Your Guide To Dining Out & Staying Keto!

I have been wanting to write a blog about eating out for quite some time now, and given that I’ve been eating out more than usual recently, I figured that now is the perfect time!!

“Just because you are following a strict ketogenic diet does NOT mean you have to dread dining out.”

I’m sure many of you can relate to wanting to just pick something up from a restaurant-because planning out a meal is just not in the cards some days!  Well, for the last six months, my husband and I have been building our first home together, so eating out has been incredibly tempting!!  My body has been feeling super achey, my muscles have been hurting in ways I’ve never experienced…so, the thought of going to the grocery store and stretching to reach an item on the top shelf (ok, even bending down to grab something from the bottom shelf) just sounds MISERABLE!!!  

Before you tell me what a terrible, lazy excuse that is-I’ll just go ahead and say it for you-I know!!!

But back to the purpose of this blog!  I wanted to share a list of some of my favorite places to eat out on Keto, and some quick tips and tricks I’ve learned along the way!!

BBQ restaurants-you guys…here in Alabama, we have A TON of bbq restaurants. More often than not, those little hole in the wall gems are more than happy to accommodate you!!  I hate that I have to ask them to hold the bbq sauce on many menu options, but smoked meat has TONS of flavor, and I’ve really learned to love and appreciate that! Also…burnt ends!! If you guys haven’t tried them, I highly suggest doing so!  Most restaurants do have dressing options that are keto friendly, however, I’m one of those people who is a little skeptical of things that I don’t make myself, and when I’m being super strict, I feel like I didn’t put in all of this hard work just to blow it on two tablespoons of sugar filled salad dressing!!

Don’t be embarrassed to ask questions about whether or not something has sugar!  I’m also totally one of those people who has salt in my purse and occasionally I bring my own condiments…and I’m not apologizing for it!

Steak houses often have perfectly steamed veggies, appetizer salads and side salads, so, there really aren’t a lack of keto options on the menu!  If you’re a sauce person-SO many steak houses have béarnaise sauce or a horseradish sauce (two of my favorite dipping sauces ever, btw).  

If you love seafood like I do, then you are in luck! Most seafood restaurants offer a variety of side dishes that are very keto friendly(of course, you will have to look past some of the dishes that tend to be breaded…like coconut shrimp, my favorite)!

Italian Food-Italian restaurants have been a little tricky for me-however, once I decide not to  let temptation get the best of me, I have realized that there are so many options that I truly love.  Shrimp scampi over ZOODLES, eggplant Rollatini, Cesar salad…and if you’re really lucky, the Italian restaurant might even offer cauliflower pizza!  We have a local restaurant that is more than willing to make a crustless pizza, cauliflower pizza, chicken parm without the breading of course.  No, you shouldn’t endulge and go for the cannoli or tiramisu…but you CAN make a delicious keto desert that you can have when you get home! (Try our amazing chocolate mousse dessert or cheesecake cups…they can both be made ahead of time!)

Mexican food-my favorite thing to order at a Mexican restaurant is steak fajitas with a side of guacamole!  I don’t even open the tortillas, I just eat right off of the skillet… and their seasoned veggies and meat really can’t be beat!

If you are going to have a burger, you’d be surprised how many places don’t blink twice when you ask them to hold the bun. I usually order a burger without ketchup, because I’m just not willing to waste my carbs! (I don’t hesitate to bring G Hughes sugar free Ketchup with me though!)

I usually don’t try to encourage fast food but I know we all live in the real world, and when you’re on the go, sometimes this is the easiest option! So-here are my go to orders when I do opt for fast food: JACK’S!! I know not everyone has a Jack’s around the corner, but if you do-they have great burgers and a great salad. Also…GRILLED TENDERS!! Usually I call ahead of time because they grill them per order, which usually means I’m going to burn my mouth when they come out-they’re THAT good! I don’t think I even have to say anything else about that. (except ranch-they have the best ranch)!

I think that having a plan when dining out is always a good idea if you are trying to stay keto! Thanks to the internet we have access to basically every restaurant menu out there so you never have to feel ambushed or panicked!! I would absolutely love to hear where some of you like to go and what menu items you order when trying to stay healthy!  I hope this was helpful for some of you. Every so often, I’ll try to update this post when I come across something too good not to share!!

Until next time ♥️

Kristen