How to eat out and stay Keto?
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Fat2FitChick
Posts: 451 Member
How can I eat out and still stick with my Keto lifestyle? Yesterday I went to the hospital to visit a friend and had to eat food from the cafeteria. The only thing I could find was a Ceasar salad so I added more dressing and cheese and some chicken breast but I don't want to eat salad for the rest of my life whenever I have to eat out.
Please help me with ideas!
Please help me with ideas!
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Replies
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When i go to Mcdonalds, i remove the buns which leaves most of the meat burgers with 3-4 g carbs at max0
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Hey, Coil. It was always meat (or fish) and vegetables, whether I was out or home -- more or less. The last time I went out for dinner I had Prime Rib and asparagus with hollandaise sauce. If it's breakfast time, it was bacon, eggs, cheese -- more or less. If it was lunch, I never avoided breaded chicken, which seems ubiquitous. I generally stayed below 50 grams fairly easily and my beta-hydroxybutyrate levels were always in the desired range between 1.0 and 3.0.0
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Ok thanks everyone!0
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If you have good self-control, in the past I liked to eat out at buffets to get a variety of the meats (and great price). If you can pass the dessert and potato table, and stick to a side salad and meat only, it's wonderful! In the past I've always done great on low carb diets, but then I go off of them and gain weight. Today is day one for me again, on the low carb, and I do alot of eggs/bacon for breakfast and on salads, and as far as buffets, when you can get a portion of chicken, steak, (bbq free ribs), etc, it feels like you're eating whatever you want. I do spice things up with salsa verde. It has some carbs but overall pretty low and I use it to replace sweet sauces. Just a thought.0
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If I know I'll be going out ahead of time I simply plan ahead. I find the restaurant's menu online + nutrition facts (most places have these posted on their official sites.)
There are some places I simply have to refuse going to (local Chinese restaurant that I used to love, and most Italian food places - especially Olive Garden.)
My favorite place to go is Longhorn Steak House, or well....I love steak places lol.0 -
I always check the nutrition page on a restaurants website to see what the lowest carb items are. Some places like Panera have the ability to add and subtract items to see what can be omitted to get the lowest carbs.
Some restaurants will gladly accommodate your requests so I usually see what's on other entrees and will pick and choose. There's a great Italian restaurant we go to that has a great steak but came with all sorts of pasta and bread sides while another dish had a breaded meat but had buttered broccoli with onions and mushrooms. They switched around the meats and I had a fantastic low carb meal.
We usually go to Chinese buffets and I'll pick dishes with nothing breaded or coated, nothing with "sweet" in the name and skip the rice and noodles. There's also usually some type of veggie/fruit buffet along side that I'll use to add a few extras.
Breakfast out I usually request omelets made with real eggs, bacon and butter, no toast but a side of fruit. Otherwise just eggs and bacon.
Some restaurants you just have to stay away from and that's just the way it is.0 -
If I have to eat out I usually try to get vegetables and meat and fruit (little high on carbs but at least its healthy and will help make me full til I get home) if they have serve it. Other wise I do like Sad Kitty and try to figure out what option at what restaurant has what I'm hungry for. They make it easy as some places like McDonalds and Burger King have a customizable option so you can see where you stand with certain toppings. Also, if I know I have to eat out, I plan to eat a little more carbs then what I'm allowed as some times condiments at different restaurants may have more carbs then what you have at home.0
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I try to find meat and veggies on the menu. If needed I order a burger without the bun. Sometimes the appetizer menu has the best low carb options.
Italian restaurants are tough... it's pasta everything. Ask to sub steamed broccoli for the pasta and choose alfredo.
Order breakfast anytime of day.
If all else fails, minimize the damage as much as possible.0 -
You guys are awesome!0
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When I go out, I have problems with Chinese buffets, because it seems like everything is glazed. There's one in my hometown that does steamed cabbage and pork that's not too bad, but honestly, it's easier for me to avoid them.
Italian restaurants can be tough, but most of them serve steak or salmon, and they're usually happy to leave any sugary glaze off of the salmon. The appetizer menu can be safer, too, depending on your restaurant.
I have found that Indian restaurants are pretty easy. Ordering anything with the word tandoori in it is usually quite safe and delicious!
As for fast food, I try to stick with Jimmy John's or Chipotle when I can. Jimmy John's has some truly tasty lettuce wraps that you can get with just meat and cheese (and avocado, if you're feeling bold), plus some other veggies depending on what the day's carb count is, and Chipotle's salads are pretty good. Just don't get the corn salsa. I usually don't get their sour cream, either; it's pretty carby.0 -
Egg Foo Young without the gravy is my usual goto at a Chinese restaurant.When I go out, I have problems with Chinese buffets, because it seems like everything is glazed. There's one in my hometown that does steamed cabbage and pork that's not too bad, but honestly, it's easier for me to avoid them.
Mexican - it's stuffed pablano peppers (chiles rellanos) or fajitas no wraps.0 -
It's really quite easy for me to eat out.
Breakfast: Eggs and bacon -- or a new favorite is to get eggs benedict and merely ask that they leave out the English muffin.
Lunch: Salad with dressing and fixings on the side so I can incorporate what I want.
Dinner: You can always get a burger and just ask that they skip the bun, but I usually order fish or meat. Then I ask if I can have steamed or grilled vegetables (such as kale) instead of fries/mashed potatoes/etc. Most restaurants are accomodating.0 -
Well if you go fast food,
If you go to KFC you can get a Double Down which is 10 net carbs. If it's not on the menu ask them if they'll make you one anyways. They do so for me even though it's off the menu.
For a lot of places asking for no bun they will humor you. Wendy's put my baconator no bun into a tray
Doritos Locos Taco from Taco Bell is like 15 carbs. Doable in a pinch and if you are very good ketoer for the rest of the day
Hardee's supposedly if you ask them to low carb it they will remove the bun and wrap the burger in lettuce. I've yet to try this though. They also used to have an actual low carb burger, dunno if they still do or not.
Subway order your sandwich in salad form and turn down the croutons and crackers. I can get a BMT salad with tons of toppings and come away at about 10 carbs. That may be more salad like than you'd prefer but essentially it's just missing the bread and maybe a condiment or two.0 -
Well if you go fast food,
If you go to KFC you can get a Double Down which is 10 net carbs. If it's not on the menu ask them if they'll make you one anyways. They do so for me even though it's off the menu.
For a lot of places asking for no bun they will humor you. Wendy's put my baconator no bun into a tray
Doritos Locos Taco from Taco Bell is like 15 carbs. Doable in a pinch and if you are very good ketoer for the rest of the day
Hardee's supposedly if you ask them to low carb it they will remove the bun and wrap the burger in lettuce. I've yet to try this though. They also used to have an actual low carb burger, dunno if they still do or not.
Subway order your sandwich in salad form and turn down the croutons and crackers. I can get a BMT salad with tons of toppings and come away at about 10 carbs. That may be more salad like than you'd prefer but essentially it's just missing the bread and maybe a condiment or two.
They don't make the GRILLED Double Down in Arizona any more, I never even got to try it. The FRIED Double Down is way more carbs than that.
Burger king is the cheapest as far as burgers; triple stacker, no bun, no sauce. Tastiest too, imo. I've eaten 3x triple stackers with no bun or sauce before. I could eat ten patties... but... man, that was a lot of meat for $9 plus tax.
In N Out's "protein style" where they wrap it in lettuce instead of a bun STILL has 11g carbs per burger, so ask for that without the sauce.
Jimmy John's, get the Gargantuan Unwich.0 -
They don't make the GRILLED Double Down in Arizona any more, I never even got to try it. The FRIED Double Down is way more carbs than that.
" The Double Down consists of two chicken patties (there is a fried and a grilled version -the fried version is breaded) with cheese, bacon, and sauce between them. No bread, so the carbs are pretty low - 11 grams for the fried version (10 net), and only 3 for the grilled. "
and
http://fast-food-nutrition.findthebest.com/l/1377/KFC-Original-Recipe-Double-Down0 -
Looking at the rest of the ingredients... It might be awhile before I give that a try. I might make my own at home though! Maltodextrin, MSG, Wheat Flour, Milk & Soy. Then, there is the Colonel's Sauce, which contains sugar, Corn Starch, Hydrolyzed Corn Gluten and other stuff. Not too appetizing.0
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Most places you can get a good steak, just ask for a veggie substitute on the side.in place of the starch. Ask them to "load down" the veggies like they do the baked potatoes (cheese,cream cheese, bacon bits) so you don't feel like you're missing out0
