On days you're forced to eat out, where do you go and what do you order?
SaultperMan
Posts: 2 Member
I'm getting tired of bunless McDoubles and expensive subway salads.
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I travel a lot for work and it's an on going struggle. Salads, meat and broccoli are my norms0
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Almost anything can be ordered bunless as far as past food goes.0
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There is a phillycheese steak place near my work, and they have a few great low carb options. They offer a low carb plate with a hamburger patty, cheese and side salad, then I order sautéed onions & mushrooms over the meat and avocado on the salad. Other times I order a philly and scrape the bun, toss the chips.
There is also a kabobs cafe restaurant nearby too, and it's easy to get chunks of meat w grilled veggies in a bowl, topped w feta cheese. They have a lot of sauces but most are high in carbs.
I've gutted Greek gyros too, still yummy without the pita bread. Greek delis are usually fast and cheap.
I Haven't tried it but I hear chipotle has a paleo bowl you can get.
Gastropubs are usually up with trends and will usually have some paleo like food on the menu, or will make a low carb meal mo problem. Also consider buying just an appetizer or two with the salad. These type of places usually have a good selection and a few low carb items on there appetizer menu.
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I like the Panera Thai salad and the Greek salad. I just leave off the wonton strips and get dressing on the side. I give the chips or bread to my Sister In law. Their chili is good , too. Their stuff is a bit pricy but the quality is good. My carb allowance is in the 50 to 80 range right now. As long as I don't eat the bread or chips it seems to be fine once a week .0
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We eat out A LOT. A consequence of our schedules.
I typically order:
fish/veg
meat/veg
fish/caesar salad
meat/caesar salad
red wine
Tonight is a family member's birthday. We are going to Bravo. I'm having this, minus the balsamic glaze:
Grilled Salmon
Roasted red peppers, asparagus, tomatoes, Feta, sweet potatoes, pesto vinaigrette, spinach, balsamic glaze
540 calories 11/grams of carbs/3 grams of fiber 35P and 16f
and red wine
If it's lunch, then yeah, something like Panera works. Though these days I've been bringing my own lunches. I've been throwing a big thing of beef or chicken in the crock pot with green chile sauce or red chile sauce and slow cooking it, then fork pulling it and adding a dollop of refried beans or black beans, come cheese, some hot sauce, and rolling it all in a low carb wrap.
if we end up in a pub:
mussels, deviled eggs, bacon wrapped jalapeños, wings,...0 -
I usually don't. As a celiac, it is better for me to go hungry for a few hours than risk a restaurant. If I do eat out, it needs to be a quality restaurant and I stick with a meat usually. Even then, I end up sick a third of the time.0
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Chipotle, Jimmy John's (or other sub places), Red Robin, Bob Evans (or other breakfast/casual family diner), Smokey Bones, O'Charley's, City Barbecue, BD's Mongolian Grill... Just about any place, really. Except maybe Panera.
At Chipotle, just get a bowl, instead of the wrap. Hold the rice and beans, pile it up with extra meat (or just regular amount of meat), cheese, sour cream, and guac.
Jimmy John's does "unwich" which is lettuce wraps. Technically a hand-held salad, but different enough to be "different" in the mind. Jersey Mike's does a "sub in a tub," which is exactly what it sounds like -- whatever sub you want, in a bowl instead of on a bun.
Red Robin can lettuce wrap your burger, or you can get it completely bunless. Or you can get one of their other dishes, which I think they have (though I go there for the burger, so don't really know what all else they have).
City Barbecue and Smokey Bones are slow-roasted meat joints. Pulled pork, ribs, etc. Usually, you can get what amounts to a plate of meat at such places. Get it dry-rubbed and there's typically only a couple of carbs. Just be wary of the sauces, that's usually where the sugar hides.
O'Charley's is a casual dining place, where the go-to item is steak. Grab that and a salad or the steamed veggie side and you're good to go.
Bob Evans is a regional chain here in the eastern Midwest, but it's basically a family casual dining place that's less expensive than a steak dining place like O'Charley's. Think "all day breakfast" and "down home cooking" type of place. You actually can't go wrong with most of the menu, as long as you avoid the fried stuff, bread, and potatoes. Omelets, grilled chicken, salads, the sky's pretty much the limit. These places also tend to allow you to pretty well customize your selection, too. I've been known to have a sausage, ham, and cheese omelet with a side of bacon, occasionally.
BD's Mongolian Grill is a sort-of Asian buffet type place, where you choose the items you want in your meal, then they cook it right in front of you. It's a real treat of an experience. You have to be careful of the sauces, as usual, but there are also dry spices that you can stick with, or go completely sauceless and have the meat and veggies by themselves.
Wendy's is also a decent alternative to McDonald's. I know it's the same idea, but the different selection and slightly higher quality of food makes it a good option for a change in that level of budget. The green tea and strawberry tea are also decent low-sugar options (they are sweetened, though, so be careful if your carb budget is really low, but might be a good treat if you have a higher carb allotment; the large green is 33g, and the strawberry is 20g, of sugar, so not great for low carb budgets, but better than McDonald's sweet tea by lightyears, and most of the sugar in the strawberry is from actual strawberries).
You can even eat at most pizza places (if you can handle resisting the pizza). Most have at least wings, if not salads as well. Plain or ranch, bone-in wings and a side salad make for a good meal. As does a chef salad, even on its own (though perhaps with some extras like olives and more meat).0 -
To add:
BJs, if you have one, has lots of options
Mongolian BBQs now offer cabbage slaw instead of rice as the base0 -
I don't eat out very often, and having a high carb meal hasn't knocked me off course, so far, so I order whatever I want. That isn't as bad as it sounds, since I don't have major carb cravings. If there are crabcakes, that's what I'm having.0
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I usually go to a place that does wings, steak, or a bunless burger. Some great burger places (and NOT McDonalds).0
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I doubt think Hardees has been mentioned above. They make a low carb burger (any burger you prefer) wrapped in lettuce. Is yummy, and also better quality than McDonalds. It's actually being promoted by the company right now! The girl behind the counter showed me their tray liners promoting it! More baby steps!
But pretty much any restaurant with meat and veggies, or salad. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want!0 -
Chain restaurants are less popular imo in Europe. If we eat out we are eating slower rather than faster (fast food restaurants). When I have asked the chef of any restaurant they will quietly put my sauce on the side or make a substiution.
No need for substitutes with Steak n salad, chicken n salad, mushrooms or spinach sides, cocktail prawns, bratwurst, wonderful seafood options such as scallops and white fish, salmon, sashimi, selective thai and indian. My biggest challenge is my work canteen where I do ask has that dressing got sugar on it... no maam but the meat marinade does
or vice versa. Good luck. 0 -
SaultperMan wrote: »I'm getting tired of bunless McDoubles and expensive subway salads.
@SaultperMan welcome to MFP forums.
At McDonalds I order a la carte round eggs (fresh cracked and cooked in real butter), sausage and or real bacon with coffee and a ton of half and half creamer.
I just at lunch at a local greasy spoon and had water, 3 eggs fried over easy and three strips of bacon.
After being LCHF for 18 months I am learning more options than I first stated.0 -
Marie Calendar's, Denny's, Mimi's Cafe, Carl's Jr. Amazingly enough all of these places have their nutritional data listed right online. Both Marie Calendar's and Carl's Jr. have features on their website which let you customize your meal selection and it will likewise adjust the nutritional data based on what you will be having so you can even create a "Food" in MFP to make logging it easy.0
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I eat a lot of chicken breast with broccoli and ask them to add cheese and avocado to it. Places like Buffalo Wild Wings, Denny's, etc. Most places usually have these things on hand. Then they just have to figure out what to charge you
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wendy's has a great menu, i know you're tired of burgers but get two patties with cheese & bacon. their patties are 100% beef and have no carbs.
my parents took me to denny's for breakfast last weekend and i had sausage, bacon, eggs (with cheese) plus a side of fruit (only had a couple bites of cantaloupe) and also tea (unsweet) - i'm sure denny's and other restaurants like IHOP sell breakfast 24/7.
for dinner we went to a steak house and i had a filet with garlic butter (hold the rolls please!) plus broccoli (dipped it in the garlic butter) and also grilled shrimp - asked them to hold the sauce b/c i didn't know what was in it.
that was BY FAR the best meal i've had eating in a restaurant...and i couldnt' believe i was able to stick to my diet!!!!0 -
If I need lunch at work, I just walk over to Trader Joe's and grab some odds and ends. If I am fortunate enough to have a planned meal out (it's a special treat in my poor household!), then I order something cow based and am very specific regarding my sides.
I have eaten other ethnic foods (Thai) but that requires a little planning in the day (ended up with larb w/ cabbage and no "special sauce.")0 -
oh and PS, try buffalo wild wings. you can get their grilled chicken and dip it in their buffalo sauce. 2 carbs for sauce. OR their traditional wings with no sauce = no carbs0
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My new go to place is 5 guys. Order double bacon cheeseburger no bun with mustard on the side. Bottle of water. Free peanuts in the shell as a side.
Your screen name makes me think you might be from ontario so you prob have a swiss chalet near you. I get the double leg dinner with gravy on the side. I just eat the chicken and dip a little gravy. I haven't tried any other fast food places.0 -
If I have to go somewhere new I Google the menu on the way there. My advice would be to get really familiar with what's low carb and what isn't- and don't be afraid to ask for substitutes (veggies instead of rice on the side at Chinese for example).
In general I ask for bunless, in a bowl, sauce/dressing on the side (give away or throw out), or am prepared to pick things out. A lot of restaurants are hip to low-carb these days, just ask. Maybe people will look at you funny or say something, but looking and feeling good is worth all that.0 -
Panera's Chicken Cob salad with avocado.0
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I live in a small rural town, so there aren't a ton of options. I mostly try to hit our local restaurants, if possible, because they will usually work around my diet. There's a local deli that will make any sandwich into a salad. Our local BBQ joint also has some great low carb options. As for chain restaurants, I hit up Jimmy Johns (lettuce wrap) or KFC (grilled chicken and green beans) if I need something quick. If I have time to sit down for an hour, I'll go to O'charleys, Cheddars or a Mexican restaurant for fajitas or a molcajete dish; minus the chips, rice, beans and tortillas. Cracker Barrel also has some good low-carb items; plus you can always order breakfast there.
If I'm going out somewhere I've never been before, I always check their online menu first.0 -
daylitemag wrote: »Your screen name makes me think you might be from ontario so you prob have a swiss chalet near you. I get the double leg dinner with gravy on the side. I just eat the chicken and dip a little gravy. I haven't tried any other fast food places.
lol, that is exactly what he always orders.0 -
I doubt think Hardees has been mentioned above. They make a low carb burger (any burger you prefer) wrapped in lettuce. Is yummy, and also better quality than McDonalds. It's actually being promoted by the company right now! The girl behind the counter showed me their tray liners promoting it! More baby steps!
But pretty much any restaurant with meat and veggies, or salad. Don't be afraid to ask for what you want!
I heard this a while back. While on a field trip, we stopped at Hardee's for lunch. I was excited to try their low carb burger. I wanted the turkey option. Come to find out, the low carb burger isn't available at all locations and the turkey low carb option has been discontinued. They're making progress but I hope they continue to add items to their menu that are LCHF friendly. 0
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