Getting rid of all culinary temptations is great for eating at home, but what happens when you go out to eat? Staying on a low-carb diet might seem difficult at first, but it can be easy with these few tips and a little bit of practice!
BREAKFAST
Skip the bagels, pancakes, Belgian waffles, French toast, or anything of the like. Opt for an omelet, or a few eggs with a side of sausage or ham. Skip the toast and hash browns.
LUNCH
Get a salad with lots of meat. Try a Cobb, chicken Caesar, or garden salad with chicken on top. Use plenty of olive oil and salt (electrolytes). You’ll feel great afterward and have plenty of energy to last you until dinner. Carbs are why people get sleepy after lunch. Don’t be a victim!
DINNER
When ordering a burger, ask to have it wrapped in lettuce. If they’re unable to do that, just ask for no bun. If they bring the bun, take the patty and anything else off the bun and put it to the side. Skip the ketchup as well—it’s full of sugar. Try mayo, mustard, red pepper sauce, sriracha, or any other low-carb sauce.
At Italian restaurants, skip the pasta and pizza, and order the protein-based dinners. Make sure to request salad or any other low-carb alternatives instead of the usual high-carb sides. If all else fails, just eat the topping off of the pizza and avoid the crust.
With Mexican cuisine, try to get your food in a bowl instead of in a
burrito wrap or tortilla. Don’t get rice or beans; instead, get extra sour cream and guacamole.
SIDES
French fries, steak fries, mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, rice, beans, corn on the cob, banana bread, and any other high-carb sides can be replaced with salad, asparagus, broccoli, green beans, or other low-carb vegetables. Most restaurants have some sort of salad for you to choose from. Make sure to always ask and double-check with the waiter or staff.
DRINKS AND ALCOHOL
Instead of juice or soda, stick to water, tea, and coffee. Use heavy cream or halfand-half instead of milk.
In addition to fat, carbs, and protein, alcohol is also a macronutrient. It provides 7 calories per gram, the second most after fat, which provides 9 calories per gram. It is burned by the body before all the other macronutrients. If you drink too much alcohol, you will slow down your fat-burning process and impede your weight loss, if that is your goal.
If you’re ordering alcohol, stay away from any cocktails, as they’re all loaded with sugar. Dry or semidry wine has about 3 grams of carbs per glass, and lowcarb beers like Michelob Ultra and Modelo have 3 to 4 grams of carbs per bottle.
All pure spirits like vodka, Cognac, brandy, bourbon, whisky, rum, tequila, and gin are zero carbs. As always, drink in moderation, stay safe, and enjoy!