The New Atkins Made Easy (32 page)

Chipotle Mexican Grill
has a menu heavy on tortillas, but you can put together your own salad on a base of romaine tossed with vinaigrette. Choose from grilled chicken, steak, fish, or beef, and top it with veggies, salsa, cheese, sour cream, or guacamole for a great salad containing about 10 grams of Net Carbs. Website: chipotle.com.

Olive Garden
takes Italian cuisine beyond pasta and breaded entrées. Try Mussels di Napoli, Shrimp Scampi, Herb-Grilled Salmon, Mixed Grill, or one of several steak dishes—skip the potatoes, if necessary, for these last two. Or fall back on the Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad—just remove the croutons. Website: olivegarden.com.

Outback Steakhouse
isn't just about steak. Grilled Norwegian salmon or shrimp (hot off the barbie), seared ahi tuna, and the Outback special 6-ounce steak will barely make a dent in your daily carb budget. Grilled asparagus makes a great side dish. In the mood for a hearty salad? Try the Classic Wedge Blue Cheese Salad. Website: outback.com.

Ruby Tuesday
helps put you in the driver's seat. Assemble a main-dish salad from a long list of fresh ingredients, or pick from a host of veggie sides to go with your entrée. Although the menu is studded with breaded and fried dishes, there are also many you can pick from, such as “fresh-crafted” burgers, grilled salmon, chicken fresco, petite sirloin and lobster tail, and jumbo skewered shrimp. Website: rubytuesday.com.

TGI Friday's
offers huge portions, lots of choices, and many Atkins–friendly dishes. Try the Bacon and Bleu Sirloin or Grilled Salmon with Langostino Lobster, with either Ginger Lime Slaw or the Tomato Mozzarella Salad. The grilled chicken Cobb salad is also a safe bet. Website: tgifridays.com.

Some places pose more of a challenge to Atkins followers than others. And sometimes the best alternative is still not ideal, but hey, we live in the real world. So let's scope out what your best choices are at pizza parlors, coffee shops, vending machines, convenience stores, and more.

• 
A pizza parlor.
Yes, you can resort to the old (and messy) trick of scraping the toppings off the pizza crust, but instead, order an antipasto plate or a salad topped with grilled chicken. If pizza is the only thing on the menu, opt for a thin-crust version, preferably made with whole wheat.

• 
A coffee shop.
Whether it's Starbucks or a local joint (or even a coffee cart), order hot or iced coffee, black or with cream or half-and-half, rather than any of the sugar-laden concoctions. Instead of cappuccino, order caffè breve, made with espresso and half-and-half (instead of milk), a mocha breve, or an iced breve.

• 
Vending machines.
Even offerings promoted as “healthful” are made with sugar and white flour. Opt for a bag of peanuts, pumpkin seeds, or other nuts or seeds, or have some sugar-free jerky. Although more machines now offer light meals to heat up in the microwave, they're usually based on noodles or rice, so give them a pass.

• 
Gas station convenience stores.
The pickings can be pretty slim here, but possibilities include string cheese, sugar-free jerky, peanut butter, fresh fruit, a small container of plain whole-milk yogurt, nuts or seeds, and popcorn.

No time to sit down when your lunch hour is spent running errands or hitting the gym? Food carts to the rescue, and nowadays they're selling not just hot dogs and pizza, but also a host of other ethnic specialties. As food suitable for a quick bite or a meal on the run, however, most rely upon a tortilla, roll, waffle, empanada, or pizza crust to contain the other ingredients. Nonetheless, you may be able to deconstruct street food to make it Atkins friendly. Ask if you can have it on a plate instead, but don't be surprised if the vendor can't do that. If you're heading back to your workplace, when you get there simply remove the bun, pita, rice, or other high-carb ingredient. Among the United Nations of possibilities, here are just a few:

• 
American classics.
BBQ carts offer a variety of smoked ribs, beef brisket, chicken parts, pork loin, link sausages, and blackened catfish with sides. The Philadelphia cheesesteak sandwich contains tender beef strips grilled with peppers and onions, topped with melted American cheese, and served on a hoagie roll, which you can ditch.

• 
Argentinean.
This cuisine is big on beef, but you're likely to find it stuffed into an empanada with onions, peppers, and potatoes.

• 
Cambodian.
Lemongrass skewered chicken, pork stew with hard-boiled eggs, and grilled short ribs are all typical dishes, usually served on rice.

• 
Caribbean.
Usually served in a flatbread called a roti or over rice, curries are big in this cuisine; they are often served with a salad.

• 
Greek or Middle Eastern.
Have kebabs, a lamb or chicken gyro, or falafel with lettuce, tomato, hummus, and cucumbers.

• 
Korean.
Rice or noodles turn up in almost every dish. Simply eat the rest and leave them. Better yet, try a bento box of grilled marinated chicken and steamed veggies. The street dish of
Korea, bi bim bop, is rice topped with sautéed seasoned veggies, your choice of meat, and a fried egg.

You can eat Atkins style in almost any restaurant if you know what to order. Some cuisines, such as Greek or Korean, are highly compatible with a low-carb lifestyle. Mexican and Chinese are a bit more difficult to navigate. However, in almost every case, there are Atkins-appropriate choices.

Italian food is a lot more than the pizza and pasta with red sauce that hail from southern Italy. Northern Italian food features rich butter and cream sauces, and the signature element in Florentine dishes is spinach. There are three basic secrets to enjoying the food at an Italian restaurant while complying with Atkins:

• Avoid the usual sides of spaghetti, polenta, or risotto.

• Ask for a bowl of olives as a starter in lieu of garlic bread.

• Ask whether dishes such as veal marsala or veal Florentine are breaded. Some chefs bread them; others don't.

Here are other ways to keep the carbs down:

Greek food is based on olives, olive oil, lemons, eggplant, zucchini, spinach, fennel, grape leaves, yogurt, garlic, mint, dill, rosemary, and tahini (ground sesame seeds). Whether at a Greek diner or an elegant restaurant, fresh fish is always a good choice. The predominant meat is lamb, but beef also appears on the menu. Request another vegetable instead of rice or flatbread. Greek salads are full of good things, including feta cheese, olives, tomatoes, and fresh basil. Steer clear of filo (phyllo), paper-thin sheets of pastry dough used in the dessert called baklava as well as in savory dishes such as spanakopita. To keep the carbs down:

Garlic, onions, cardamom, coriander, sesame, cumin, thyme, marjoram, and sumac are the predominant seasonings used with lamb and other meats. Many dishes, such as shish kebab and baklava, are also found in Greek cuisine. Baba ganoush, similar to hummus, is made of roasted eggplant mashed and mixed with garlic and tahini. Traditionally, baba ganoush is eaten with flatbread, but celery sticks or green pepper chunks make fine substitutes. More ways to keep the carbs down:

Genuine Mexican cuisine is far more subtle and varied than the Tex-Mex, New Mexican style, and Cal-Mex variations that usually pass for Mexican cuisine in the United States. Garlic, chiles, cilantro, and cumin are common denominators. Fortunately, tortillas, beans, and rice are just the tip of the culinary iceberg. For starters, you can't go wrong with guacamole and salsa made without added sugar. If you're a fan of enchiladas verdes, tortillas filled with spiced chicken and covered with a tangy green sauce of tomatillos and cilantro, just ask for the chicken filling minus the tortillas and topped with the sauce. Beef, chicken, or shrimp fajitas are seared in a skillet with sliced onions and peppers. Just pass on the tortillas, yellow rice, and refried beans. For other ways to keep the carbs down:

Choose carefully and make a few modifications, and there are plenty of Atkins-friendly dishes in French cuisine. You'll find fish, herbs, and olives in dishes that hail from Provence; butter and apples in those from Normandy; stews simmered in wine from Burgundy and Bordeaux; and sausages and beer in Alsatian specialties. Hollandaise and many other classic French sauces are based on butter or olive oil and thickened with egg yolks rather than flour. Other tips to curb the carbs: order French onion soup with Gruyère cheese, but without the toasted bread, and push the potatoes in coq au vin to the side of your plate.

Indian food comprises a varied collection of regional cuisines. Although many dishes rely on rice and other grains, you'll also find lamb,
duck, pork, and even goat on the menu. The typical Indian menu offers many choices that provide a good balance of protein and fiber-rich vegetables. Just stay away from breads, rice, and other starchy dishes. Tandoori dishes are the most popular Indian offerings in this country, followed by curries. You'll also find grilled kebabs and dals, which are lentil, chickpea, or bean dishes. Try raita, which is yogurt mixed with minced cucumbers, to ease the heat of some of the hotter curries. To cut the carbs: