I’m able to make satisfying, veg filled meals containing modest amounts of carbohydrates at home (20 – 25g wholegrain basmati rice, 30g pasta portions, little amounts of potato, etc) but eating out can be a problem. When I’m in town I’m mostly faced with eateries where bread/chips/pasta bulk up meals. I can find places that have salad bars but it can be disheartening to sit in an air-conditioned ‘restaurant’ eating chilled salad (avoiding the pasta and sauce combos) or the bread buns. Alternatively there are coffee outlets selling cheese toasties and pastry based savouries where the carb count goes from 16g to nearly 50g a portion, and still leave me feeling peckish to the point where a follow-up sponge cake with soft icing on top makes sense, and I reach the end of the afternoon feeling grouchy and snappy (what do they do? – it seems to me that they fill the carbs with air so they feel less substantial!). Fat helps fill us up so the melted cheese fillings seem a good idea at the time (having them warmed is so tempting in air-conditioned, cold cafes). Still, this evening I’m cooking lemon sole fillets with raw chopped fennel and with baby spincach wilted down in the frying pan with freshly squeezed lemon juice and a sprinkling of freshly crushed black peppercorns, plus a new potato (smallish), then strawberries and a small dribble of double cream…then possibly a small bit of cheese and one or two oat crackers, and a third of a small glass of white wine, plus a tumbler of sparkling water. I do notice that keeping the starchy carbs low keeps my stomach more comfortable.

I agree, it is really difficult to go into most of the lunch outlets as it is all high carb based. The only place I have found so far that has a filling veggie lunch is M&S – there are two ‘super food’ take away meals with beans and spinach amongst other things that fit this diet, but most other outlets are very heavy on carbs, even when it is quinoa etc. The other alternative is soup – depending on the description, it is a better option and filling, having said that they all come with a very large chunk of bread that needs ditched!
I now ask for a salad instead of chips/potatoes and that helps a bit, but you sometimes get salad plus salad that way 🙁
Some people take a sandwich and ditch the bread, but I do struggle with that. At the gym last week – where they pride themselves on having ‘healthy food’ on offer, all there was I could have was some spinach with two hard boiled eggs!
I take my own lunches with me almost all the time these days…….

if you eat fish Michaelmas then Pret a Manger’s nicois salad has been a life saver for me. I think they also do “protein pots” with avocado and boiled eggs? Them and m&s as Orchid says are my go-to places if I am trying to find something on the go.

But I have now taken to bringing my own hard boiled eggs with me if I am going to be anywhere new with work in case I can’t find anything for lunch.

It’s amazing once you start looking for low-carb lunches, how carb saturated all the normal lunch options are!

M&S is a definite life saver for me. Bought my lunch there today. Sainsburys also do some good low carb meals (salads, bean salads, etc).

Haven’t actually eaten out yet but will be doing so for the first time tomorrow. Going for a curry. I’m just going to ditch the rice and opt for popadoms instead (which are normally made from lentil flour or gram flour). Most French and Italian restaurants (proper Italian ones, not cheapy chain ones) should be ok to avoid the carbs in too.

Had a family meal at Heathrow airport yesterday and daughter chose Cafe Rouge. They do lots of good (as in low-carb, healthy) meals. As I am on Fast 800 I chose the Vegetarian Breakfast – Choice of scrambled/fried eggs, plus 1/2 avocado, spinach, muchrooms, grilled tomato, small pot of baked beans and slice of sourdough toast with small butter pat (I gave away the beans and the toast/butter) They also do Nicoise salad etc.

Sorry, I’m not vegetarian, so when I ate at Heathrow I had a cooked breakfast – no hash brown or toast.

On my way from Kings Cross to Heathrow I checked all the food outlets and finally bought a salad at Pret to eat at my hotel. Back at Kings Cross after my holiday in Italy I ate at the Italian restaurant on the station, ordering the steak salad.

Can I just add that it’s not only what is available, it’s also portion sizes. A few days ago I went out early, planning my usual ‘eat out’ small breakfast. But where I went is closing today and was opening later than usual that day. So I went opposite, to Patisserie Valerie 😱

I ordered their cooked breakfast (no toast) and coffee. When it came, I wished I had my twin 8.5 year old granddaughters with me. That meal would have comfortably fed the three of us😱 Far too much on the plate went back, I just could not eat it.

I’ve found recently how many hotels/restaurants serve huge portions. Not good for us, or for their profits.

Thanks for the tips about Pret a Manger and M&S. I sometimes have a salad with meatballs at Subway, but it’s not always satisfying without any additional carbohydrate, or in rainy weather. I agree, it’s a good idea to make your own lunches, and I think I’ll try that.

Portion sizes are an important factor, as you say. After holidays in France I find the amounts of carbs served in the UK are often crazy! I think some places like to fill the plate with cheap carbs. I like your comment about going into Patisserie Valerie though!

Hi

I second cafe rouge, lots of options there, and not just salad.
Prezzo have some great salads – there’s one with rocket and steak on top, and that’s it. They also have a ‘special’ that always seems to be on the menu of fish with a ratatouille type accompaniment – even their light pizzas are OKish – a salad with pizza on a small thin flatbread.
Strada have an excellent antipasti plate that’s low carb, plus several salads.
Pizza Express do a great dish that’s basically aubergine & cheese (hot & oven baked, I adore it) – and some low carb salad options

Tapas restaurants are usually a good option if you choose carefully and if you’re with a group, avoid sitting too close to the patatas bravas. I went in one recently and had a plate of Boquerones, always my favourite tapas (anchovies in vinager) and another of asparagus – delicious.
Greek/Mediterranean restaurants – ask for crudites instead of bread for hummus and babaganoush, and there are often fairly plain fish options. Another option is halloumi – a local restaurant grills halloumi freshly, and serves it in a pita bread with tons of salad – and pita bread is pretty easy to ignore & throw away.

Itsu have low carb options with no rice – from memory options include chicken or salmon with avocado & poached egg, and a tuna and salmon tartare, and there’s a small protein pot thing too. Their online menu is great for seeing nutritional values of stuff.
Non ITSU sushi places – go for the sashimi.
I was in Ikea the other day – really good value on a plate of smoked salmon with a green leaf salad.
Lots of independent cafes do omelettes

I was in a Tesco the other day and they had a brilliant range of ‘pickboxes’ – small servings, many low carb. I think they were 4 for £5, and enough got two meals from that. I had a bean salad thing, and one box that just had a small portion of chicken. I haven’t seen those in my local branches, so they may just be stocked in metro branches that have a big lunch trade.
Waitrose do a nice Greek salad, that’s only 6 carbs for the whole box

Anywhere that does all day brekkies is good as a lunch option..i had a lovely omelette and a bit of side salad last time i had lunch out 😋 Was scrummy.

Thanks for a really helpful post Frog 😃

I would think most Asian food outlets would have the meat/veg/sauce options that would be fine without rice or noodles. As long as the meat was not in batter, beef and black bean, chicken and cashew etc?

I was in M&S today – amazing antipasti plates in the deli section, just meat and cheese – I think the choice was Spanish or Italian
not exactly eating out, but a great lunch option instead of a sandwich
I now have one tucked away in my fridge for emergencies!

Frog – my choice is the Italian (no surprise there!). Assad also do something similar, three sliced meats/salami. Also pepperoni and mozzarella.

Hi Lynne, how are you? I think I got the Spanish one in the end – marachego cheese was the deciding factor.

I must sort out the fridge today – it’s bursting at the seams, but I think a lot of it is vegetables past their prime!
– and the freezer too, I need to make some room to get the oppo ice cream!

Hi Frog – fine thanks. Just preparing for tomorrow, then for my twin granddaughters visit – I’m collecting them on Wednesday and they’re staying a week 😃

Sorted my fridge out this morning – a courgette looked particularly unpleasant 😱

I really do need to start using up what’s in the freezer and my cupboards!

When I was in Asda earlier I bought their Antipasto (yummy) and the pepperoni with mozzarella. I normally eat breakfast and then evening meal, except on Sundays when I have breakfast, a late lunch then a little something when I get home, about 7.30pm. That’s when the antipasto or similar comes in handy. Protein, quick, no thought needed. What more could I ask? 😃

Hi Lynne – do you get to see them often, or do they live a distance away? No doubt you’ll have tons more energy than pre BSD to keep up with them.
From time to time I used to go thru my Dad’s freezer, and make a list of what was there so that he could work through it, and tick stuff off – I think I’m going to have to do the same with my own.
I went to the closest supermarket that stocks oppo ice cream this afternoon – they only had the mint chocolate chip, and I really dislike anything mint flavoured, so bought some plums instead. I actually had a plum with meat for lunch, where I’d normally have chutney if not doing BSD – pretty good substitute.

Hi Frog – only a couple of times a year. They live in Manchester so they usually come to me at Easter and the summer holidays, usually for a week or so each time. They’ll be 9 in January.

Think I need to make a list of everything in my freezer too and start using things up. Some of what’s in there will probably get eaten by the twins 😃 There’s chocolate and chocolate biscuits in the fridge from their last visit, so some of that might get eaten by them too. If not, it can go home with them.

Hope you find an ice cream flavour you like. I used to like fruit with meat 😃 Glad you enjoyed it earlier 😃

wow – you’ll need lots of energy with eight year old twins!
chocolate in the fridge since Easter – you do have such amazing willpower.
Have fun with them, I’m off to tackle my freezer.

They have a fairly stressful home life, so when they come to me they want to relax. I’ve offered to take them on trips, but they usually just want to play. If the weather’s fine they play outside, otherwise the conservatory becomes their playroom. Sometimes we do crafts, sewing etc.

Last year they were with me for Easter and had so many Easter eggs they couldn’t eat them so left them at my house because I had too much to carry taking them home on the train I couldn’t take all their chocolate. Then moved from North Tyneside to County Durham – and the chocolate came too. It finally left the building last August!

I think that now, after all this time on the BSD, that I’ve lost the taste for chocolate and other foods that I used to eat. For me, going ‘cold turkey’ was the best way to cut the carbs and I know from past experience that a ‘cheat’ could start me on a very slippery slope. So I just keep on keeping on, doing what I know works for me.

Enjoy tackling the freezer. I need to check mine and also what’s in the fridge. Must remember to get some bread for the twins. They did eat fewer carbs than usual lady time they were here, just after Easter. I wonder why? LOL.

I can recommend the Cote chain for eating out – I ate from their set menu this evening and had golden beetroot with creme fraiche, pea shoots and hazelnuts to start, followed by delicious smoked haddock & poached egg on a bed of spinach.

Quite a few things on the a la carte menu that looked good too.

I have been on the diet for about a week but on 1600 calories a day because I am trying to get my blood sugars under control. They had been registering between 20 and HI. Have been taken off the medication I was on and been put on insulin, gradually increasing the dosage every 3 days. Reading this morning 16.4. Last night I went out for a meal to Frankie & Bennys and was concerned about what I could eat. I had a look at their menu on line before I went and saw that they did vegetables with some meals. When I got there I asked if instead of having chips and onion rings I could have french beans and broccoli and they said it was no problem, so I had a 7oz rump steak with roasted tomato, mushrooms, beans and broccoli. They also do peas if you would like them. Good portions of vegetables of and cooked just right. Would definitely go again

Not one for every day but ended up in Nando’s with my son and his mate. Butterfly chicken and mixed leaf salad was borderline in the spirit of BSD but made a bit of a change. After 22000 steps wandering around a university open day, I reckoned I could cut myself some slack.

I didn’t believe it …. This is Canada …. Kelsey’s Restaurant Chain had the calories beside every dish on the menu … even desserts!!!

Help – Eating out at Thai restaurant on the BSD what should I eat and what to avoid????

Thai has a lot of salads and stir-fries, don’t know what is in the sauce though! A lot of Asian cuisines are big on a “balance” of sweet, salty and sour which means sugar in the sauce.