Look for keto specific restaurants
With the advent of the digital age, it is possible to obtain a lot of information online which can help you in all aspects of life, including your diet. While selecting a restaurant that you and your friends may want to go to, look it up online and see if they have a keto diet food option. If not, search for a restaurant that does and suggest it to your friends. They are bound to be okay with it, since, after all, they should support your healthy diet choices.
Call ahead and get a preview of the menu
If there isn’t a restaurant with a keto specific diet on their menu, the next best thing is to call ahead before your scheduled meeting time and ask to check out the menu. Going through the meal options that they have beforehand will help to ensure that you won’t have trouble selecting a dish that is suitable for you. This will prevent putting you in a difficult situation once you go out, which would be the case if you didn’t check the menu beforehand. If you are unsure what to eat, then you can do research on dining out food ideas which will make it easier for you to make a selection.
Cut down on carbs
Most restaurants offer pasta and rice as sides, which contain a lot of carbs. Skip the starchy food and substitute it with a bit more greens instead and some protein. Ask the waiter/waitress if it is possible to replace the starchy side with something else that is more suited for you. The restaurants are bound to have this option, but if not, it is completely okay to do without the starch completely.
Pay attention to sauces
A lot of sauces and condiments actually do have a lot more carbs than we think they do. The sauces always have a significant amount of sugar or carbs which may be bad for your keto diet. If you can, ask beforehand what the sauce is made of to be sure. Alternatively, you can opt to have the sauces and dressings served on the side so that you can regulate how much you want.
Include healthy fats
Due to the lack of starch in your diet, you might not feel quite filled up. To deal with this, consider adding a few extra fats to your diet. Some of the healthy fats that you can ask for include olive or coconut oil, which you can sprinkle on your salad for instance. You can also request for butter which you can apply on your steak. Carrying your own bottle of healthy oil is a good idea as well.
Skip dessert
Desserts are always loaded with huge amounts of sugar which are, of course, terrible for a keto diet. After meals, opt for something less sweet such as coffee or herbal tea. These types of drinks contain minimum carbs and go great with cream which you can ask for. You can also consider having a plate of low carb fruit or berries.