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Are you interesting in starting the keto diet but your constant meals and events out on the town have you doubting your ability to stick to your goals?

Eating out on keto doesn’t have to be impossible.

In fact, it’s a lot easier than you may think. WIth planning ahead and using the right resources, you can eat out and maintain ketosis without any worry.

In this article we’ll discuss the best (and worst) options for individuals following the keto diet.

Eating Out on Keto

This guide for eating out will include:

Condiments and Sauces

When it comes to sticking to a diet in general, condiments and sauces are often where people find themselves in trouble.

Following a ketogenic diet can seem even more stressful considering so many condiments and sauces are filled with carbs and high amounts of sugars or sweeteners.

Here is a list of top keto-friendly condiments and sauces:

  • Grass-fed butter
  • Coconut oil
  • Vinaigrette
  • Mayonnaise
  • Ghee Butter
  • Hollandaise sauce
  • Ranch
  • Guacamole
  • Blue cheese

What condiments and sauces should you stay away from? These include:

  • Ketchup
  • Barbeque sauce
  • Tomato sauce
  • Maple syrup
  • Pesto
  • Mustard
  • Jam and jellies

Drinks (Non-Alcoholic)

Unfortunately, many drinks offered by restaurants today are filled with carbs and sugar. However, there’s still a large variety of keto-friendly drinks to choose from.

Some of the top keto-friendly beverages include:

  • Plain water
  • Coffee (black)
  • Coffee with heavy cream (make sure it’s unsweetened, full fat heavy cream, almond milk or coconut milk)
  • Black tea
  • Green tea
  • Herbal tea
  • Carbonated water (La Croix, San Pellegrino, Topo Chico, Waterloo, Zevia)
  • Keto-friendly smoothies

Beverages you should stay away from on keto include:

  • Fruit juices (orange juice, cranberry juice, apple juice, grape juice, etc.)
  • Soft drinks
  • Energy drinks
  • Smoothies (especially those filled with sugary fruits)
  • Vitamin Water
  • Frappuccinos
  • Ice tea
  • Milkshakes
  • Kombucha (depending on type)
  • Milk
  • Soy milk

But wait, what about alcohol?

Alcoholic Beverages

Alcohol can be tricky. But yes, you can still enjoy an alcoholic beverage while maintaining ketosis. You just have to be cautious.

The top keto-friendly alcoholic beverages include:

  • Non-flavored vodka (with no sweeteners or added sugars)
  • Tequila
  • Scotch
  • Whiskey
  • Bourbon
  • Gin
  • Brandy
  • Cognac
  • Dry red wine

Alcoholic beverages to avoid on keto include:

  • Beer
  • Cocktails
  • Sugary mixed drinks
  • Wine coolers

Now that we’ve covered the basics of condiments, sauces and beverages, let’s get to the good stuff — food.

Eating out on keto doesn’t have to be complicated if you know the  difference between good fats and bad fats.

Good Fats vs. Bad Fats

Saturated fats, monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are all considered healthy fats and great options for the ketogenic diet.

So what are some sources of these top keto-friendly fats?

  • Grass-fed beef (ground beef, different cuts of steak)
  • Fatty foods with grass-fed butter or grass-fed ghee
  • Pastured eggs
  • Avocado
  • Nuts (pecans, almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts)
  • Fatty fish including tuna, salmon, trout and mackerel

The fats you should stay away from when eating out include trans fats and polyunsaturated fats. These include food sources such as:

  • Foods prepared with processed vegetable oils including cottonseed, sunflower, safflower, soybean and canola oil.
  • Fast food (as it’s often cooked with the oils listed above).
  • Foods containing margarine.
  • Cookies, crackers, etc.

Carbs on Keto

Keeping your carb intake extremely low is key to remaining in a ketogenic state. When it comes to deciding what carbs to consume within your daily allowance, low carb vegetables are a great option.

The top low carb vegetables to include in your next dinner out include:

  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Brussel sprouts
  • Kale
  • Leafy greens
  • Asparagus

The worst carb sources to consume (and carbs that have the strongest potential to kick you out of ketosis) include simple carbs such as:

  • Sugary fruits
  • Pasta
  • Rice
  • White bread
  • Other grains

While you should avoid meals containing a lot of carbs, there are plenty of alternative to your favorite carb-saturated dishes.

For example, you can still have your favorite pasta dish. All you have to do is swap out the pasta for miracle noodles. These noodles contain zero calories. Yep, that’s right. No calories for a big cup of pasta. This noodle really is a miracle, absorbing the flavor of any food you pair it with.

If you’re craving a high-carb sushi dish, try swapping out the rich for cauliflower rice instead. With less than a quarter of the carbs found in a typical sushi dish, you’ll be sure to remain in a ketogenic state.

Bottom Line

When it comes to eating out and sticking to your goals, there’s no reason to stress. Maintaining a ketogenic state is possible and fairly simple when you stick to some key guidelines.

The next time you start to panic about going out with some friends remember to keep your cool and plan head.