Eating Out:
Who has "protein style" on their menu (or for the asking):
Armadillo Willy's Ranch Grill: In Los Altos (formerly just called Armadillo Willy's). They have a new menu, ask for Protein Style and they will substitute a salad for the sides. At the other Armadillo Willy locations I just ask for 3 sides of salad (or some cole slaw: phase 3 and 4).
Baja Fresh: They have added some Lifestyle Choices items to their menu. Some are supposed to be for Low Carb diets but I don't think they consulted with anyone who knows about low carb diets. They have a burrito in a bowl without the tortilla but they still have rice and beans in it. They also have steak or chicken with a salad but they ak if you want flour or corn tortillas. But they're trying and they at least have something I can eat there now.
Burger King: You can now get a sandwich without a bun. They don't wrap it in lettuce - just give it to you in a plastic container with fork and knife.
Carl's Jr: They added a Low Carb Six Dollar Burger to their menu. It is wrapped in lettuce and has 6 grams of carbs. You can also get the Low Carb combo that includes the burger, small salad, and drink (water or Diet Coke). If you like one of the other sandwiches - just take the bun off.
In-And-Out Burger: Ask for protein style burgers (any kind) and they will wrap it in lettuce instead of the bun.
Jack-In-The-Box: You can ask for any sandwich without a bun, like Burger King, they do not wrap it in lettuce. They do have some large salads also. The Chicken Club salad is very good and a meal in itself.
Noah's Bagels: They now offer a "lower" carb 9-grain bagel. It is good but it is 20 grams of carbs (doesn't say wether it is total or net). So you could have this in maintainence mode but not recommended for weight loss. Have for breakfast with some Shmears (cream cheese) or at lunch have a sandwich made with it.
Subway: They now have an Atkin's approved wrap with 11 grams of carbs per sandwich. There currently are 2 wraps available: Chicken Bacon Ranch and Turkey Bacon Melt Also, any 6" sandwich can be made with a wrap instead of the bread. The wrap has 5 grams net carbs. These are pretty good but a little small. You can also make any 6" sandwich into a salad - instead of a roll they throw everything into a salad.
T.G.I.Fridays: They now have an Atkin's approved menu. Here is a link to the menu on their website:
http://www.tgifridays.com/menu/atkins.htmTied House: In San Jose and Mountain View. They have added "LC: to they're menu indicating lower carb menu item. Also, their menu says they will be happy to substitute any higher carb starches (potatos, rice, etc) for lower carb items (salad or vegetables). Although, you may want to stay away from the San Jose site on
game or concert nights because there service and quality seems to go down when they are busy with the "before the event" crowd.
Yumi Yogurt: They have 1 or 2 flavors of Carbolite Frozen Yogurt. The flavors change weekly. Three that I know about are:
Santa Clara (one flavor to choose from): 3787 Steven's Creek Blvd. (At Sartoga Ave. and Steven's Creek - strip mall next to Frontier Ford)
Redwood City (two flavors to choose from): 947 El Camino Real (between Jefferson and Whipple)
San Mateo, 3955 South El Camino Real (near the Hillsdale Mall)
Other Suggestions:
Carl's Jr. 6 Dollar Burgers: They have 5 different types now. This burger is big enough to remove the bun and still have something left over. Enjoy it with a salad.
Tips for eating out:
Don't be afraid to ask to substitute vegetables or salads for the starches and grains (potatos, rice, beans, etc).
If you don't see vegetables on the menu; ask anyway, they don't always put everything on the menu.
Stay away from the bread and chips (takes will power). Save room for your meal or order a meat, cheese, or veggie appetizer instead (buffalo wings are 0 carbs).
Tips by Restaurant Type:
Mexican: Order a meat dish and substitute the rice and beans for a salad or vegetables. Most Mexican restaurants have vegetables even if they're not on the menu.
Asian: Avoid chow meins and other noodle dishes, rice, and sweet-and-sour dishes. Order a meet or vegetable appetizer along with meat and vegetable main dishes and you will have plenty to eat.
Sushi: Find a place that sells Sashimi. Sashimi is basically Sushi without the rice. Add a salad and an appetizer and your good to go. One place that comes to mind is Yo-Yo Sushi Bar and Grill in Santa Clara.
Italian: I usually end up with a large salad (chicken ceasar or other salad with meat). But search the menu - you can usually find chicken, sausage, and veal dishes. Just substitute for any rice, potatos, or pasta sides - add more veggies or a dinner salad.
American: This is the easiest because there are always plenty of meats, salads, and vegetables. Just substitute for the starch and leave the bread alone.
Fast Food: If you're trying to eat healthy, you should probably avoid these but for those ocassions when you do stop in... Hamburger Joints: Get a large burger and take off the bun (don't order a small burger because after you take the bun off, nothing is left). Chicken place: Remove the skin - the skin is ok but what they add to it isn't.
Taco place - remove the tortillas - although a hard shell taco at Taco Bell is only about 10 grams. I usually order 2 or 3 taco supremes and dump them on a plate and add some taco sauce. Sandwich places: Probably best to stick with a salad (Note: I didn't care for Togo's salads but Subway and Quizznos were good). Many fast food chains are now adding low carb options to their menus - these include Subway, Burger King, Carl's Jr, In-n-Out Burger, and Jack-in-the-Box. Alsoheard McDonald's would soon have some Low Carb options.