Diabetic diets when eating out

One Sunday we went out for a family meal in a 'posh' restaurant a month after diagnosis. It was only a partial shambles.
I asked for a roast pork dinner, 'minus roasties and yorkshire pud please but with extra pork and crackling'. If they put extra meat on it would have been a VERY small portion to start with - 50% fat, but ironically that was OK for me. Or would have been if the meaty bit hadn't tasted like the poor pig had run a series of marathons. The crackling wasn't, the gravy cold (jus they called it!) and the winter cabbage looked like the pig had had a go at it first! If it was actually double cream I had to accompany my 6 strawberries, I'm a Dutchman.
I'll revise - total shambles.
Good luck in your quest.

I agree! Love it when a restaurant has a nutritional menu but most of the time they don’t and if it does there is seriously limited choice. There is definitely a low carb niche!

Last time I went out for supper with Mr S we ordered the same thing - I requested my pork belly with extra veg instead of the dauphinoise potatoes - I was very happy as they did exactly what I asked, but Mr S was not amused to see that he too had extra veg instead of the dauphinoise potatoes!!!! It was fine though - they sorted it so we were both happy.

On Sunday we stopped at a tiny cafe for some lunch - the menu options were three items: bacon bap, ham bap or cheese bap, with optional salad in the bap if you wanted it. I asked if they would be able to lose the bap but supply a slice of ham and a slice of cheese with some salad instead. They were surprised but very very amenable, and it was presented absolutely beautifully. Even brought me a bottle of Hellmann's! I was delighted! They charged a whole 50p more for mine, which I felt was a bargain! And Mr S was very pleased with his bacon bap with brown sauce.

Other Snapsy favourites include 'ham and eggs but with veg instead of the chips, please' and 'steak with the grilled tomatoes and mushrooms, please, but with veg instead of the chips, please'. In all cases I will only ask for items I can already see on the menu - for instance if in a pub all main courses come with salad rather than veg, I don't go asking them for veg, but some extra salad instead. If ever I'm told 'no' then that would be absolutely fair enough, no problem. But so far, so good. I've always been accommodated, and I'm always very grateful, and I make sure I say so.

Pudding's easy (if I've got room after all that veg/salad/whatever). 'Cheese please, no biscuits or chutney, thanks'. Or just an Americano, to warm up while I watch Mr S freeze his face off with a bowl of ice cream or some such.

I really haven't had a problem with choosing low carb.
In Germany I had pork roast and asked them to give me extra cucumber salad and cabbage. Instead of potatoes.
In Italy I order a cold meat starter and some type of meat with roasted veggies for a main
Here in Canada a nice local prime rib with a salad or roasted mixed veggies.
I don't eat desserts when I'm out because I'm usally full.
I don't really think there is a need for a a separate menu for low carb.

I get angry when I visit a National Trust or English Heritage site. The cafes are full of carby foods and the worst are the desserts. You can get Gluten free but otherwise they are rarely just 'cakes' but 'cakes' smothered in 100% sugar icing. What happened to simple cakes like my mother used to make? Still carbs but containing fruit and no icing. The sugar train continues unabated......

It's more and more common - in Australia for instance a lot of places routinely provide 'low carb' options, especially burger joints. I was at Leon lunchtime today and they have started doing a range of bunless burgers - though they're calling them "Carbfree" which is total nonsense of course. Still, not bad!

Daibell said:

I get angry when I visit a National Trust or English Heritage site. The cafes are full of carby foods and the worst are the desserts. You can get Gluten free but otherwise they are rarely just 'cakes' but 'cakes' smothered in 100% sugar icing. What happened to simple cakes like my mother used to make? Still carbs but containing fruit and no icing. The sugar train continues unabated......

Click to expand...

I find this disappointing too. I tend to order tea or coffee, and while those I'm with will have cake or whatever I'll make discreet inroads into my portable low carb snack supply. I figure that as I'm already a customer drinking their tea it's kind of acceptable, but I'm very discreet.

It'd be so cool actually to have access to hardboiled eggs in their shells from supermarkets and shops and cafes etc - that blew me away when I was working in Germany - it was brilliant! Someone appeared on 'Dragons' Den' with that idea relatively recently but the Dragons didn't like the food colourings in the gelatine coating. Shame. I know you can buy a pot with a shelled egg and spinach and what-not from supermarkets and Pret and M&S, but ones in their shells are in my opinion more practical.

Snapsy said:

I find this disappointing too. I tend to order tea or coffee, and while those I'm with will have cake or whatever I'll make discreet inroads into my portable low carb snack supply. I figure that as I'm already a customer drinking their tea it's kind of acceptable, but I'm very discreet.

It'd be so cool actually to have access to hardboiled eggs in their shells from supermarkets and shops and cafes etc - that blew me away when I was working in Germany - it was brilliant! Someone appeared on 'Dragons' Den' with that idea relatively recently but the Dragons didn't like the food colourings in the gelatine coating. Shame. I know you can buy a pot with a shelled egg and spinach and what-not from supermarkets and Pret and M&S, but ones in their shells are in my opinion more practical.

Click to expand...

I lived on the hard boiled eggs and cheeses, from the grocery stores,for lunch and breakfast when I recently was in Germany. Fantastic idea.

AlexMagd said:

It's more and more common - in Australia for instance a lot of places routinely provide 'low carb' options, especially burger joints. I was at Leon lunchtime today and they have started doing a range of bunless burgers - though they're calling them "Carbfree" which is total nonsense of course. Still, not bad!

Click to expand...

Good point, I love Leon! It’s my go to place when possible although there’s only one I know of in our train station. I sometimes have their live yoghurt for breakfast and also superfood salad for lunch which is generally low carb. Their nutritional menu is very detailed