Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

[AnewMeFl]

Hi everyone, well today is day 8 on Induction. I'm in the phase where I don't have any cravings, but I could eat, x, y and z just because. However, I dont!

Yesterday I went to an International China Buffet, and it wasn't half as enjoyable as my regular way of eating would have been, it was hard to make choices, so I had small amounts of sea food, steak with cucumbers, no dressing and a unsweetened diet tea It was the saddest tasting food ever and talk about bland.

So I know that I need to get more creative when it comes to recipes because I still have a little ways to go before the end of induction so I need your help folks.

If you ate out during Induction, where did you go and what did you have?

And what

Brands and flavors of Atkin friendly Induction type foods got you through, for example what brand and flavor in salad dressings, Mayo, whipped cream in the can, etc.

Please help!

Anyway, goals.
Two days before Atkins 232.6
Atkins SW - 228.4 lb
Mini Goal W - loose 8.4 during induction.

3/21/09 at 8 days into atkins down 5.8

Induction ends on March 27th YaYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

[tuttifrutti]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

Congratulations on your 5.8 lb loss
As far as going out to eat...The best place so far that I've been to is a mongolian grill. I don't know if you have those where you are. It has just like a buffet of noodles, vegetables and all kinds of meat (raw and nothing added). You put all the stuff you want in a bowl and at the end of the line they cook it all for you on this huge mongolian grill. You can pick all the meats you want and add the veggies too. Of course you would skip the noodles and the sauces with sugar. Also any restaurant that offers a salad bar is great! I went to the pizza joint up the road that has a salad bar. I just pulled the toppings off the pizza and ate that with the salad bar. Of course you can always order a cheese burger, hold the ketchup and bun I would skip any whipped cream in a can or tub and make your own with heavy whipping cream and a bit of splenda. I enjoy Blue cheese salad dressing alot. I guess it's an acquired taste for some...it's great to dip your celery in too. As for mayo, I have not been able to find any locally without the added sugar. I end up using best foods but in very small moderation because of the sugar. I am just going to end up making my own.
Here is also a link for you with some great recipes. She has them marked for induction friendly recipes as well!!!
Linda's Low Carb Menus & Recipes - Home

[liv]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

I really agree with Tutti.
I also liked some breakfast restaurants - omelets make for good food. Places they serve steaks, lobster, shrimp are great. Look through online menus for restaurants and find out where good and legal options are.

On induction I allowed myself legal luxury just to get into the programme. Very yummy cheese, smoked salmon - those were great. I made devilled eggs to keep around and cheese cake.

[AnewMeFl]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

Thank you this helps a lot,

[chinadoll]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

I like chicken caesar salads and cobb or club salads with blue cheese dressing. Another favorite is Applebee's California shrimp salad with bacon and avocado and grilled shrimp. I just ask them to leave the dressing off an bring my own 1000 Island (low carb ketchup and mayo thinned with a touch of vinegar--not sure if this is for induction though).

Indian food can be fine. Palak paneer, rogan josh, tandoori chicken is good after the dairy level

Chinese is tougher. There is cornstarch in most Chinese food.

when all else fails in a typical american joint, a steak and salad or a big order of non breaded buffalo wings and a salad work.

Italian - grilled vegetables or carpaccio or salad caprese for starter. green salad. Meat or fish main course. That is the hardest place for me. I love the bread with olive oil and the pastas.

[Georgiana]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

If you ate out during Induction, where did you go and what did you have?

Ditto what others have already told you.
There is also a sticky thread on the board, with links to the menus of several restaurants:

http://www.atkinsdietbulletinboard.com/forums/restaurants/14319-restaurant-nutritional-info-links.html

[mitzimarie]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

I find that Chinese is the ultimate challenge, when eating low-carbed. So much so, that I haven't done it since I re-started Atkins in Feb of '07. It was one of my favorite places to pig out prior to then, and it is just too dangerous for me.

Italian is the next hardest for me... so many things that sound Atkins-friendly in the title, end up being an Atkins-nightmare. On the rare occasion that we go Italian, I usually do a grilled chicken ceasar salad.

My 2 very favorite places to eat out are Outback Steakhouse (for obvious reasons), and a local mexican restaurant. I get their Ultimate Fajitas... beef, chicken, and shrimp with onions and bellpeppers. I dump the shredded cheese, guacamole, and sour cream right on top of the pile of fajitas and stir. Who needs tortillas? Not me! Yep, it looks a little messy on my plate, but boy is it good!

[not2late]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

There are "Chinese-American" buffet places where I live. They typically have the usual Chinese take-out food, but they also include non-typical Chinese take out like steamed fish, steamed crabs and shellfish, roast duck, plain sauteed veggies, etc. When I go to a place like that, I typically stick to the steamed seafood and roasted foods and sauteed veggies or salads.

If it's an authentic Chinese restaurant, I go for the authentic foods like the steamed chicken, fish, roast pork or duck, etc. And I avoid the sauces.

Same thing for an Italian restaurant. If it's a McPasta, then I try to pick the entree that looks the lowest carb. But if it's an authentic Italian restaurant, I start with the anti-pasto, have soup instead of the pasta course, and get a entree with the sauteed veggies.

I found an excellent middle-eastern kabob carry out in my area about a year ago. I skip the rice and the naan (bread), but I get the chicken or lamb kabobs and the veggie/salad. I'm in Pre-Maintenance, so I can eat the legume-based dishes in moderation. In fact, they think I'm an almost-vegetarian because I most often just order the vegetable side dishes!

[kibskix]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

I can't stand chinese buffets. Everything there tastes like it was drenched in salt!
I've only eaten out once since being on induction and I ate at Chili's and had the Guiltless carne asada steak and veggies, which was just a medium well steak topped with tomato, onion and cilantro, and a side of broccoli. of course the broccoli had to be coated in little carrot slivers but i just picked those off.

[Ryan.Stoeppel]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

I really agree with Tutti.
I also liked some breakfast restaurants - omelets make for good food. Places they serve steaks, lobster, shrimp are great. Look through online menus for restaurants and find out where good and legal options are.

On induction I allowed myself legal luxury just to get into the programme. Very yummy cheese, smoked salmon - those were great. I made devilled eggs to keep around and cheese cake.

Make sure to be very careful with breakfast restaurants though. If you order an omelet make SURE they are not using flour or baking mix to thicken the omelet. This is a very common practice.

Personally for me I think the easiest places to eat out are seafood restaurants. It helps that I love seafood and live near the water, but tuna, tilapia, lobster...can't go wrong with any of that as long as you aren't getting it fried with breadcrumbs or anything. Still have to be careful though. If I know I am going out I will try to find the website for the restaurant and see if they have any nutritional info available. Most do, but some don't. If they don't then it is kind of a craps shoot; even so you should be able to tell from menu descriptions and some well placed questions to your waiter what will be the better choice for you than not. It may come down to the lesser of two evils, but I've found that restaurants are more than willing to cater to any special requests you may have.

[chinadoll]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

OK Ryan, you have made me very very hungry for good fresh seafood!

[Batman]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

If you get pulled into going to Pizza Hut one day, there is only one thing on the menu you can have, and that's the Ceasar Salad. It comes with croutons, but they're very easy to pick out.

At an indian restaurant they will probably do you the most amazing tandoori mixed grill, which is usually served with a heaping portion of salad and all different kinds of meat including old favourites such as chicken tikka and lamb kebabs
I also believe the mushroom bahjee(sp?) are quite low in carbs, depending on your restaurant.

Steak houses are steak houses and totally brilliant. Don't go with sauces - they're usually full of sugar, instead maybe a little garlic butter for flavour, of course with a side salad.

Chinese - I'd advise against it. Last time I went I couldn't find anything suitable so picked out bits of chicken from sauces and STILL ended up eating 20+ prawn crackers ): ~ If you're desperate, I'd say stick with things like Duck with no sauce, steamed shrimp and green veggies. Possibly steamed tofu (I think) is okay. Dry Ribs will also satisfy you (:
(Of course no noodles or rice haha)

At Italian restaurants I find you can get a really good appetizer - go for something along the lines of the “antipasto platter” typically contains an assortment of meats such as salami, cheeses, and marinated vegetables such as artichokes and peppers...
You can also get steamed mussels and clams which should be a small enough portion to not raise your carbs too high.
~And for the main, grilled meat or fish is a must, with a side salad or greens.

Subway - I used to eat here on atkins, just take away the roll if you've added a load of salad and gotten double meat, but now I've disassembled their ingredients I make my own salads at home (From BMT to Tuna :3)

Dressings - I think Hellmans does the best range, I've never tasted one I don't like. Not sure if they do them in the US though.

Treats - I swear by 90% dark chocolate to relieve any craving for the stuff. The carbs are very low and the fibre in comparison very high, the higher the percentage the better of course. You won't need to eat a lot of it; not to mention if you melt some into cream it's heavenly!

Low carb milkshakes - You're sure to find these somewhere near you! The ones in my area are higher in fibre than carbs, but I need to water them down with soya milk because they're too sweet for my palate.

Hope you enjoy! You're welcome to PM me if any questions crop up, I'm lurking daily. x

[WAM]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

Hi everyone, well today is day 8 on Induction. I'm in the phase where I don't have any cravings, but I could eat, x, y and z just because. However, I dont!

Yesterday I went to an International China Buffet, and it wasn't half as enjoyable as my regular way of eating would have been, it was hard to make choices, so I had small amounts of sea food, steak with cucumbers, no dressing and a unsweetened diet tea It was the saddest tasting food ever and talk about bland.

So I know that I need to get more creative when it comes to recipes because I still have a little ways to go before the end of induction so I need your help folks.

If you ate out during Induction, where did you go and what did you have?

And what

Brands and flavors of Atkin friendly Induction type foods got you through, for example what brand and flavor in salad dressings, Mayo, whipped cream in the can, etc.

Please help!

Anyway, goals.
Two days before Atkins 232.6
Atkins SW - 228.4 lb
Mini Goal W - loose 8.4 during induction.

3/21/09 at 8 days into atkins down 5.8

Induction ends on March 27th YaYYYYYYYY!!!!!!

Hardy's or Carl's Junior has these great low carb burgers. Instead the bunn it is wrapped in lettuce. I am a burger fan!
When going for something nice , then any Steakhouse you prefer, they substite gladly your fry's, potatoe... for veggetable or salad. Often they have Vinegar and Oil for you to make your own salad dressing.
If you are not sure call the restaurant before going there to see if they make the changes for you, so you can go there without guilt to eat.
Good luck!

[Suzanne_H]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

Must be just a midwest thing, but many of the Chinese buffets here have steamed crab legs, boiled peel and eat shrimp, and mongolian barbeque... I totally pig out LOL

Souper Salad is another favorite for staying true to the WOE. On the other hand, my favorite cuisine, Mexican, works only if it's a truly Mexican restaurant with items like carnitas, barbacoa, carne asada, or adovada... and as long as I send the chips back to the kitchen. A nice garden salad with carnitas or carne asada and guacamole and I'm in heaven. Most restaurants offer low-carb choices, just have to seek them out.

[Aways2Go]

Re: Shopping Atkin Friendly Induction Foods

Agreed on the comment about omelettes at breakfast houses. Some of them use an "egg mix" from a carton and THEN add in some waffle batter to fluff it up and sweeten it. Who knows what is in the egg mix carton to begin with, and for sure you don't want them adding in waffle batter. Find out if the omelette is made from actual eggs or one of these mixes, and then tell them to make yours with just a few plain fresh eggs with nothing added.

Also, I find my special requests for no sauces, etc, get taken more seriously if I tell the staff I am ALLERGIC and not just that I am on a diet. Restaurants tend to take the threat of a possible allergic reaction much more seriously than just making you go out of ketosis for several days, LOL! But honestly, I do consider my reaction to sugars somewhat akin to an allergy, so I don't feel bad saying it.

Good luck.