Question about eating out...

[sammygirl]

I eat out a lot, because of my job I'm always on the go...where are some good places to eat out that will work with LDL? What do you order at fast food restaurants and sit down restaurants? I appreciate your suggestions

[LINDA RN]

At a sit-down, any lean grilled meat and baked potato will do, or you could go for a couple LDL veggies with the meat in place of the potato.
Fast food is harder. Usually salad is about the best you can do. Since much of the packaged dressing has HFCS, you may want to bring your own. I think Pam mentioned that she has asked for the meat sandwhich minus the bun with extra lettuce and/or tomato in place of the bun. For me when I eat fast food salads at lunch I am starving after work. You would feel better if you could heat up the soup of choice at home and put in a wide-mouth thermos, or blenderize and just pour it from a coffee thermos.

[sammygirl]

How about somewhere like Taco Bell? They have taco salads there, or a place that serves grilled chicken tenderloins with a side of coleslaw?

[barrypaxton]

I agree with Linda about the sit down restaurants except about the baked potato. I order lean meat, steamed or grilled veggies, and salad or salad bar. I never let them put any kind of bread or potato on my plate. Pay attention to how the meat & veggies are prepared because sometimes they want to take a perfectly good meat or veggie and load it up with fattening cheeses and sauces.

I love Ruby Tuesday's because of the wonderful salad bar that they have.

For fast foods, I get the baked fish at Captain D's or a salad at Wendy's or soup at Panerea Bread.

Ollie

[JerrieH]

Sammygirl - I think the best place for chicken tenderloins is Cracker Barrell.  They are so good.  That is what my husband usually gets.  Since I have been doing LDL I usually get their veggie plate (including beans) or their rainbow trout (which is very good) when we go there.

Rt, Ollie or LindaRN - Is Wendy's Chili okay for LDL at lunch time?  That is my favorite chili and sometimes I get that for lunch.

Jerrie

[barrypaxton]

Here's the ingredient list for Wendy's Chili:


"Ground Beef, Chili Base (tomatoes, salt, citric acid, calcium chloride), Chili Seasoning (maltodextrin, tomato powder, salt, modified corn starch, chili pepper, sugar, onion, spices, dextrose, garlic, soybean oil, xanthan gum, citric acid, autolyzed yeast extract, extracts of paprika, disodium inosinate, disodium guanylate, artificial flavors, silicon dioxide [anti-caking agent]), Kidney Beans (kidney beans, water, sugar, corn syrup, salt, natural flavorings, onion powder, calcium chloride, disodium EDTA [flavor protector]), Chili Beans (beans, water, sugar, corn syrup, salt, natural flavorings, onion, calcium chloride), Vegetable Mix (onions, celery, peppers)."

It obviously has a lot of sugar in it!!

I do occasionally have it if there's nothing better available.

Ollie

[Joyful Friend]

Jerrie, I have eaten it quite  often without consequences.  Little Mary said that it wasn't too healthy.  I have had no problem with it.  I usually get the grilled chicken salad with cranberries and pecans, and a small chili.  Neither makes me gain nor starts my cravings.  Taco Bell's meat is only 60% meat and the rest is fillers.   I eat out a good bit, but as Linda said, "Get a wide mouth thermos and take your soup.  My daughter works, and that is what she does for lunch.  She eats her big meal of the evening.  She has lost slower, but is not hungry and feels great.    JF  

[LINDA RN]

I agree, Ollie, meat and steamed veggies would be my choice but depending on how they fix the veggies and how hungry you may be in the evening, the baked potato may be an alternative. When I was only doing salads at lunch, I was not loosing and was really hungry later on. I think now I would take a thermos of soup to drink with the salad. If you like Wendy's Chili, there is an alternative you can make at home:
http://boards.letsdolunch.com/boards/ht ... 353#p42353

[JerrieH]

Ollie - thanks for posting the ingredients of Wendy's chili.

JF - thanks for the good ideas.  I haven't had a problem with their chili either.  That is horrible about Taco Bell hamburger only being 60 percent meat. Thanks for the idea about taking along a thermos with soup.

Linda - thanks for posting that recipe.  That's the next soup I will make.  I hope it really tastes like Wendy's Chili.  I like Wendy's Chili so much, it seems like every time I have a chili recipe, I compare it to their chili (great flavors, not too thick). Thanks for the thermos idea as well.  I will have to dig out my daughter's old grade school thermos.

Jerrie

[rodie]

Jerri,
I make the Wendy's style chili all the time,it's pretty close as far as taste goes.I'm sure you'll love it.I just throw it in the crockpot and I love that. It freezes great too. Let us know what ya think when ya make it.
Hugzzz
Rodie

[CodingQueen]

This website contains a lot of recipes from different restaurants that have been posted by former employees. The following is Wendy's Chili recipe without the garbage.

http://www.copykat.com/2010/04/29/wendys-chili-2/

CQ

[JerrieH]

Rodie - thanks so much for the info.  The crock pot will make it easy I'm sure.

CQ - thanks so much for the recipe link.  I just copied it.  I will have to try that one, as well as the crockpot version Linda and Rodie recommended.  Hopefully, one or both of the recipes will taste just like the restaurant version.

Jerrie

[Bethann]

Helpful information! Thanks! 

[JerrieH]

Does anybody remember years ago when Taco Bell had seafood salads.  I loved those.  They were so good.  They were in their taco shell bowl with lettuce, seafood, a white dressing, probably ranch.  I don't think they had them for very long, but I thought they were so good, and I was disappointed when they stopped offering them.  I like the crispy taco shell bowl with their taco salad, so it would probably be kinda hard to order the taco salad now since I couldn't eat the taco shell bowl as it is not LDL approved.

[mgoben]

Sammygirl,

I, too, eat out a lot, and having done the diet rollercoaster too long, I have spent countless hours researching this and that about different foods at different restaurants and fast food places around me.  As much as folks like to hate on fast food restaurants, most of them are more forthcoming about both the nutritional content and the ingredients than any of the sit-down restaurants are.  Take Wendy's for example:

http://www.wendys.com/food/pdf/us/nutrition.pdf

They publish not only the nutritional content of their food, but also the ingredients.  Personally, I will generally get a grilled chicken breast salad of some sort with an extra chicken breast and a baked potato when at Wendy's.  You may get the odd look from a newbie, but the manager will know just how to fix you up.  Be careful on the salad dressings, because just as people have said repeatedly, they hide LOTS of ingredients such as sugar in those easy to tear open packets.

The bottom line is that you need to follow the general guidelines the book lays out in cases where you cannot prepare ahead of time by gathering intel.  However, you can minimize those times by doing your homework when you DO have time.  If you know you will be going out of town to some place you are not familiar with, get the address of the hotel you will be staying at and then play Sherlock Holmes and find out everything you can about the in-house restaurant (if there is one), restaurants that are within walking/driving distance, etc.  The more homework you do, the better the results will be.

[Ginny M.]

Sammygirl,  I was just re-reading your posts on this subject and noticed you mentioned "cole slaw".  One of the first things RT wrote to me about eating out was "NEVER, EVER, EAT COLE SLAW OR BAKED BEANS AT A RESTAURANT".  The baked beans, of course, has lots of brown sugar or such in it and believe it or not the cole slaw dressing has lots of sugar, too.  So, please, pass on the cole slaw.

I eat out often but usually at a restaurant, not fast food.  Applebees has several good choices of grilled chicken, fish or steak and will give you extra veggies instead of potatoes.  Ask them to cook the meat without grease or oil and the same with the veggies (I've had some places cook the veggies on the grill with lots of grease  )(maybe a little salad dressing on the side for the veggies if you need).  Beef O'Bradys is another one with good choices.  You have to look at the "dinner" meals sections and not at the sandwiches.  Some soups and salads are good.  No cream soups, noodles, cheese or croutons.  Ask for your salad dressing on the side.  Even at a Fast Food place, put your dressing on the side (katsup cup or salad bowl lid works fine) and dip your fork.  Don't add the noodles, chips, nuts or croutons to salads.

It can be done.  You just have to let them know what you want.  By the way, do not eat at Popeye's.  There is NOTHING in that fast food place except water that is acceptable!    You might also find non-franchise restaurants or small locally owned restaurants that might be better than the chains.  A lot of the chains have foods (even meals) pre-packaged and they cannot alter them.  I found this out when asking for no green peppers in a veggie omlet (the peppers were in a package with the onions and mushrooms).  If all else fails, tell them you are ALLERGIC to the foods you don't want (ie:  the grease/oil, croutons, cheese, etc.)  I have never been questioned when telling them I am ALLERGIC (they don't want to take a chance on your reaction).

Hang in there and keep the faith.  We here to help.


Ginny

[Joyful Friend]

I usually get double meat as well.  You are so right about the restaurants.  :thumbsup: JF

[CodingQueen]

If all else fails, tell them you are ALLERGIC to the foods you don't want (ie:  the grease/oil, croutons, cheese, etc.)  I have never been questioned when telling them I am ALLERGIC (they don't want to take a chance on your reaction).

Hang in there and keep the faith.  We here to help.


Ginny

I've done that many times at places that were known for not wanting to accommodate their customers. It's not a lie. We are ALLERGIC to these items...they cause weight gain instead of a rash or some other type of reaction. And, if you're like me and have asthma, wheat is the last thing you need to be eating...so get rid of the croutons and other bread products.

CQ

[JerrieH]

Well, I made both Chili recipes that were recommended to me on the boards the other day, that are supposed to be similar to Wendy's Chili.  The Crockpot Wendy's Chili was good, but I must not have made it right, as mine was kinda soupy and didn't seem to have as much spices as I thought it would.  I'll have to try it again.  I also made the copycat version from copycat.com and it was delicious.  It is already gone, so I will have to make more.  It was really good.