Cracker Barrel

We scored all 15 entree-style items on Cracker Barrel's menu for how well they fit a diabetes-friendly meal -- glycemic index, carb and calorie load against a standard 60g-carb / 600-calorie budget, and how processed the item is.

Best choices

Ranked by GlucoBeacon's own scoring formula -- glycemic index, carbs and calories against a standard 60g-carb / 600-calorie per-meal budget, and how processed the item is -- highest score first.

Item	Category	Carbs	Calories	Est. GI	Score
Grilled Catfish	Entrees	8g	340	30	76
Grilled Chicken Tenders	Chicken	6g	320	30	75
Southern Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad	Salads	17g	540	35	72
Macaroni & Cheese	Pasta	23g	270	50	68
Roast Beef Dinner	Entrees	29g	620	50	59
Oven Baked Macaroni & Cheese Dinner	Pasta	38g	350	50	58
Sharp White Cheddar Macaroni & Cheese	Pasta	41g	320	50	58
Macaroni & Cheese Sharp Cheddar	Pasta	43g	310	50	57

Approach with caution

These score lowest -- typically a mix of high carbs, high calories, high glycemic index, or heavy processing. Not "never eat," just items to pair with extra protein/fiber or eat in a smaller portion.

Item	Category	Carbs	Calories	Est. GI	Score
Country Fried Steak	Entrees	57g	890	58	30
Country Morning Breakfast	Breakfast	71g	910	60	26
Banana Walnut Pancake Mix	Breakfast	152g	1250	67	26
Stuffed Cheesecake Pancake Breakfast	Breakfast	152g	1250	67	26

How we score it

Each item gets up to 30 points for glycemic index (lower is better), 30 points for staying under a 60g carb budget, 15 points for staying under a 600-calorie budget, and 25 points for being minimally processed -- the same formula GlucoBeacon's in-app Restaurant Advisor uses, just run here against a generic budget instead of your own goals. A higher score means an easier fit into most diabetes meal plans; it isn't a guarantee for any individual, since real blood sugar response depends on portion size, what else you eat with it, and your own physiology.