In today’s world, eating is more than just replenishing your energy. A buffet in a 5-star hotel to celebrate a promotion, dine at a home to bond with family and friends, a dinner business meeting, following the crowd into a fast food for a quick lunch or enjoy Free trial tasting of new food in a mall. Its wonderful going out tonight!
But if you are under a keto diet, you will have difficulty sticking to a Low Carb or Keto Diet while dining out.
You are following the keto diet and expect a successful result, and you want to keep moving forward but your dinner invitation is impossible to decline. The truth is you don’t need to decline those invites to eat out, you just need to keep a few simple tips in mind. If you are just starting keto, be sure to check out these Keto Diet tips, which will help you greatly on your Keto and low carb journey.
You can use these tips for keto low carb eating out at both fast food restaurants or sit down restaurants like your favorite Italian restaurant!
Helpful tips
The following helpful tips will help you stick with the low carb restaurant options and avoid the high in carbs foods and stick to your low carb eating plan weather it is keto or low carb.
1. Check out the menu ahead of time.
One of the easiest ways to stay on track is to check out the menu ahead of time so you can plan your meal. This will allow you to see the offerings and make an informed decision. Plus, if you need to calculate any nutritional info prior you have the time to do that. Once you pick a location, head to their website and view the menu.
2.Drink plenty of water before you go.
About 30 minutes before you go to the venue, drink plenty of water. This will help fill you and hydrate so you eat less. You can also opt for a small keto friendly snack prior to going dinner (such as a piece of cheese or some nuts) so you don’t feel tempted to get an appetizer.
Do not overdo the water part water, or you will spend the whole time away from those you dining with. But a glass or two of water before getting to a restaurant can help a lot.
3. Skip the bread.
Breadbaskets or other snacks are offered before meal, skip this but order a tiny garden salad as starter. You can order keto friendly appetizers chicken soups, veggie green plates, fresh salads or cheese and meat trays.
4. Refuse the Starches.
Many restaurants will allow you to allow a substitution of side salad or other low or the carb filled potatoes.
If no substitution is allowed, just refrain from eating non – low carb or keto friendly.
5. Opt for a protein and veggie dish.
You can ask for veggie and low carb sides, like those already mentioned. This is especially helpful if you are normally order pasta when you are dining out.
Your breakfast main dish is something with egg and cheese and then include some meat like bacon or sausage.
Your lunch or dinner main dish is a high protein meat such as steak or chicken and pair it will grilled or roasted vegetables. Most places will offer a meat and grilled vegetable, so this should be an easy option to find and enjoy.
6.Addtional extra healthy fats.
Have your veggies side dish served with extra butter and dip your steak in sour cream.
If your meal includes a salad, go for a dressing that is high in fat and add extra dressing to your salad to help reach the fat goals you have for your meal.
If you are ordering coffee, ask for heavy cream in place of the normal half and half that many restaurants use.
7. Add extra toppings.
If you are ordering a burger or a chicken sandwich that normally has a bun and are asking for it bunless adding extra keto friendly toppings is a great way to make your meal more filling. Adding things like extra lettuce, tomato, avocado, bacon and cheese will not only make it more filling but add more flavor as well.
8.Keep an eye on the sauces.
Sauces can be sneaky when it comes to the carb counts. If you have done your research on the restaurant before leaving, then you will know ahead of time what sauces are good for sticking with low carb and keto. If you cannot find the ingredient information, opt for a sauce that you know the information of or just skip the sauce completely.
Condiments like mustard and mayo are great to add to your low carb meal when you are dining out. However, you do want to make sure it is yellow mustard and not one of the sweet mustards like honey mustard. You will also want to stay clear of ketchup and barbecue sauce, both are high in sugar.
9. Eat slow and enjoy the conversation.
Take your time and eat in the moment. Eat slow, drink plenty of water, and enjoy the conversation. By slowing down you will be more mindful of when your belly is full and you will be able to stop eating at that time.
10.Take a sweet snack with you for the drive home.
If you are worried about craving dessert when done, be prepared. You can always pack some dark chocolate with you or a sweet fat bomb or two to enjoy on the drive home! This way you can satisfy that sweet tooth without giving up your hard work.
Dining out doesn’t have to be stressful even when you are eating out keto style or eating out low carb. You want to be able to enjoy your meal, and most importantly enjoy the people you are eating your meal with!
Choose drinks with care
Perfect drinks are water, sparkling water, tea, or coffee.
If you chose to add an alcoholic beverage, champagne, dry wine, light beer, or spirits — straight or with club soda — are all great low-carb choices. For more details, check out our low-carb and keto alcohol guides.
Set rules before leaving the table
Before walking past the many tempting offerings, take a moment and re-commit to skipping the biggest offenders. Remember GPS – grains, potatoes, and sugar. Don’t put these on your plate.
Be deliberate. Be intentional. And don’t forget that if you cheat, you are really cheating yourself.
Focus on fats, vegetables, and protein.
Focus on all of the healthy food you can enjoy: the salad bar, carving stations, seafood spreads, and vegetable platters are the real sweet spot. And you can usually find some healthy fats to add to your plate: olive oil, butter, sour cream, and cheese. If you don’t see them, ask the servers to bring some to your table.
After savoring your delicious low-carb selections, any cravings for the ‘carbage’ should diminish.
Don’t overfill your plate.
Plan to leave some “breathing room” on your plate so that you do not crowd it with too much food. Ideally, you want to mimic how much food you might eat in a typical meal at home. If you want to try many things, start with very small portions of each dish. You can always go back for more if you are still hungry.
Take your time.
Enjoy your dinner companions and the conversation. Drink your water and sip your coffee or tea. Sometimes it takes a bit of time before you feel satisfied, so don’t rush back for seconds if you’re trying to lose weight. Perhaps you’ll feel satisfied soon anyway and decide to skip the extra portion.
Tips for surviving a party
Communication is important
Before the party, consider sharing your food preferences with your host. If you are on a strict keto diet, you host may appreciate some advanced notice so he or she can accommodate your needs.
If you want to keep your new lifestyle private for now, have a truthful excuse ready for well-meaning but unwanted inquires. Depending on your situation, examples could include “I have been having some stomach issues, so I am experimenting with eliminating sugar, bread, and potatoes”, or “My doctor suggested that I eliminate certain foods that make me feel unwell.” Any mention of stomach issues or doctors’ advice usually silences all inquiries.
Take the edge off your hunger at home
Eat a fatty snack before you leave for the party. Nuts, olives, or cheese are all good choices. This reduces the chance that you will feel famished when you arrive at the party, which makes it easier to resist starchy hors d’oeuvres and dinner rolls that often come out first, before healthier options. In general, taking the edge off of your hunger makes it easier to stay on-plan.
Pick and choose
Remember, this is only one meal. Some people choose to eat more liberally when dining at a friend’s home. Perhaps you elect to enjoy the crispy coating on the fried chicken that is served — a relatively small indulgence — while skipping the french fries. If your diet is very strict and does not permit such deviations, it is probably best to call ahead and have an open discussion with your host about your needs.
That said, always feel free to pass on the breadbasket and avoid putting starch on your plate. If your meal is presented to you with a large pile of starch, do not hesitate to leave it untouched. Your health is more important than the clean plate rule many of learned as children.
Unless you bring a low-carb dessert, it is quite unlikely that you will be offered one. And, since “just one bite” often leads to another, passing completely is usually the wisest choice. With all of the talk about cutting back on sugar, skipping dessert is becoming more accepted. At least there’s no need to eat it to please others. Perhaps you’d be happy with a cup of coffee or tea instead?
Suggestions for specific types of eateries
Delis, sub shops and bakery cafés
Often, the best choice in these casual eateries is a large salad.
Order a Chef’s salad or Chicken Caesar salad. Add delicious low-carb toppings such as chicken, ham, shrimp, cheese, hard boiled eggs, olives, and avocado to your salad. Make sure the chicken in grilled, not breaded.
Pour on olive oil (plenty of it!) and vinegar, or choose Caesar, ranch or blue cheese dressing. Avoid any dressing that might be sweet, including raspberry or balsamic vinaigrette, poppy seed, French, or honey mustard. Double-check with your waiter about the dressing if you are not sure if it contains sugar.
Add coffee or tea. Ask for whipping cream or butter to add fat.
Fast-food restaurants
Grabbing lunch or a quick dinner? Most fast food restaurants have salads available. You can bring your own dressing or just get oil and vinegar. Skip the fries and the soda – this is half the battle.
Choose a burger with a lettuce wrap (instead of the bun). If unavailable, simply discard the bun.
Load up on toppings like bacon, cheese, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and sprouts. Avoid ketchup — regular mustard (but not honey mustard or sweet mustard) and mayo are fine. If you are really hungry, double down on the patty.
Order fast-food chicken grilled, not fried. This eliminates both the flour in the batter and the vegetable oil in the fryer.
Enjoy chicken with a salad or go with a sandwich (ditch the bun) and veggie sides. Choose vegetable sides that are low in carbs, like green beans or broccoli, staying away from baked beans, corn, sweet potatoes, and other higher-carb veggies.
Avoid barbecue sauce, as it is typically full of sugar. Most hot sauces and salsas are a reasonable choice.
Mexican
Lots of nice options here — but pass on those tortilla chips!
Order a burrito bowl. Carnitas (pork), steak, chicken, barbacoa, or shrimp all work. Fajita vegetables can be added if you are open to a few carbs from the peppers and onions.
Eliminate the rice and beans, and load up on meat, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa. You can usually pay a little extra to get double servings of any one of these ingredients.
Some chains now offer keto bowls where the base is lettuce rather than beans and rice.
No bowls? No problem. Unwrap your burrito and eat the contents with a fork. When you are finished, discard the tortilla.
If you are at a Mexican place with a more expansive menu, there are several options for low-carb diners: fajitas, carne asada, chili verde, and chicken mole are all great options if you skip the rice, beans and tortillas and ask for extra cheese, sour cream or guacamole.
Asian
Proceed with caution at Chinese, Japanese, Thai and Vietnamese restaurants.
Focus on staying away from choices that are battered or taste sweet.
Order a dish made with brown sauce — usually a safe, savory option. Ask your waiter to be sure. Stir-fries or curries made with meat, seafood, and low-carb vegetables taste great without the rice. Try ordering a side of sautéed green beans or cabbage and using that as an accompaniment for your stir-fry. Bean sprouts also work as a base.
Ask for coconut oil. It’s a great way to add fat to your meal. Peanut, sesame, or olive oil might be available as well. And most restaurants have butter if you ask for it!
Order crispy Duck (ensure that it comes without a sweet sauce) or Chop Suey (without thickeners in the sauce, if possible). If you find Shirataki noodles on the menu, note that they are very low in carbohydrates. Chicken lettuce wraps are also a decent option, although ask about sugar in the chicken filling.
Indian
Indian cuisine offers many good options for adventurous low-carb eaters.
Ask for ghee, an Indian staple; it is clarified butter — pure fat! It is perfect for low carb, so add it to any dish!
Choose kebabs, curries (without potatoes), meat in creamy sauces (like tikka masala and butter chicken), and tandoori dishes. Skip the rice and the naan.
Try adding Raita (a creamy dip made from plain yogurt — hopefully full-fat — and shredded cucumbers.)
Fresh Indian cheese (paneer) is fine but watch for hidden carbs (flour or other thickeners) in some of these dishes. Ask your waiter about the ingredients.
Pizza
The flavor of pizza is a near universal favorite — and it’s in the sauce and toppings, not the crust! If you will be too tempted to leave most of the crust on your plate, choose a different kind of restaurant.
Look for a crustless option on the menu; if you don’t see it, ask if it your pizza can be made with no crust. Some outlets now offer cauliflower crust pizzas, but these are often made with rice flour and are still quite high in carbs, so check the nutrition facts before diving in.
If you order a traditional pizza, load up on toppings and eat as little of the crust as possible. Most toppings are low carb. Consider doubling your favorites.
Ask for a knife and fork to help you avoid eating most of the crust.
Skip ordering and make pizza at home instead! Try a cauliflower crust, a Fat Head pizza, or a super simple egg and cheese pizza.
That’s it. We hope you feel ready to navigate almost any restaurant with confidence. Bon appétit, keto-style!