Healthy Options while "Eating Out"

[John J]

I've just been away for about a fortnight and have indulged myself a little. Not too badly though and I only seem to have put on about 3lbs which I'm sure I'll lose in a couple of days (then resume my diet to reach my target weight..about 12 stone). Considering I've lost about 3 stone so far, I'm not too worried.

However, although I tried to be generally good, it struck home just how difficult it is to find a menu which offers completely healthy options. There's always something to "spoil" even the most straight forward of dishes especially with regrad to desserts.

Mind you, I wasn't as strict with myself as usual but I don't think I've done myself much harm in the short term athough there may have been the dreaded "spikes". Again, I still avoided the very obvious "no nos" although I has some Christmas cake, a piece of tablet, ice cream, and more potatoes/bread, and alcohol than normal over the fortnight.

I also found that if you "negotiated with the staff in some restaurants, they would give you more vegetables etc although some adopted the "Computer says No" approach.. :wink:

 

[noblehead]

Hi John,

I tend to eat out at Toby's Carvery. A choice of roast beef, gammon or turkey with all the trimmings. I usually have the beef and load my plate with veg, but do like a couple of roast potatoes! :shock:

Nigel

 

[Bluenosesol]

Hi John,

I am with Nigel on the carveries. We have a company called Crown Carveries around Brum and you can get an all you can eat with 3 meats for £3.50!!. So I have all the meats with tons of cauli cheese and green veg.
I also go along to the Balti Triangle, where there are lots of Pakistani/Bangladeshi all you can eat buffets for around £8 a time. I eat lots of salad with chicken tikka/tandoori chicken, sheek khebabs, lamb balti (NO RICE!!), lentil curry and chick pea curry, all washed down with a couple of BYO Sainsburys Diat Pils at 6.5% alcohol and only 3 carbs per can!!!.

It wouldnt do you much good every night of the week, but once a month will do for me and I can eat very heartily without affecting the meter (too much!!)....

Also like to go to the Harvesters pub. I usually have chicken stack with cheese and bacon and all you can eat salad buffet. (Give the missus my chips!!). Great low carb fayre!!!.

All the best - Steve.

 

[Bluenosesol]

Forgot to mention Wetherspoons.....

Do a burger and drink deal for £4,50.

I have a pint of real ale with a burger meal, extra burger for £1, extra cheese and bacon for 79p and a side salad, then give away the bun and the chips!!.

Always seems to drive my BG's down to less than 5 !!!!!
So good for the diabetes (I should do it every day :lol: ).

Steve

 

[noblehead]

Steve,

Sounds good your first reply to the post, pretty much how I like to eat out!

Then I read your second reply.................oh dear! I never really cared for pub chain food, always tasted horrible, very bland food produced and served with minimum effort involved. I saw a programme on ITV recently about food in these pub chains, all came pre-packed(often frozen)and heated up in the microwaves and served, and the nutritional values of the food are somewhat doubtful.

Regards

Nigel

 

[Bluenosesol]

Nigel,
when at Wetherspoons I usually push the boat out to 2 pints of real ale and a large slimline G&T. In all honesty it is probably that element which makes for a pleasant experience, take your point about the food quality and tend to agree. However, been jobhunting since last July, so I have to get my bargains where I can!!

Regards Steve

 

[noblehead]

Steve,

Enjoy a pint of real ale myself, but tend to have a pint of Guiness with my meal when my good lady drives.

Agree that the ale might be masking the flavour of the food! Hope you find work soon.

Regards

Nigel

 

[John J]

I don't expect perfection when I dine in Wetherspoons but depending which pub you visit and on how selective you are when choosing your dishes, it isn't necessarily a bad expereience.
I had one of their steaks last week with "real" mashed potato and a side dish of vegetables and it was fine.

They usually have a good selection of beer which is generally acceptable although not always to the high standards of many real ale afficianados.

As I say, it depends where you go. Even these big chain establishments vary from town to town.