Eating out tips?

[Barbee]

I'm not missing bread, not missing sugar, but I am missing french fries and fried chicken and pasta.

My husband and I eat out a lot. We both work, are over 60, and enjoy eating out. What can I eat out besides salad? How do I know the dressing is sugar free?

On Sat. night we drive over to Canada where a place we know has prime rib for $9.99. I enjoy that and it's delicious but have to pass on the potato and roll. Lucky for me the veggies are cauliflower and broccoli.

Sometimes we go to a buffet and I can pick things allowable... but we really feel limited by my diet. I wondered if anyone had any good ideas?

[FLdoodette]

Re: Eating out tips?

Hi, Barbee! Since starting Atkins, my husband and I eat mostly at home 'cos everything seems to be crawling with illicit carbs out there in the cold, cruel world! But we have hit the buffet a couple of times, which I find to offer the most variety ... plenty of protein choices, salad fixin's, cooked greens, even sugar-free jell-o. The idea of any other kind of restaurant strikes terror in my heart ... Italian?! Pasta! Oy! Pizza?! Eeeeeee! A steak house seems the most Atkins friendly, to me. All of which you already know ... sorry I wasn't of more help

[Barbee]

Re: Eating out tips?

So far I have discovered in the Italian restaurant that hubby can have his pasta and I order Buffalo wings and a salad. Here in Buffalo the wings don't have all that sauce on them... they are almost dry especially if you order them mild.

I saw on this board that Cracker Barrel has a low carb menu so tonight we went there and I have a nice steak, with collard greens, green beans and it was very good. I noticed they have a low carb breakfast too. We always go out for breakfast on Sunday so I'll try it.

In the Greek restaurants I have Slovaki which is pretty low in carbs. I usually take 1/2 of it home for the next day.

My favorite cook at home meal is a stir-fry. We buy the beef strips and cook them in the crock pot. When I get home from work I throw them into a big frying pan and add a bit of the juice they cooked in and green, red, and yellow peppers, onions, water chestnuts and bean sprouts. It's very good.

I think if you enjoy the food you will be able to toler ate the diet longer.

[food_fun]

Re: Eating out tips?

A good eating out tip for Atkins followers according to me is to know about restaurants offering Low fat menu. I usually refer a fine dining guide in that case.

[Barbee]

Re: Eating out tips?

I really enjoyed my dinner at Cracker Barrel, does anyone else know of a place that offers low carb menus?

I'm going to try their breakfast tomorrow.

[darin2]

Re: Eating out tips?

The Cracker Barrel low carb breakfast is nice. It comes with sliced tomatoes as a side. Breakfast is pretty easy eating out because you can get eggs, sausage, bacon in just about any restaurant.

Lunch for me can be a salad with grilled chicken. I usually check out the restaurants dressings ahead of time, but most ranch dressings are ok in moderation. I will also eat hot wings from Zaxbys (original), and a few other places. A quick lunch for me can be a drive through getting a few double cheeseburgers without ketchup and just taking off the bread. Chickfila also has a nice grilled chicken salad and a grilled chicken sandwhich on wheat bun. We took our kids to Stevie B's (pizza buffet place) last weekend and I ate salad and skimmed the toppings off a few pieces of pizza.

For dinner I usually stick to a steak house and order steamed vegetables in stead of potatoe. Again if I get a salad I get ranch dressing. Most places will have grilled chicken or pork chops as well. I think O'Charleys also has a low carb menu. If you like seafood, ofcourse that is easy eating out, just get broiled shrimp, fish, crab legs, etc.

Good luck.

[Barbee]

Re: Eating out tips?

I enjoyed the breakfast at Cracker Barrel and had plenty to eat... gave tomatoes to hubby as I can't eat them, too acidic.

Eating breakfast out is a big problem for me. I can't stand to pay for stuff I'm not getting. I have a few restaurants who know us and will make substitutions but I"ll be darned if I'll pay $7.00 and get two slices of bacon and two eggs because I have to tell them no hash browns or toast.

We usually go to Homestyle Buffet--- but I was gettting sick of it so CB was a nice change.

Even when I order an omelet I have to pass on some of the sides that go with it and end up paying way too much for just an omelet and leave hungry. When I eat a good (big) breakfast I don't eat lunch at all. It holds me all day.

[jfarmer`]

Re: Eating out tips?

any ideas for chinese? or is it out all together.. my daughter LOVES our local chinese buffet... I have no idea what to get... I know i cant have my usual.. noodles with orange chicken

any ideas?

[Barbee]

Re: Eating out tips?

If I'm in a group and they all want Chinese I will go along... almost all of them have salad. They all have won ton soup... just don't eat the won ton. The broth is good. Then I proceed to the beef and broccoli, chicken on a stick, and the chicken wings don't have any sauce on them at our place so I can have those too. Nothing with sauce because they use sugar in their sauces. Most have sugarless jello... a perk.

[the man in blue]

Re: Eating out tips?

[quote=Barbee;961089]I'm not missing bread, not missing sugar, but I am missing french fries and fried chicken and pasta. quote]


Eat that fried chicken, just remove the breading.... I know not the full experience...but the chicken is still good!

[cfontanin]

Re: Fried Chicken

I still enjoy fried chicken. I make it myself with my own homemade low carb breadcrumbs (I grind up dried LC bread from Sami's Bakery) YUM - and it tastes exactly the same. Its been a life saver. I made LC crab cakes with them yesterday.

[Zarabelle]

Re: Eating out tips?

Hi there
You can get some good ideas from this thread x

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/main-atkins-diet-forum/70938-whats-your-favourite-cuisine-when-going-out-low-carb.html

[Barbee]

Re: Fried Chicken

I still enjoy fried chicken. I make it myself with my own homemade low carb breadcrumbs (I grind up dried LC bread from Sami's Bakery) YUM - and it tastes exactly the same. Its been a life saver. I made LC crab cakes with them yesterday.

I love it too and I crush pork rinds and use that as breading. Tastes great!

[ceemarie]

Re: Eating out tips?

Maybe your favorite restarant will subsitute a salad for the potato. Always worth asking.

[Owain Glyndwr]

Re: Eating out tips?

I'm not sure what Greek food is like in north america but where I live (Germany) it is fantastic for atkins and quite reasonable. You can't eat any of the starters or the pita but the main dishes here include a plate full of various grilled meats (usually various combinations of gyros, pork steaks pork skewers, turkey steaks, lamb chops etc). You have to avoid any of the things made with ground meat as they contain bread crumbs too. I usually allow myself a very small amount of tzaziki with the meat, though not strictly allowed.