MAKE IT HEALTHY
Just because you’re living a low-carb lifestyle doesn’t mean you need to stop going out to eat every once in a while. Most restaurants offer a variety of low-carb options, but if you know what to order, you can turn almost any dish into a low carb meal.
Before you leave for the restaurant, read the restaurant’s menu online. Eating a light snack before you go out to eat can also prevent you from overeating at the restaurant. Choose something that’s healthy and filling but won’t ruin your appetite like celery sticks or lunch meat.
Many restaurants offer bread or baskets of tortilla chips to start off the menu. If you have a hard time resisting the temptation of the bread basket, politely tell the server that you don’t need the basket. If bread or chips come with salsa, hummus or guacamole, ask if you can substitute sliced veggies instead. I’ve learned over the last two years that most places will accommodate any request but you’ve got to learn to ask.
Your meal will most likely come with fries, a baked potato or other high carb sides. Most places will offer asparagus or broccoli so add those as your side. I often ask for my broccoli to be loaded like they do with a baked potato so it’s served with shredded cheese and bacon.
If you order a salad as your meal, be mindful of the ingredients. Some will come with add-ins like croutons or tortilla strips. Additionally, make sure your meal is grilled and not breaded. That will knock you out of ketosis (the process of burning fat instead of carbs) immediately.
Ditching the bread or bun when you order a burger or sandwich will save you a lot of carbs. Oftentimes, a sandwich can be made into a salad or a lettuce wrap. Again, you simply have to ask.
Breakfast is one of my favorite meals to eat out. Make sure you avoid waffles, pancakes, French toast and oatmeal and order a low-carb omelet or scamble. Make sure you skip the hash browns or breakfast potatoes that accompany most breakfast meals and ask for a side of bacon, sausage or ham.
I was nervous the first couple of times I ate fast food in Ponca City. I don’t always like to do it but sometimes it’s a necessity because I get so busy.
All of the fast food places in Ponca City have been ...
