Cutting Carbs While Eating Out: HELP Explained
If you're limiting carbs, that means your options when eating out can be limited too. But you'll find that you can eat most places if you just know what to ask for.
A Guide to Sit-Down Restaurants
It's usually pretty easy to stick to a ketogenic diet at sit-down places if you know what you can eat.
Some places, particularly Italian restaurants with their free bread at the table and pastas are probably just better to avoid, but most American-style restaurants like an Applebee's, Chili's, or their local or fancier equivalents have cuts of meat with a choice of a couple sides that are my go-to's when eating out. Ribeye steak is my favorite, but chicken, pork, and fish are usually always on the menu and are good choices! Traditional chicken wings with dry rub seasonings are a great choice too, but avoid boneless wings or sweet barbecue sauces. When it comes time to pick your sides, you'll have to pass on the potatoes and corn and go with cheesy broccoli and a side salad (no croutons) instead.
Another good option is to get a burger with no bun. It takes a little getting used to, eating a burger with a knife and fork, and you'll have to get over that feeling of being being a little too fancy, but its really not a big deal. People do it all the time nowadays, which is either a sign of progress or the decline of civilizational virtue, depending on who you ask. To me, I'm just trying to limit my carb intake, so I don't think asking the server to hold the bun needs to be a political statement. Again, you'll have to say no to the fries with the burger and opt for some fresh vegetables instead.
When it comes time to decide on your drink, say no to beer and yes to red wine and spirits if you are looking to indulge in some alcoholic beverages. If not, diet soda or water are always good choices.
TLDR: Do's and Don't's:
Do's
- Full cuts of meat.
- Traditional chicken wings with dry rub seasonings.
- Burgers without the bun.
- Salads (no croutons) with ranch or other low carb dressings like vinaigrettes.
- Sub in green vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, and Brussels sprouts for starchy vegetables like rice, potatoes, and corn. (Ask if they'll add some cheese on top to make the greens a little tastier and filling).
- Drink water and diet soda, or red wine and spirits if you want something alcoholic.
Don't's
- Fried foods (boneless wings, fries, mozzarella sticks etc.)
- Breads
- Pasta
- Rice
- Sandwiches (unless you ask for no bread)
- Beer or sugary cocktails or sodas.
Low Carb Options On-The-Go
When eating low carb on-the-go, the advice above still applies, you might just have fewer choices and less ability for customization. If you are really in a hurry and just want to grab a quick bite, you can always just go to the local McDonald's or Wendy's and choose the burger-no-bun route. It's not the best meal you've ever had but it'll do the job and keep your carbs down.
A better option and a real go-to for me is the Jimmy John's Unwich. With an Unwich, they ditch the bread and instead wrap the ingredients in a large piece of lettuce. I prefer the #7 Spicy East Coast Italian, but you can get all of their sandwiches in Unwich form. Like getting a burger without the bun, it took some getting used to at first but now I love it.
Last but not least, my favorite choice when looking for a quick keto-friendly meal is a burrito bowl from Chipotle or Qdoba. It's a great choice, because since they make your food right there in front of you, you have complete control over how you construct your meal! Make sure you say no to the rice or beans, but besides that, you have a lot of great options for how to build your bowl.
My Go-To Bowl
- Extra fajita vegetables
- Steak
- Pico de Gallo salsa
- Extra sour cream
- Cheese
- Guacamole
- Lettuce
These are all choices that I've found work great for me, but if you have experience with low-carb restaurant eating we'd love to hear about it in the comments or in our Community Discussions Forum.
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