How will I manage LCHF whilst dining out? That’s a question many have asked me especially in their first month after the change. Following the LCHF guidelines you quickly will experience slight difficulties, when you buy your lunch or are invited out for dinner. You’ll manage to keep yourself on the LCHF track without offending anyone even if you have to say; “No thanks, unfortunately, I don’t eat pasta, rice or pizza, and I don’t drink beer or softdrinks….. and by the way, I do not eat bread nor cake..” You will need ideas for finding a healthy LCHF lunch as well or how to create an easy one to carry with you.
How To Manage LCHF dining out
Saying No to traditional food carb-wise might be annoying for both you and your friends. It shouldn’t be that complicated though to deal with. Just avoid making a big fuzz out of it when dining together. There is always something to choose from. If however you are following a Strict LCHF diet it calls for creative thinking to participate in private dinner parties. When you follow a regular LCHF lifestyle you can eat as anyone else. Try to avoid the carbs and choose more of the carb-free and fat ingredients.
And how so? Make the green salad fill your plate or what is available of veggies, and choose the meat. No rice, no potatoes, no pasta and no bread. In case the meal you’re offered is low in fat, which quite often happens in modern homes, you can ask for some butter – might be served with bread – or olive oil. In addition have a teaspoon of coconut oil or a piece of cheese, when you get back home. Or even better, if the dinner is served mayonnaise, add some of this to your meat or fish. Only eat natural healthy fat. There are too many additives and types of oil, which are not good for you. Go for olive oil or avocado oil.
LCHF Lunch
For lunch, you can have soups, eggs, salads without bread made of flour. You can have all kinds of meat, and fish such as salmon or tuna, but again no rice, no pasta, no buns and wraps etc. I would choose a kind of salad. Many places you can make a bowl of your own choice, which makes it easier and possible to vary. Regarding the fat that you need it can be a challenge as many dressings are made with sun seed oil and other vegetable oils with a high content of Omega-6. If you buy lunch frequently at the same shop, why not ask them to offer their customers a natural olive oil.
Bringing your own lunch can be a box of veggies or salad with hardboiled eggs, mayonnaise and ham or salmon. A handful of nuts or blocks of hard cheese will be lovely as well. The Cauliflower Muffin is perfect for a lunch box. We often make a sandwich with the Buns or the Panini.
About the fat
The tendencies in modern life is low carb no (or low) fat, but it is extremely important for you to get the healthy fat. So I recommend you follow my advice on this. You could have your own olive oil for pouring over your salad and eggs, to put in your soup, or you could have a nice mayonnaise made of olive oil in the fridge at the office. Avoid margarine, trains fatty acids, sun seed oil, soy oil, corn oil and grape seed oil.
This leaves olive and avocado oil together with flax seed oil and nut oil to be your favourites in the future!
