American
Bunless burgers, sandwiches without the bread, bunless cheesesteaks, salads, side of avocado, side of pickles, sautéed veggies. If the restaurant serves breakfast, you can order eggs, bacon or sausage, and cheese; just ask for no bread/biscuit/muffin.
BBQ
Pulled pork, brisket, sausage, ribs, smoked chicken, collard greens or other nonstarchy veggies, salads. The trick is to ask for no barbecue sauce on your meat. If you want to be extra-careful, you can even ask if the seasonings/rubs are sugar-free.
Breakfast/brunch
Omelets, eggs benedict (substitute avocado slices for the English muffin), eggs with bacon and avocado, steak and eggs.
Burger joints
The majority will allow you to pass on the bun and give you a lettuce wrap if you ask. Be sure to have them leave off the ketchup, and add mayo if you like. Some burger places offer grilled chicken as an alternative, which you can eat with ranch dressing or on a salad (no croutons, and choose either ranch or Caesar dressing).
Chinese
Egg drop soup, chicken with mushrooms, beef or chicken and broccoli, garlic prawns. Watch for sugar in sauces; feel free to ask about ingredients before ordering.
German
Sausage, bunless burgers, sauerkraut, salads.
Greek
Kabobs and Greek salads are great choices. Also, tzatziki sauce is usually pretty low in carbs.
Indian
Tandoori chicken, kabobs, roasted eggplant (without breading).
Italian
Chicken Alfredo (substitute broccoli or asparagus for the pasta), steak and veggies, antipasto salad. Remember that a lot of Italian dishes, such as meatballs, contain breadcrumbs, so watch out for hidden carbs.
Japanese steakhouse
One of my favorites! Chicken, steak, shrimp, scallops, or lobster; skip the rice and ask for extra veggies (often mushrooms, zucchini, and onion; I ask for light onion). Skip the orange (“yum yum”) sauce, as it’s not low-carb. Brown ginger sauce is usually low in carbs—feel free to ask, or simply use a little soy sauce. Also, meals generally come with a clear broth soup and a salad with ginger dressing. (The ginger dressing at my local place has 2 grams of carbs per tablespoon, so use it sparingly or skip it altogether.)
Mexican (sit-down)
Fajitas (skip the tortillas); taco salad with no beans and no tortilla bowl or tortilla pieces; carnitas with a side of guacamole; avocado stuffed with chicken, beef, or shrimp.
Mexican (fast-casual)
Burrito bowl without dressing. Pick a protein and then add toppings—I like fajita veggies, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, and guacamole. Another option is to order several tacos or one large burrito with no beans or rice and ask for no shells/tortillas; they will serve it in a bowl or on a plate.
Seafood
Shrimp (not breaded), scallops, fish (not breaded), oysters, crab (but not imitation crabmeat; 3 ounces has 14 grams of carbs!), lobster, salads, nonstarchy veggies.
Sub/sandwich shops
Many offer lettuce-wrapped subs; Jimmy John’s calls this an Unwich.
Sushi
Sashimi, rolls with cucumber wraps (notice, and sugar-free sauces only), miso soup, salad. Skip the imitation crabmeat.
Thai
Non-breaded garlic prawns with veggies instead of rice, Tom Kha Gai (coconut milk soup with chicken), red curry (ask if it contains added sugar).
Vietnamese
Pho; select a protein (I get rare beef) and ask for no noodles. The server will bring you sprouts, jalapeño, and fresh basil to add. Some restaurants will even give you veggies (broccoli, cabbage, and so on) instead of noodles.
Wings restaurants
Chicken wings (not breaded; sometimes called “naked” wings) are a good choice. Stay away from sweet sauces; stick to Buffalo sauce or dry rubs without sugar. Dip the wings in ranch or blue cheese dressing and enjoy them with a side of celery.
Tip: I find it really helpful to let the server know up front that I would prefer not to be served a bread basket, chips and salsa, or pitas and hummus. It’s better not to have the temptation in front of you, especially when you’re hungry! If you’re out with friends who aren’t low-carb, then obviously this won’t work. In that case, if you’re feeling tempted, I recommend ordering a side salad (skip the croutons) with ranch or blue cheese dressing, or ordering a keto-friendly appetizer that you can enjoy before your meal.
For more great stories, head to INSIDER's homepage.
Read the original article on INSIDER. Copyright 2018.Follow INSIDER on Facebook.
Follow INSIDER on Twitter.ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7o8HSoqWeq6Oeu7S1w56pZ5ufonyssdOoZJ2hlal6uLTArWStp12arrV51qGgpZ1dmbavtc2gZKitpGJ%2FcX2XZm8%3D