Dining Out & Feeling Great

Dining out is really one of life's simple pleasures! However, in these crazy times most of us have had to pop on hold for a bit.

Enjoying a meal out gives us the opportunity to share a meal and your time with friends and family, and perhaps try something new that you wouldn't cook at home. I’m a pretty basic cook, I like to keep things pretty simple at home, so I love going out to try new foods that I normally wouldn’t make, not to mention not having to wash up WINNING! 😍

How do you make a good choice when dining out if you’re on a health journey?

One of the great things about technology is how we can all google the menu before leaving the house, and if I am completely honest this is one of MY FAVOURITE THINGS to do. I love reading through it at my own pace and choosing at least 2 options, that way I can decide on the day.

If you can order a meal that gives you the energy and nutrients that our body needs as well as hits your macros then that’s a massive win in itself. However, not all social meals need to tick all the nutritional boxes and if your plan allows, it’s ok to have a little splurge now and then, you should keep your lifestyle flexible for a variety of occasions if that’s important to you.

Below are some low carb dining tips to help make enjoying a meal out and about a little easier.

These tips below work with most standard cafe and restaurant situations...

Choose grilled, baked or stir-fried options over crumbed, battered or deep fried.
Go for lean meat, chicken, fresh fish or other seafood with vegetables or salad. Skip the mash or chips.
Avoid super sizing.
Skip the soft drinks or choose sugar-free
Ask for dressing / sauces on the side, that way you can control how much you add. Or if you are unsure of what is in them, just ask the waitperson.
If you really want some chips (this is me 😂) , or a dessert and you have the wiggle room in your plan - share with someone.
Ask for a chilled bottle of water or sparkling water for the table to drink while you eat.
If you choose to drink alcohol, only have one glass or alternate with glasses of water. If choosing a cocktail, you can ask for them without the sugar syrup.

We have put together some great low carb guides to support your favourite cuisines.

Fancy a little Mexican...

Super flavourful and so colourful. Life is too short to go without this cuisine and with a few simple tweaks to the menu you don't have too.

Is Italian more your vibe...

Italian Food is so much more than pasta, bread and pizza. As I said before, if you want a little splurge you eat whatever makes you feel good. But if you are after lower carb options, read more.

Nothing beats your local pub...

Pub food very rarely disappoints! There is usually so many choices to cater for many different eating styles and with a few little tweaks you can create a meal that you can feel good about eating.

Personally, I am a Naked Burger kinda girl, and yes I get chips because I love them, and I figure I'm saving carbs by not getting the bun, and there is always someone at my table happy to pinch a few of my chips anyway 😉

Feeling like some Japanese food...

When most people think about Japanese food their brain automatically conjures images of heavy rice-laden dishes like sushi rolls and ramen noodles – delicious, yes, low-carb, no.

But you will be surprised to know that there are a few options for you to enjoy! Read on...

In your local food court or takeaway joint.

Food courts have definitely changed over the years. So many more options available to suit any eating style.

Don't think we forgot about cocktails...

I LOVE a good cocktail. I'll be honest, I'm not a massive drinker but when I do it's usually a cocktail or 2. Because of this, I'm not too worried about the carbs. I do order some low carb snacks though (to balance it out a little haha, nothing beats a good share plate with olives & cheese)

When you head out to a bar, there aren't too many low carb cocktails to choose from. The best tip when it comes to alcohol is to choose a shot of a spirit. Pure forms of alcohol like whiskey, gin, tequila, rum and vodka are all completely free of carbs. These beverages can be drunk straight or combined with low-carb mixers for more flavour, like soda or a diet soda with some fresh lemon or lime.

If you love a cocktail and would like to make some at home, check out some of the great recipes here.

With a little planning or having some go-to strategies can help make dining out so much easier for those of us who don’t want to undo all the hard work we’ve put in, or those who are just starting out on their health journey.

We hope that the above tips take the stress out of enjoying a meal away from the home.

Happy dining! x

If there is a specific cuisine you'd love some low carb tips for - don't hesitate to pop us a message and we can help you and add a new guide to this list catch us on hello@lovepbco.com