Golden Corral is a breakfast, lunch, and dinner restaurant franchise. Known as America's #1 buffet and grill, the restaurant is famous for its USDA sirloin that is aged and hand-cut daily by in-restaurant butchers.

The restaurant offers buffet-style meals, which can be a good thing for people who live with diabetes because they offer them the chance to select the exact things they want to eat. However, it's important to remember that it's also quite difficult to customize your food too much.

How to decide what to eat at Golden Corral if you have diabetes

Because Golden Corral offers an all-you-can-eat buffet, you won't be able to make many changes to your meal because it's already prepared. Even the sandwiches and burgers have been prepared ahead of time. This means you won't be able to request grilled meat instead of breaded or have your server hold the dressing on your meat if it's already been marinated in it or added to your sandwich. As a result, before you take a plateful of something you shouldn't eat, you should inquire about what's in it. 

On meat-based dishes and vegetables, your server should be able to tell you what sauces and preparations are used. Grilled chicken is always an excellent choice at a buffet, but it's hard to come by. The majority of the chicken is fried to keep it 'good' for longer.

If you come across grilled chicken, make sure it isn't slathered with sauce. Beef and steak are other low-carb options, but bear in mind that many of them are covered in seasonings and sauces that add carbs to your diet. According to the Golden Corral website, you should contact ahead to your local restaurant to check on the availability of a specific meal or dish before visiting. They indicate that items are cycled to provide the best assortment of cuisine, so if you have your heart set on something that isn't available, you may be disappointed. Location, time of day, day of the week, holidays, and availability can affect menu items. Golden Corral's menu is subject to change without notice, which is all the more incentive to call ahead and inquire about their hot bar.

You should also be cautious with side dishes. When possible, choose steamed vegetables, but ask your server what's on them. At a buffet, even vegetables are frequently served with sauce. If you're strictly keto, you should avoid starchy veggies like corn, green beans, potatoes, and squash.

Choose low-carb vegetables like romaine lettuce and garnish with oil and vinegar at the salad bar. Most buffets allow you to add nuts or seeds to your salad, but make sure they aren't coated in peanut oil and stick to tiny portions because the carbs add up quickly.

Make sure you know what items are low carb before going to Golden Corral

When you visit the Golden Corral, you will have access to over 150 different culinary options. This means that before you let your hunger take over and grab anything seems nice, you will need to know what items you can eat, and which ones are off-limits. At a buffet, you should generally stick to meat-based meals, but make sure they are not sauced or breaded.

It is also a good idea to add some low-carb vegetables, such as steamed broccoli to your dish. Alternatively, go to the salad bar and top your plate with some leafy greens for added nutrition. As always, omit the dressing and replace it with oil and vinegar or freshly squeezed lemon.

The BBQ beef is one of the best things to try, as it has 0 grams of carbs and sugar. The roast beef and sirloin steak are also great choices with 0 grams of carbs and 19 grams of protein. It's always a good idea to stay away from all desserts, including the chocolate chip muffin and caramel pecan sticky roll, as they contain over 65 grams of carbs and 39 grams of sugar per serving. When it comes to drinks, it's always best to stick with water or unsweetened coffee.

Bottom line

It's not always a good idea to eat out when you're on a low-carb diet because you're managing your diabetes. It's even worse if you eat at a buffet. If you can, avoid Golden Corral because there is high possibility to consume something you should not be eating. However, there are times when you may find yourself at Golden Coral in the company of friends and family. Use the Golden Corral website's nutritional information guide to figure out how much carbs are in a certain dish. One of the best options is to grab a piece of grilled meat from the buffet and throw together a salad with green, leafy vegetables and an oil and vinegar dressing.