Eating Out Low Carb Style

One of the hardest things about going low carb was learning how to eat out. There’s so many temptations and things that you love, it’s can be hard to change and make healthy selections when you have all of that wonderful delicious food in your face. But eating out Low Carb Style does not have to be difficult.

When I first started going low carb I stayed away from eating out. It was many weeks and maybe even a few months that I cooked at home until I learned that I could be in control of my choices. I would make things like my Double Protein Breakfast Burger Recipe, Easy Taco Omelet Recipe or Ham, Cheese and Pickle Rollups

Once I felt comfortable with my routine and the things that I could eat, then I started to venture out into places that I could enjoy with my family.

One of the first things to do is to not stress out. Every place that you go will have something on the menu that you can have. It’s just a matter of breaking it down if you have to.

So if you’re at a nice restaurant, it’s easy to get grilled chicken or grilled steak and a side of veggies. Or you can choose a big healthy salad with dressing on the side. What’s a little harder is staying away from those wonderful breads we love to love. Although they’re not completely off the menu, if you can just have one. But for most people, that’s difficult to do. I just choose not to eat them.

I went to Olive Garden with the family and I have to admit I was panicking a bit. But guess what? They have a steak on the menu and it was fabulous!

Breakfast is always an option at most family restaurants so ordering bacon and eggs with cottage cheese and a little fruit is a great meal no matter the time of day. Omelets are awesome too. I eat those often.

What About Fast Food?

Being on the road or eating out fast food places is a bit more challenging. However, once you learn and know the menus, there’s always something there that you can eat. Again, it may be breaking things down but the options are there.

Here are some examples.

If you’re at a fast food place that serves burgers almost every one will give you a burger without a bun. Called protein style or lettuce wrapped, that’s an easy choice.
Many fast food places have grilled chicken on the menu that you can order as a side.
Eggs and sausage can be ordered without buns,biscuits or muffins.

When eating Mexican food, it’s a little bit more difficult, however here’s some of my tricks

Order a burrito the way you like it. Open up the tortilla and scoop out the inside. Not attractive but it sure does taste good.
Corn tortillas do not bother me and I’m not usually affected when I eat those so rolled tacos with extra lettuce works for me.
Chile Colorado or Chile Verde in a bowl is delicious and you can add a small bit of rice, if you’re allowed. It makes for a very filling meal.
Taco salad is a great option as well. If it comes in a fried tortilla bowl, you don’t have to eat the bowl but do include a small amount of the beans because it’s great fiber. It can be considered high carb so don’t need a whole lot of them.

These are just some of the tips and tricks that I have used over the last year or so to help me convert to low-carb eating out. What tips do you have that you can share?