Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Ruby Tuesday



Ruby Tuesday offers some good choices for low-carb meals and is close to the LCD headquarters. 


Yesterday I took Mrs. LCD and our two not-so-LCD kids for lunch. Of course I went straight for the famous salad bar and piled my plate high with healthy fixins. Blue cheese, italian, and ranch are the least offensive dressings carb-wise. 


This is the "veggie trio" salad combo, with broccoli, spaghetti squash, and zucchini. Order the broccoli "plain"; otherwise they put some kind of sauce on it that will cost you.

Interestingly, our server told us that our meal was paid for by a mysterious benefactor. The LCD family would like to thank this kind and generous person; certainly we will "pay it forward" in the future.

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Dark Chocolate

I never considered eating one of these "fancy" chocolate bars before I joined the low-carb movement. I always thought that they were too bitter; I could always just gobble up a snickers or hershey bar and get my chocolate fix. 

BUT...the LCD must be much more cautious when choosing a sweet snack. These ultra-dark bars can be had for $2-$3 and can last for days. Limit yourself to one or two squares per serving and you'll be fine. They might taste bitter at first, but that's because you're used to sugar overload. Give it time. 



My favorite is the 86% Ghirardelli, but the Lindt 85% or 90% is great too. Mrs. LCD prefers the sea salt versions, but those have a few more carbs, so maybe only one square per serving of those.



Thursday, August 22, 2013

Jimmy John's Unwich

Jimmy John's is a great sandwich shop that has a perfect option for the LCD -- behold the "Unwich". 

You can order any of their sandwiches "unwich style", which means that they wrap them up tightly in big pieces of lettuce. 

This is their #10 "Hunter's Club", which features lots of tasty roast beef. A great choice for a quick lunch.



Total carbs: Not many


Saturday, August 17, 2013

Hacienda San Miguel - Grilled Steak Salad

On Fridays I take my office staff to lunch. Our location in west Mobile means that we have plenty of great choices. Yesterday they chose mexican food at Hacienda San Miguel, which seems to come up every couple of months in the rotation. 

My go-to mexican meal is a fairly obvious choice; the taco salad. San Miguel does a good job with their grilled steak version, which is what you see here. What you don't see is what I did next, which was dump it upside-down on the plate and scoop the guacamole and sour cream on top, followed by a dash of salsa. 



"But why not just order it without the bowl?" you may ask. Often someone uses chunks of it to scoop up their beans & rice or whatever, so I let it come in the bowl.

If you stay away from the chips, the LCD can have a successful mexican lunch. Hope everyone has a great weekend!



Friday, August 16, 2013

McDonald's Breakfast Burrito

Sometimes you don't get to pick where you go. 

You're with family, or co-workers, or friends, and it isn't your turn to pick the restaurant. It happens all the time. This page is all about *practical* meal choices that real people can apply. So, I decided to show what might be a good choice at McDonald's for breakfast. Maybe not the absolute best, but this works for me.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Low-Carb "Cheesecake"

Dessert isn't something that often comes to mind when you hear the word "diet", but cutting carbs isn't so much a diet but a lifestyle change. In other words, you are still a living, breathing person, and your sweet tooth can't be simply turned off. 

Having something sweet on occasion shouldn't be a dealbreaker, nor should it be something you are ashamed of. The key is to find things that fall in line with your daily carb intake goals, and being firm with yourself about it.

Here is a relatively low-carb dessert that has become a favorite of mine. This is a no-bake pie that is similar to a no-bake cheesecake, but we use cream cheese, heavy cream, and either lemon or lime zest, along with splenda for a sweetener. 

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

O'Charley's - Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Here's a great lunch option at O'Charley's -- the grilled chicken caesar salad. 

I eat LOTS of grilled chicken caesar salads and have seen good, bad, and ugly, and this one is good. Just ask for no croutons, and skip those enormous carb pills (the rolls). Water with lemon completes a nice lunch. 

My dessert is a piece of sugar-free trident gum. 

Please share this page with your friends, and if you have low-carb ideas, please post them on the facebook page or share them in the comments.




Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Shane's Rib Shack - Smoked Wings

If you're a huge BBQ fan like me, you might be surprised when you see what's still on the BBQ menu after clearing off the carby stuff. Out goes the potato salad, baked beans, sugary sauces, and french fries. Fortunately, PROTEIN and FAT are the LCD's friends. 

Good thing there's Shane's Rib Shack (Hillcrest & Airport, where the Copeland's was). 

In addition to the traditional hot wings, which are typically breaded, fried, and tossed in sauce, they also offer what you see here -- their smoked wings. I order them (celery included) with the sauce on the side, although I don't use much. Pair these wings (10 or 20) with a side salad for a complete lunch.

Their beverage station offers the LCD some smart choices including coke zero and unsweet tea (and they have the "good" ice).

Total carbs: Not many



Monday, August 12, 2013

Moe's Southwest Grill - $6 Monday Special

On many Mondays you'll find me at Moe's, where $6.00 gets you a tasty lunch and a drink, tax included. 

I usually get one of their "Earmuffs" burrito bowls, although Low-Carb Diners may choose a salad instead. 

Skip the beans, rice, and any corn-based toppings. I usually add bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, lettuce, cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and perhaps some salsa to the chicken. 

A good, filling lunch that won't break your carb count or wallet.

Total carbs: Not many




Macaroni Grill

Yesterday after church I gave the lunch option to Mrs. Low-Carb Dining, and she chose Macaroni Grill. 

See, once you're on this diet long enough, you tend to understand that you'll find *something* to eat pretty much anywhere (salads are usually a safe fallback), so I was undaunted when she made her choice. 

I ended up choosing the Grilled Chicken Spiedini, which came with roasted veggies and some roasted potatoes. I also chose a caesar salad (sans croutons). Don't worry, the carb-laden potatoes are naturally out of the question for me; they went to Mrs. LCD. 

Total carbs: Probably not many (and you get to draw on the table)


Saturday, August 10, 2013

Smoked Pork Tenderloin

Here's a low-carb meal that you can cook at home. 

Many who are just starting out on ketogenic diets get worried about cooking at home. The truth is that you can make some wonderful, easy meals that fit your diet. You can even sneak some very low-carb meals past your family without them even noticing. 

Here is a smoked pork tenderloin that took less than 1 hour in my electric smoker/roaster, along with some oven-roasted butternut squash.

Now, as squashes go, butternut has a few more carbs than the more popular acorn, spaghetti, zucchini, or yellow, but it's what I had, and it's yummy. 


Total carbs: Not many


Sonic Happy Hour

Sonic *is* your summer drink stop, especially with happy hour from 2pm-4pm. HOWEVER, instead of getting a cup full of sugar, try one of their flavored diet green teas or a diet soda. 

This is one of my favorites, a cherry coke zero. 

Total carbs: Not many



Friday, August 9, 2013

Waffle House - Cheesesteak Omelet

Waffle House. Who doesn't like Waffle House? 

You, too, can continue to enjoy those late night and early morning meals at the place that's always open. Or you can go at lunch time like I did. 

But -- you won't find me scarfing down those delicious waffles, hash browns, or grits. This photo here shows the best low-carb meal you can assemble at Waffle House, and it is amazing.

This here is a cheesesteak omelet (order it "on the side" to avoid carb-rich toast and grits). I pair this up with a large order of bacon (usually "hold the weight" but I forgot this time). Diet coke or coffee to drink.

Total carbs: Not many



Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Chik-fil-a - Cobb Salad

Here is the new Chik-fil-a cobb salad with grilled chicken. 

If you look this up on their website it supposedly has over 20g of carbs, but I throw out the packet of "Charred Tomato Crispy Red Bell Peppers" along with most of the tomatoes and corn. 

What's left is a nice grilled chicken salad with egg, bacon, and cheese. I use the tasty avocado ranch dressing. 

Pair this with some of their diet lemonade for some tangy relief on a hot summer day. Eat mor chikin indeed.

Total carbs: Not many



Mediterranean Sandwich Company - Salad

This is a great low-carb meal from the Mediterranean Sandwich Company on Schillinger Rd in west Mobile. 

This is their house salad, to which I added a portion of their roasted beef & lamb. Lots of good stuff here. 

This was a delicious lunch, and the portions were quite generous.

Total carbs: Not many