• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Ditch The Carbs
  • Home
  • SHOP
  • Meal Plans
  • Recipes
  • How To Start
  • Guides
  • Videos
  • Kids
  • 4-Week QUICKSTART
menu icon
go to homepage
  • 🛒 SHOP
  • RECIPES
  • CHARTS
  • MEALS
  • FREEBIES
  • START HERE
  • 4-Week QUICKSTART
  • KETO CALCULATOR
  • KIDS
  • BUY ME A COFFEE ☕️
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • 🛒 SHOP
    • RECIPES
    • CHARTS
    • MEALS
    • FREEBIES
    • START HERE
    • 4-Week QUICKSTART
    • KETO CALCULATOR
    • KIDS
    • BUY ME A COFFEE ☕️
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Articles and Carb Charts

    5 Top Tips How To Eat Out (And Stay Low-Carb)

    Published: May 23, 2018· Modified: May 15, 2022· By Libby Jenkinson May contain affiliate links.

    3152 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    5 Top Tips - How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb 1

    I am often asked " How to eat out and stay low carb " - here are my 5 top tips.

    There are lists of the best meals to order when eating out with friends and how to make easy swaps to make most meals low-carb the easy way.

    How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb with a list of the best meals to order when eating out with friends.  | ditchthecarbs.com

    How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb

    Eating out and remaining low carb can be easy if you follow these simple steps.

    1. Be prepared
    2. Avoid the sides
    3. Choose wisely
    4. Know your limits
    5. Choose your splurge

    1: How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb => Be prepared

    How To 5 Top Tips - How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb 5

    Take a look at the restaurant menu before you head out. Knowing menu options will allow you to plan ahead and not make a quick decision only to regret it later.

    Ask yourself -

    • Is there a meal that can be slightly adjusted to become low carb?
    • Are there savoury dishes without sweet sauces
    • Choose a simple meat dish with non starchy vegetables - steak with salad? Chicken Caesar salad? Bun-less burger with salad?
    • What is the "Special of the day"?

    Avoid all dishes with sauces that might contain sugar or seed oils - sweet chilli sauce, BBQ, sweet'n'sour, hoisin, processed mayonnaise could be swapped for lemon, oil and vinegar


    2: How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb => Avoid the side dishes

    5 Top Tips - How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb 4

    Most meals can be made low carb by avoiding the sides because these items that are generally high in carbs.

    Is bread your downfall? Simply politely request as you enter the restaurant, not to be served the bread basket they often bring to the table when you arrive.

    This is GENIUS - 5 Top Tips - How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb with a list of the best meals and easy swaps when eating out with friends. Click to Tweet

    Are fries your enemy? Avoid deep fried food at all costs, they are fried in oxidised seed oils and are high carb. If a meal states it comes with fries, ask if they can swap them for a side salad. Most will oblige at no extra cost.

    • Going for curry? Avoid the naan, rice and the sweet chutneys.
    • Chinese? Avoid the sweet and sour sauces, prawn crackers, fried rice, and dumplings.
    • Mexican? Avoid the sweet chilli sauce, rice, beans and wraps.
    • Burgers? Avoid the bun and the fries.
    • Steak house? Order a grilled steak with melted blue cheese and salad, say no to the fries.

    3: How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb => Choose wisely

    Cooked steak with mushroom sauce in a jug

    There are so many ways to choose wisely or adapt the menu to your liking.

    • Mexican restaurants - choose a naked burrito. It will have all the meat, salad, salsa and guacamole but without the wrap, rice, beans or tortilla crisps.
    • Buffets - navigate these wisely choosing meats, fish and salads avoiding the fried foods, sauces and pasta dishes
    • Caesar salads  - choose it without the croutons but ask for extra leafy greens and bacon instead
    • Indian restaurants - try to avoid the dishes that are heavily based on sauces. Creamy and tomato sauces are often packed with sugar and grains to thicken. Choose an authentic Indian restaurant. A tandoori chicken tikka masala can be completely different depending on if it is made with the traditional tandoori recipe rather than a westernised version. Tandoori chicken is marinated in yoghurt and spices, then cooked in a tandoor (clay oven).
    • Choose extra side vegetables or salad with olive oil instead of fries
    • Choose to pass on the bread (but keep the butter to add to your steamed vegetables rather than a sauce with hidden sugars)
    • Grilled steak with melted blue cheese and salad not fries
    • Open steak sandwiches, just don't eat the bread
    • Bun-less burgers and salad - most fast food chains now offer this as a standard option
    • Seared tuna, salmon, steak or chicken with a side salad
    • Double egg benedict without the bagels and double the sauce

    4: How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb => Know your limits

    5 Top Tips - How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb 3

    Before ordering look around you at the size of the meals as they are being served. Are they too big? Will you eat it all regardless of your hunger?

    Order an appetiser/starter instead, and add some extra vegetables.

    If a meal is put in front of you that is too big, eat half and make a conscious decision to eat no more. Why not ask to take the other half home, then you have a meal for tomorrow - win win.

    What about ordering a sharing platter between friends, then allow them eat more than you so you can subtly limit your meal size to your new low-carb reduced appetite.


    5: How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb => Choose your splurge

    5 Top Tips - How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb 6

    Decide if you want to have a splurge before you go. Will it be wine? A dessert? Side dish? A particular starter? Latte? Rice? Sauces?

    If you do splurge, choose one only. And limit the splurge.

    Instead of a dessert, why not share a cheese platter without the bread or crackers?

    If this is your special meal out with friends and you have been extra careful with your carbs all week, don't ruin your progress in one night. Why not ask for a half portion of rice? Share a dessert with a friend?


    Low-Carb Eating Out - Be Kind To Yourself 

    If the evening didn't go as planned and you overindulged, don't be too hard on yourself, we want to finally get rid of the association with guilt and food that most of us have grown up with.

    Think about how you could handle the situation differently next time and get right back on track with the next meal. You may wish to begin an intermittent fastfollowing an overindulgent evening.

    And finally, remember to enjoy the company you are with, the friendship, the laughter. Dining out is so much more than food.

    How To Eat Out And Stay Low-Carb with a list of the best meals to order when eating out with friends.  | ditchthecarbs.com

    SaveSave

    Want to start low-carb FAST?

    Subscribe to my FREE newsletter service and get instant access to the FREE Low-Carb FAQ & Diet Sheet as a subscriber bonus. You also receive secret discount codes for subscribers only.

    You also are agreeing to our Privacy Policy

    Success! Now check your email to download your FREE eBook right away.

    There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.

    Powered by ConvertKit

    More ... The Best Low-Carb Keto Articles, Carb Charts and Protein Charts

    • Protein-Sparing Modified Fast PSMF (Calculator + Meal Plan + 97 Foods)
    • Keto Glossary And Keto Abbreviations
    • High Protein Vegetables and Fruit (Protein Charts)
    • Best High-Protein Dairy (Protein And Carb Charts)
    3152 shares
    • Share
    • Tweet
    • Yummly
    mockups of low-carb meal plans and templates
    Libby Jenkinson in her garden

    I'm Libby Jenkinson MPS. A registered pharmacist, Health Coach, Cert.Adv Nutrition, mother of 3 and founder of Ditch The Carbs and Low-Carb Practitioners.

    Learn more about me →

    low-carb and keto cookbooks

    Recent Posts

    • 3-Ingredient Keto Tortilla Chips Recipe (Air Fryer or Baked)
    • The Best Keto Coffee Creamer Recipe (5 flavors)
    • Easy Low-Carb Keto Oatmeal Recipe (5-Ingredients)
    • Quick Cheesy Keto Chicken Casserole (Pork Rind Crust)
    • The Best Keto Cheesecake Recipe (4 Topping Flavors)

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Please leave a COMMENT. Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Recipe Rating




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. coni

      August 24, 2018 at 11:19 am

      i'm having trouble choosing breakfast foods low in carbs!! any suggestions? i'm new at this. only 8 days in

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        August 24, 2018 at 1:47 pm

        Take a look at my breakfast recipe archive - it will give you lots of easy and simple ideas. To begin, eggs are the simplest option, or leftovers too.

        Reply
        • DONNA G ELLIOTT

          June 28, 2019 at 3:28 am

          Great suggestions!!!

          Reply
    2. Vince

      June 02, 2018 at 12:37 pm

      Great information here and I love the topic. Eating is such an important way to connect socially and it's enjoyable too. It's also not practical to assume you're going to be able to cook every single meal at home - some flexibility is critical.

      Reply
    3. MHM

      May 24, 2018 at 10:55 am

      I always order steak, salad and steamed broccoli! Tasty and fills me up.

      Reply
    4. Rebecca

      May 24, 2018 at 1:42 am

      It is actually quite easy to do.I have lived a very low carb lifestyle for 12 years and eat out quite often as well as travel.I make sure I have some portable,low carb foods with me such as cheese,nuts or protein bars.This way I always have something to eat or add to a small selection,or to substitute for dessert.It is VERY doable and it is rewarding to take charge of your health.It becomes second nature after a while.when you start seeing the benefits it will no longer bother you that you are giving up certain foods.

      Reply
    5. Rich Rosenfeld

      May 23, 2018 at 2:40 pm

      Some places will allow avocado slices in place of carb-filled sides. Also, ordering ala carte can often save all of the carbs and much of the cost as well. If a Chinese restaurant has a Three Treasures soup (chicken, shrimp, scalops in broth), they will often take out the corn and carrots. In-N-Out has Protein Style burgers, wrapped in lettuce leaves; I get mine mustard fried with grilled onions without the "spread," to avoid the sugar. Outback has grass-fed burgers, which can come without the bun. Salad dressings are a challenge for those of us who are serious about Omega 6 reduction; even bleu cheese dressings have vegetable oil in them. The trick is to have fun being creative, without being curmudgeonly nor judgmental.

      Reply
      • Libby www.ditchthecarbs.com

        May 23, 2018 at 8:22 pm

        Awesome suggestions. I didn't know about the Three Treasures Soup - and your tips for burgers and dressings. Yes, being creative is required, and fun!

        Reply

    Primary Sidebar

    mockup of low-carb keto cookbooks
    Libby Jenkinson in her garden

    I'm Libby Jenkinson, MPS. A registered pharmacist, Health Coach, Cert.Adv Nutrition, mother of 3 and founder of Ditch The Carbs and Low-Carb Practitioners. READ MORE→

    • Low-Carb And Keto For Beginners (Start Here)
    • The Best Low-Carb Keto Recipes
    • Low-Carb Keto Shop - Cookbooks, Sweeteners, Meal Plans, Coaching
    • Low-Carb Keto Cookbooks

    ☕️ BUY ME A COFFEE ☕️

    Footer

    ^ BACK TO TOP ^

    mockups of cookbooks
    mockups of featured websites

    Start Here

    • New Here
    • Sweetener Guide
    • Flours Guide
    • Recipe Index
    • Macro Calculator

    Connect

    • FREE Meal Plan
    • 50 Keto Snacks
    • Find a Dr
    • About
    • Affiliates

    ☕️ Buy me a coffee ☕️

    Services

    • 4-week QUICKSTART
    • Get Cookbooks
    • Get Meal Plans
    • Starter Pack

    I am a participant in Amazon Services, LLC. Associates Program. I earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.
    Privacy Policy - T&C
    Copyright © 2023 Ditch The Carbs

    keto diet app logo
    • 1556