Hi!
I've looked - but can't seem to find it - is there a thread about eating out at restaurants (i.e. chains like Chili's, California Pizza Kitchen, etc....) We went out to eat last night and I think I picked fairly well to stay well on plan - but it got me to thinking that it would be nice to have some reference as to which chains tend to have SBD "friendly" foods. Can anyone direct me please? Thank you! You all ROCK!!!!!

Are you on P1? If you do, and you have a Jason's Deli in the area that was always my favorite place to go. Awesome salads, lots of SBD friendly choices.

Also, my husband and I went to Chili's a few months ago and after looking at the menu - I found a few things that were SBD friendly, the salads of course (but remember don't get the dressing -just oil and vinegar) but they also had a chicken and lettuce "bulgogi" style wraps plate. It had carrots and dressing on it, but I asked for them on the side and just didn't use it. The chicken had really good flavor

If I remember correctly, I think the SBD supercharged book has some info on eating out...I may be wrong though (maybe someone else can say for sure) I just checked the book out from the library, so I can't run and check it. You might want to pick it up from the library if you can to take a look.

Most places have salads available, if in doubt...choose one of those and get oil and vinegar as the dressing. It isn't always the most exciting, but an easy way to stay on the beach.

Yes, zeffrryn is correct, the SBD supercharged book does have info on eating out. I'm just reading it now, with a view to coming back to SBD and making this commitment to a major lifestyle change.
I really like the supercharged book, find it much easier to follow than the first book.

As an aside, I actually found eating out to be easier when I was on the Beach than any other diet I've tried.

I don't find it hard to eat out on the beach...If i eat mexican i eat fajitas w/o the tortillas and have the beans, no rice sometimes with guacamole instead of the full fat sc or cheese. If i have italian i look for an antipasto salad or caprese salad or grilled meat with veggies, at chili's i have one of their salads or the grilled chicken platter with black beans. I try to eat a salad as an appetizer and always skip the bread/chips or whatever if they come out. I always get the dressings on the side and make sure to get grilled chicken, never fried. Jason's deli is excellent, and they take the time to look for organic ingredients and to list nutrition facts for some of their "healthy" items. At fast food restaurants i do grilled chicken salads, southwest at McDs, tendergrill at BK and chargrilled at chick-fil-a (my 3 faves). I usually get ranch or italian just to be safe on sugars in the dressing. If i think of other's i'll make sure to post them.

Thank you! Thank you! Last night we ate out at California Pizza Kitchen - so it wasn't too hard - they had a salad with black beans and chicken - I just asked for no tortilla strips and added avocado. It was yummy - but it got me thinking about eating out on this WOL... Gee, I wish we had a Jason's around here - sounds good! I'll check out the Supercharged Book. Thanks again!

It gets easier...especially when you hit P2. Most restaurants have brown rice and ww tortillas/bread available...they just don't advertise it. I found out our favorite thai place offered brown rice just by asking the waiter...I think it was a $.50 upcharge, but I would rather pay that than have an off plan meal.

Eating out on P1 is rather difficult, especially if you're just starting out...but eventually it becomes second nature and making the right choices just seems to come naturally.

Glad you found something last night that worked! I miss California Pizza Kitchen....

There is also a South Beach Diet Dining Guide that lists restaurants. It's a very thin paperback. I think I got it at Target when it first came out.

We dined out last night and I had the baked lemon pepper haddock, ate only the broccoli and cauliflower from the mixed vegetables, and from the salad bar chose the wax/green bean salad mix, olives, chi chi beans and tomatoes to put on the mixed greens. Down another pound today, woot!

there are a lot of good suggestions above...thx

If you have an outback nearby they have LOTS of healthy choices entrees salads, sides....whole grain rice, sweet potatoes, lots of differnt veggies, etc. it is so easy to eat there SB style.

When I'm going to a restaurant I haven't been to before, I go online and check out their menu. I have only been to one restaurant where there was NO entree I could eat (A German Restaurant) and ended up with a tiny little salad of lettuce. I should have ordered 4 of them!

But, most restaurants are so accomodating and let you sub steamed vegs for baked potatoes etc. I love salads, so I very often go with a seafood salad.

eating out:

lean protein (chicken or fish)
veggies (salad)


there is the dinning out guide....

Really? Why? My husband is German, so I have a lot of German food experience. Most German sausages are pork, sauerkraut is very healthy (no sugar), and Germans do lots of salads with just vinegar and herbs (Their 'cole slaw' has no sugar or mayo usually, and it's quite tasty). Sauerbraten and schnitzels would be out, but wurst would be good.

White Rabbit.. every entree consisted of potatoes and gravies and butter and noodles etc. I asked if they could just substitute some steamed vegs etc and there were no substitutions. I didn't want to make any of my friends feel bad (it was a birthday dinner for a friend) so I just dropped it and got the little salad and ate when I got home.

Oh, that stinks! Yes, they do love potatoes, but I guess I am fortunate enough to get them to swap stuff at the one we go to. For future reference (if you like fish), you could try rollmops which are cold fish served in a this sour cream and herb type sauce. Usually it's listed under appetizers or 'vorspeize'. It's healthy and SB friendly. Ours have salattellers as well, which have all these different types of salads. It doesn't sound like you had many choices though.

I don't remember seeing any seafood on the menu, but that sounds wonderful!

It's a precious place and really known for their breakfasts. A neat old cottage out in the country. It was originally just a bakery and still has a nice bakery. We went there for breakfast the other day at my MIL's request when she was visiting. Gorgeous breakfasts, but of course everything loaded with butter and full fat cheese etc. I ended up getting 2 hard boiled eggs and some fruit and it was good, but I sure was eyeing my husband's baked eggs!!