TOP TIPS FOR EATING AT RESTAURANTS
Craig and I used to enjoy going out to dinner on date nights, but now we prefer to cook at home. Restaurant food never tastes as good as what we can whip up together in our own kitchen. We prefer to spend the money on quality food that we can cook ourselves, and we end up saving money by not going out to eat.
Eating out while trying to maintain a keto lifestyle is not impossible, though. If you do choose to eat out, here are my top menu picks.
OMELET
Many restaurants serve omelets not just for breakfast but also for lunch, which I adore. Just look out for non-ketogenic fillings, such as beans. Choose keto fillings like mushrooms, onions, cheeses, and meats. My favorite omelet to order at a restaurant is ham and Emmentaler cheese with a side of house-made hollandaise for dipping (and to increase the keto level).
Be aware, however, that some restaurants add non-ketogenic ingredients to the eggs used to make omelets. Some large breakfast chains such as IHOP add pancake batter to their omelets. That's right - they add sugar, carbs, and wheat to the omelet base for "fluffiness"... yuck! A spinach and mushroom omelet at IHOP contains 24 grams of carbs and 7 grams of sugar. That just isn't right.
Ask your server to have the chef cook your omelet in butter instead of vegetable oil, which most restaurants use.
POACHED EGGS BENEDICT
I often order eggs benedict, skip the English muffin, and request extra hollandaise. My eggs Benedict is often served with two slices of ham, two poached eggs, a large side of hollandaise, and a side salad. That way I don't worry about the oils in which the eggs are fried.
Make sure that the hollandaise is house-made and not made from a mix.
HAMBURGER ON A SIDE SALAD
Skip the bun. Order a hamburger with a large side salad with a house salad dressing made without sugar (ranch, blue cheese, and Italian are usually good options). Bonus points if you bring your own dressing.
Beware of hidden sugars, such as in BBQ sauce-basted burgers or caramelized onions made with soda. Yes, you read that right: some restaurants caramelize onions in Coke.
SANDWICH ON A SIDE SALAD
Ask for no bread or fries and sub in a large salad. I have even ordered a Reuben over a large salad. Beware of hidden sugars in sandwich condiments or dressings such as Thousand Island.
STEAK AND MUSHROOMS
Again, skip the starchy potatoes and ask for a ketogenic vegetable, such as sauteed mushrooms. Bonus points if you choose a ketogenic cut of steak. Skip the steak sauce, which is filled with sugar.
SALMON WITH BROCCOLI
Skip the rice or potatoes and ask for a nonstarchy vegetable side, such as broccoli. Smother the salmon in extra butter.
CHICKEN ALFREDO AND OTHER PASTA DISHES
Ask the chef to omit the pasta and put the sauce over sauteed broccoli instead. Even at popular chain Italian restaurants, I have enjoyed chicken Alfredo and shrimp scampi over broccoli instead of pasta. Make sure that the Alfredo sauce is not thickened with a roux, which includes wheat flour.
RAMEN AND PHO
I love getting pho at a Vietnamese restaurant in Minneapolis. I ask them not to put any noodles in the soup; instead, they use extra cabbage sliced very thin, which reminds me of noodles. Beware of the soy sauce the restaurant uses. Is it true fermented soy sauce or an Americanized sauce that has gluten added to it? Bonus points if you bring your own coconut aminos and skip the soy sauce entirely.
THAI FOOD
I adore going to Thai restaurants. Sure, it can take a while to get your food, but that's because they are making everything so fresh. I often get Thai food swap out the noodles for sauteed cabbage noodles. Tom kha gai(coconut chicken soup) is one of my favorite dishes.
Beware of added sugars, which are common at some Thai restaurants. Ask the chef not to add any sugar to your dish.
NACHO TOPPINGS ON LETTUCE
I love nachos. One local restaurant called San Pedro makes awesome nachos. Instead of serving the toppings on chips, they serve them over bite-sized crispy romaine lettuce. I have asked for this preparation at a number of restaurants, and all of them have been very open to my request.
SAUSAGES AND/OR BRATS WITH A SIDE OF SAUERKRAUT
But beware of Bavarian-style sauerkraut, which contains added sugar.
FAST FOOD
Chipotle is the only fast food option I would recommend. I suggest ordering lettuce layered with your choice of meat, topped with sauteed bell peppers, salsa, and guacamole (as well as sour cream and cheese if you're not dairy-sensitive).
So, these are just a few ideas of what to order at restaurants. There is no place you can't go and modify the menu to make it keto. One final tip is to look at the menu online and plan your order before you get there. Stick to your plan and do not allow your friends or your server to tempt you into ordering unhealthy options. Steer clear of food pushers!
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