I just got back from a FUN 3-day “Low Carb Road Trip” where I stayed at the Ramada Plaza Beach Resort in Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It was my second stay there, by the way – GREAT location!
They have a restaurant on-site, which is casual but gorgeous and full of natural light – as you can see in the picture. We enjoyed a late breakfast there on Sunday after our morning swim.
There were two options: A breakfast menu, and the breakfast buffet. It was late in the morning and getting close to lunch, so the buffet was “limited”. I did scan it first – scrambled eggs, bacon & various sausages were the low carb options (but not so fresh). And of course biscuits, gravy, waffles, pastries, etc.
I decided to order off the menu, because in addition to eating low carb (and wanting a hot, fresh meal!), I’m doing my best to stick to “real food” as well. I was feeling “iffy” on those buffet eggs – and you do have to watch scrambled eggs & omelets on buffets and in restaurants. 😉 Sometimes they aren’t “real eggs”, and sometimes they add “filler” (like pancake batter, even!) to make or keep them fluffy. Just FYI.
I decided to share the menu and see what everyone else would order:
Here’s a bigger picture of the restaurant breakfast menu.
What would YOU would order from the cafe for a healthy low carb breakfast? 😀
Leave a comment below! Let’s all share our own combinations to give everyone else smart ideas for keeping it low carb on the go, and while eating out in fun places. 😉
Here’s what I decided on for a healthy, low carb breakfast:
I ordered the steak & eggs – and I got FRIED eggs (to be on the safe side) – with strawberries and cottage cheese on the side, instead of toast & grits:
Strawberries & Cottage Cheese are DELICIOUS together. If you haven’t tried that yet, you should!! They make a great combination, and a safe low carb substitute for typical side items at restaurants. 😉
Check out the menu and play along: Leave a comment below and let us know what YOU would eat from a sunny cafe on a beach trip!
(You can see what others shared on Facebook here too!)
I’ll have what she’s having… π That looks absolutely delicious! And such crisp-looking “food photos” — did you get a new camera recently?
Hi Debi!
I did actually – it’s a Droid Ultra I think. It has a better camera, and does better low light photos, which were the features that sold me on it. π
I also make it a point to do my pictures in natural light whenever possible. That’s the key, no matter what kind of camera you have!
Ooh I like the way you think. I would have just skipped the ‘side’ altogether but berries + cottage cheese is not a bad choice at all. Typically I just get fried eggs + bacon or sausage, sometimes omelettes for brunch. LOL at the ‘low-calorie breakfast’ — I would be hungry an hour later with that sugar load!
It’s crazy isn’t it – the “low calorie stuff” – ? Wow! I never realized (or paid attention) to all the low calorie & low fat options until I went low carb and really started analyzing food choices. π
Cottage cheese & strawberries are common in most restaurants, and make a great combo! I discovered that at home one morning when I was looking for something “new” to try. I chopped up strawberries, added a dash of cinnamon, and stirred it into cottage cheese. Delicious!
I love steak and eggs and I haven’t had them in forever!! Looks great and looks like a smart move to me!!
It was delicious! π Lately I’ll only order fried eggs from restaurants. You have to be cautious about scrambled eggs and omelets, because many places add fillers (like pancake batter, even!) to make their eggs fluffy. Ack! I’m on a “real food” kick so keeping it as simple as possible. Fried eggs are a safe option. π
I would have ordered steak and eggs over medium with maybe a grapefruit half or cantaloupe since I did not see cottage cheese listed as an option. I also like strawberries and cottage cheese together. To me it tastes better than strawberries and yogurt.
I agree Tina, but I’ve never liked yogurt. π Cantaloupe and grapefruit are actually very high in carbs (and sugar). An interesting thing I learned: berries are not actually considered a fruit, as they don’t have the sugar content as “fruit”. So strawberries, raspberries and blackberries are okay in moderation. π
I knew they had cottage cheese in the kitchen because I had lunch there the day before and they had “tomatoes & cottage cheese” listed on the menu as a side item. But it never hurts to ask if they have strawberries, avocado, mushrooms, cottage cheese, etc – and then substitute that as your side item.
You can see the rest of my meals from the trip here: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/4511/low-carb-road-trip/
What are other options I could have chosen besides cottage cheese. I do not like cottage cheese at all not matter how hard I try. I could rest the steak, fried eggs and strawberries but not the cottage cheese..
If you don’t see it on the menu already (as part of another dish even), you can always ask if they have: sauteed mushrooms or avocado slices you can use as a breakfast side substitute. For dinner you can usually do broccoli or double veggies. But worst case scenario, just order a la carte – (only what you want). π
Thanks Lynn for your help! I am working on making this a lifestyle change and not just a diet. Just trying to soak it all in and do it right.
You’re welcome. π Let me know if you have any questions along the way. You can always tweet me real quick: @lowcarbtraveler or join us in the http://www.90DayLowCarbChallenge.com group if you haven’t already. Tons of great ideas & answers there!!