do not start, stop, or change prescribed treatment based on this article.
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