I just got back from another FUN low carb trip, this time to San Diego.
And yes, it was MUCH better than my low carb Vegas trip. 😛
I thought you’d like to see the low carb restaurant meals I chose while traveling, to give you some easy ideas when you’re out & about… and looking to make healthy low carb choices!
Here’s a quick photo tour of my low carb picks…
I brought a box of Atkins Peanut Butter Granola bars with me on the trip. They’re my favorite low carb bar, and always handy to have on hand when you’re traveling!
I had a quick layover in the Phoneix airport, and it was well past dinner by then. Food choices were limited, but I ended up getting a bunless burger (I ordered the burger the way I wanted it, “with no bun please”). Fortunately they had a vegetable on the menu: broccolini!
The broccolini stalks were super tough, so I cut those off and chopped everything else up together into a “hot salad”. 🙂 It was delicious that way – and much easier to eat with a fork, lol.
I stayed at the Manchester Grand Hyatt near the San Diego Harbor, and they had a GREAT coffee shop that was open 24 hours a day – and serving Starbucks. 🙂 They offered tons of low carb foods and snacks too. For breakfast the first morning I ordered a “ham, egg & cheese croissant – without the croissant”. They made it without question! It was fabulous. A great way to kick off my day!
Lunch was at the Harbor House restaurant overlooking the San Diego Harbor. I ordered a grilled salmon salad, and had them add blue crab to the top. The blue crab was questionable – it may have had some breading in it. I’m not sure, but if so it wasn’t much. Here’s the salad on the menu:
Grilled Salmon Salad
Fresh grilled Salmon resting on a bed of mixed baby greens dressed in raspberry vinaigrette with cucumber, tomato, and feta cheese
(I had a ranch dressing on the side and only used a dab of it on the greens)
Dinner that night was at The Cheesecake Factory. I ordered the grilled salmon, with creamed spinach instead of potatoes – and added shrimp scampi to my order. FABULOUS meal! 🙂
That dinner looks small, but they were great portions. My friends ordered dessert, so I looked on the menu too. I already knew their “low carb cheesecake” is BLEH (way too much Splenda in it for my taste!) but I found they had “a bowl of strawberries” on the dessert menu. 🙂 Bingo!
It was a HUGE bowl of strawberries (lol) so I took the rest to go, and enjoyed them for breakfast in my room the next morning with an Atkins peanut butter bar.
I had a business lunch at Seasons 52 restaurant that day, and ordered the Flat Iron Steak with green beans and creamed spinach. I cleaned that plate. 🙂
Dinner was at The Cheesecake Factory again, so I decided to try something different. I ordered the Chicken Madeira with creamed spinach instead of potatoes. YUM! The sauce was questionable, a tad sweet – sort of like teriyaki. Their nutrition facts are incomplete, but this meal may have been 20-30 net carbs…
The next morning I had a late business breakfast at Edgewater Grill. They have outdoor seating overlooking the San Diego Harbor, which was lovely! I had a double order of bacon, eggs scrambled with aged cheddar, and fresh strawberries on the side in place of the toast & potatoes.
Lunch was at Seasons 52 again. This time I ordered the BLT Lobster Wrap with creamed spinach on the side (instead of fries). This meal wasn’t great. It was tasteless – completely flavorless. 😛 It looked pretty though! (lol)
My last morning in San Diego I was busy packing up and checking out to make my flight on time, so I ordered room service for breakfast. You can usually just order “a la cart” so I had bacon & eggs – with a roasted tomato half on the side. Delicious!
I hope this low carb photo tour gives you some easy ideas for ordering healthy low carb meals when you find yourself out & about, or at restaurants like these.
My advice: If you know where you’re going to be eating, look up the menu and nutrition facts ahead of time… and make your choice before you even go. That way you know what you’re going to order, and what the carb count is. It makes it much easier than trying to do it on the spot. I had to wing it on this trip, but I think I made some pretty good choices – and picked delicious healthy meals! 🙂
Best,
Lynn Terry,
aka @LowCarbTraveler
Hi Lynn, I love reading your posts. I don’t travel like you do, but get great ideas from what you share. Quick questionl I just bounced up outside of my 3 pound “range” I was trying to stay in after losing 40 (yay, me!). Was steady for a month… Any quick tips for a “course correction” week of meals? Thanks!
Hi Mary! Slight fluctuations are totally normal. But this is what I would recommend: http://www.travelinglowcarb.com/6064/3-ingredients-rule/ I call it “3IMAX” and it’s super simple – 3 ingredients per plate or meal, max.
That cuts out any processed foods of course, as well as complex recipes, and any food combination issues.
It’s been a great stall breaker for many of us, and it helps me lose weight faster. 🙂
Lynn I absolutely love how many vegetables and varied your plates always look!! Everyone thinks of bacon on bacon when they think low carb and your pics always make me think “super healthy”. Looks like you had a fun and delicious trip this go around. I think it makes a big difference having friends with you when you travel. 🙂
I agree, Jackie. Vegas was a strangely lonesome trip. 😛 Especially considering there were 6,000 people at the event! lol. My next trip is Orlando, and I have LOTS of great friends to see there. 🙂
And thank you – I’ve really made a point of eating healthier over the last couple of years. “Meat & Greens + Healthy Fats” (plus nuts & berries, of course!). I like keeping it VERY simple like that with real foods as much as possible.