6 Ways to Eat Low-Carb at a Restaurant

Occasions that involve eating out can cause stress and overwhelm if you have diabetes and you're trying to stick to a low-carb diet.

But there have never been more healthy options than there are these days, and restaurants are often more than willing to accommodate special requests if you know how to ask for them.

The following tips will help you navigate eating out at a restaurant without going over your carbohydrate or caloric limit.

1. Prepare

Make sure you preview the menu of the restaurant you're eating at ahead of time. This can keep you from making on-the-spot decisions that are influenced by your hunger. Look for entrees that include protein and vegetables. Browse the side dishes to see what you can swap in place of things like rice or potatoes.


2. Say no to bread

Cut your server off at the pass before he or she places a bread basket on the table. Having bread in front of you can be too tempting to resist, so send it back or ask for a healthy appetizer while you wait for your food instead.

3. Ask how things are prepared

For proteins, look for options that are baked, grilled or broiled. Fried or breaded options will include more calories and carbohydrates. If you're not sure how something is prepared, just ask. Also, request sauces or dressings to come on the side.

4. Don't drink before dinner

While it's fine to enjoy a glass of wine with your meal, drinking before dinner (while you wait at the bar, for example) will increase your hunger and most likely cause you to overeat.


5. Ask for extra veggies

If a dish comes with some type of starch, simply request to leave it off and replace it with extra vegetables. Vegetables will keep you full and will prevent you from consuming excess carbs.

6. Share a dessert

If you absolutely have to indulge your sweet tooth, that's OK. But do so mindfully by picking something you're really going to enjoy and sharing with the table or your dinner companion. If you're trying to save calories or carbohydrates but want something sweet, opt for a dessert coffee or port wine instead of cake, pie or baked goods.

Source: GreenLite Medicine


More Articles

With its slightly nutty flavor, chewy texture, and nutritional punch farro is an ancient whole grain worth a place in our pantry.

Farro...

Having diabetes is cause for concern, however it doesn’t mean that you need to eliminate all of your favorite foods from your diet completely....

With diabetes becoming more of an epidemic each and every day, being knowledgeable about the disease, its effects on the body as well as ways to...

If you’re a diabetic or live with one, it can be tough trying to figure out the best foods to eat because your priority is to control your blood...

In this post, I will show you the 10 best ice creams for diabetics.

When you think of sweetened foods that a diabetic shouldn’t consume,...

More Articles

If you’re living with diabetes, snacking is a necessity because going for more than 3-4 hours without eating can be detrimental to your health....

For diabetics, choosing healthy snacks can be a daunting task.

A good rule of thumb is to pick out snacks that are rich in protein, fiber,...

According to information available through the National Institutes of Health, there’s an estimated 462 million people in the world who are...

Eleven Clinical Studies

After eleven clinical studies and 300,000 participants, researcher Vasanti Malik and her team of researchers...

Diabetic women often have a harder time losing weight than non-diabetic women. A study funded by Jenny Craig proved that diabetic women have an...

Many recent studies have proved that magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in non-diabetics. This magnesium...

Fluid retention, also known as edema, is a problem that affects many diabetics, especially those with type 2 diabetes...

Some of us might be thrilled if we could manage our blood sugar by sitting in a hot tub or sauna, instead of working up a sweat biking, or using...

Cooking and baking with the ancient cereal grain sorghum has health benefits for people with diabetes, and those with weight control issues....

When it comes to certain foods, there are always questions as to whether or not a diabetic can have them without...

Matcha tea is a rich, creamy, full-bodied beverage with amazing nutritional properties that address several diabetes health concerns.

The...

Salads are good example of foods that type 2 diabetics can enjoy with relatively low guilt. With the right greens and other elements added, salad...

Remaining gainfully employed is important to many people. Those who live with any form of diabetes may find that some lines of work are more...

Learning that you have diabetes does mean making some lifestyle changes. One of the areas that needs attention is your diet. Most people find that...

One of the more challenging aspects of life as a type 2 diabetic is managing your diet. There’s often the temptation to avoid certain foods...