Sugar Detox Day 32: How to Be Sugar-Free (and happy) at Restaurants

Going sugar and simple carbohydrate free is a tough choice.  It takes a lot of commitment, especially when eating at restaurants.  I mean, think about it.  Carbohydrate free equals no bread before dinner, no crackers with soup, no croutons on the salad, no tortilla around your burrito, and no bun for that burger.  The first week was a challenge.  I basically stayed away from restaurants.  Not knowing what to order, or what was acceptable was too much for my headachy first week detoxing brain to compute.  And it's super easy to stay on track at home, where I can shop for and prepare my own foods.  And I am in control!! Woohhoooohoohaahahaaa!!  (That was supposed to be a diabolical laugh...but…sorry.)

Anyway,  I just wanted to review some of the restaurants I've frequented lately, and their sugar-free ease of ordering:

1. Chili's - Chicken, Shrimp, or Beef Fajitas.  These are so incredibly delicious!! They come out on a sizzling platter with sautéed onions and green bell peppers underneath the perfectly seasoned meat.  The fajitas also come with a cool little condiment tray.  With three different salsas, sour cream, and guacamole, it's a truly fabulous meal.  I just decline the tortillas, and I'm good to go!
2. Grasso's (Italian Restaurant, a local favorite) - Grilled salmon with Vegetables.  This made me pretty nervous.  I mean, Grasso's is all about the cheesy, delicious pizza, the mouth-watering salad and garlic bread….Yum.  But I decided on the most healthy option, and Autumn's suggestion.  Ok, I'm not going to lie to you.  The salmon just can't compete with the pizza or chicken piccata.  But what can, really?  They served the salmon with sautéed onions and mushrooms.  I actually decided after that meal sautéed mushrooms and onions added to any meat is my perfect meal.  Sooooo good.  The vegetables were pretty bad, super bland.  I hate to admit that, but it's true.  I salted them up, and enjoyed a pre-dinner Grasso's salad, and I didn't feel one bit deprived.
3. Casa De Pico (our favorite Mexican food stop on our way out of San Diego) - Mexican Stir-Fry or Albondigas.  This is a sugar-free, carb-free person's paradise!  Multiple items are acceptable.  And everything looks enticing.  The Mexican Stir Fry has become my favorite item because it is full of vegetables, delicious chicken and sits on a bed of rice.  I probably eat a quarter of the rice on the plate, just because the less carbs the better!  
4. Nana Dora's (another local favorite Mexican food spot) - Carne Asada Burrito.  I'm learning to avoid tortillas.  At Dora's, I just order a carne asada burrito with guacamole.  And I eat the inside only.  Dora's has the best salsa on the planet, so I just douse it in a bunch of salsa, and munch on some baby carrots on the side.  
5. In-N-Out Burger - Protein Style Burger with Grilled Onions - This is a burger that when I eat it, I truly don't miss the bun.  Crazy, right?  The burger shows up wrapped in a giant leaf of iceberg lettuce, but it still has all the goodies on the inside.  Sooooo good.  Don't forget the grilled onions; they are essential!  
6. The Prado (in Balboa Park) - Calamari and Halibut.  What a fantastic restaurant!  My mom, sister and I went to the Prado before going to the Old Globe Theater to see Othello last week.  I ordered the calamari as an appetizer instead of bread or an after dinner dessert because this was one of Sarah Wilson's tips.  She says she orders calamari for dessert since it tastes decadent and fancy and therefore, she doesn't feel left out when her friends all order desserts.  The seared halibut and veggies was melt in your mouth savory, and I left full, satisfied, and ready to watch some Shakespearean tragedy!   

Check out my super-duper sugar/carb free ordering tips:

• Ask for the bread on the table to be taken away, pronto!  That is, if your fellow diners don't care.
• Enjoy an appetizer.  Tons of restaurants now offer stuffed mushrooms, calamari, crudités, crab cakes, or other such decadents to start or end your meal.  
• Ask for extra vegetables on the side of your main dish instead of potatoes, rice, or other carbohydrate.
• Consider ordering a savory appetizer for dessert. 
• Eat a little something before the meal, like in the car on the way over.  Oftentimes, I will munch on some Babybel light cheese, just to take the edge off, so I don't give in to the temptation to eat the chips or bread on the table.  

Just three and a half more weeks to go, and I'm feeling great!