Whether you’re out and about and need a quick keto meal while out on the go, or you want to go out with family to have a sit-down dinner, you should be able to find low-carb and ketogenic friendly foods at most places.
We’ve all been there. You’re out running errands on a Saturday afternoon and your tummy growls: it’s 2 pm and you haven’t eaten yet! Or it’s a Tuesday night at a friend’s house, and they want to grab a meal.
What do you do? Luckily, you have plenty of keto fast food and sit-down restaurant options! We have happily eaten my way through the research for you – below you’ll find a look at the most common fast food restaurants in the U.S. and their keto meal options.
Here are a few general rules of thumb that you can apply to almost any fast food and sit-down restaurant:
- Stick to meat, cheese, and vegetables. Most fast food and restaurant places put excess sugar and carbs in their ingredients. It’s worth sticking with the simplest ingredients you can find.
- Avoid the bun. Whether you’re ordering a burger from a drive-thru or a table menu, you can opt out of the bun. Typically you can also add in extra sides like avocado, bacon, and sauces if you request it.
- If you get a salad, read the ingredients. Many salads have leafy greens and berries that are very high in carbs. It’s better to stick with simpler salads that include meat and ask for dressing on the side. Many Greek places offer low-carb gyro salads (as long as their meat does not contain filler). Avoid croutons where possible and pick out excess items that are carby from the salads.
- If it’s breaded, try to avoid it. Typically chicken wings, mozzarella sticks, and other fried items will have a wheat flour-based breading. If you have no other choice, try to peel off as much of the breading as you possibly can. Pair the now naked meat with a fatty sauce. If you can, try to order your food with no breading. Many chicken wing restaurants usually offer naked (traditional) chicken wings as a choice, as an example.
- Be careful of condiments. While sauces and dressings are a fantastic way to get both fat and flavor into your food – they usually are filled with sugar. Be very careful with any sweet tasting sauces and try to opt for fattier salad dressings (that usually contain no sugar) like ranch, caesar, and bleu cheese. If you have the choice when it comes to sauces at a sit-down place, you can usually order an extra side of butter.
- Special request. While some people don’t like to ask for particular food, you can certainly do so at higher quality restaurants. The menu will usually do a good job of breaking down what each dish has; you can request to the waiter that the meal be prepared in a certain way (gluten-free, low-carb, etc.)
- If you’re not sure, skip it. Time and time again we get e-mails about people who are stalling on their weight loss goals. The most common reason: they’re not tracking. There are so many hidden carbs and hidden sugars in the foods we eat that we truly do have to be careful with what we order. Just a few teaspoons of a sweet sauce can be 15-20g carbohydrates – almost all of your daily allowance.
- Check online. Many food establishments put their nutritional information online – some even offering a “build your own” style app where you can choose what ingredients you’re eating. This is a perfect way to see how many carbs are in the meats and extra side dishes.
Scroll down to see options from the most popular restaurants in the US, or if you’re looking for something specific you can select it from the list below.
McDonald’s / Burger King- Wendy’s
- Hardee’s/Carl Jr’s
- In-N-Out Burger
- Five Guys Burgers
- Sonic
- Checkers/Rally’s
- Red Robin
- Burgerville
- Jack in the Box
- Whataburger
- White Castle / Steak n’ Shake
- Chick-fil-A
- Zaxby’s
- El Pollo Loco / Nando’s / Other Grilled Chicken Places
- Kentucky Fried Chicken
- Popeyes
- Bojangles’
- Church’s Chicken / Other Fried Chicken Places
- Potbelly / Whichwich / Saladworks / Other Salad Shops
- Dickey’s BBQ / Famous Dave’s / Other BBQ Places
- Jimmy John’s / Jersey Mike’s / Subway / Other Sub Shops
- Panera Bread
- Chipotle / Moe’s Southwest Grill / Other Mexican Chains
- Taco Bell / Del Taco / Other Taco Places
- Dairy Queen
- Arby’s
- Denny’s / Perkins / Waffle House / IHOP
- Cracker Barrel
- Buffalo Wild Wings / Wingstop / Other Wing Places
- Pizza Hut / Dominos / Papa John’s / Papa Murphy’s / Other
- Dunkin’ Donuts / Starbucks / Tim Hortons / Other Coffee Shops
- Gas Stations / Convenience Stores
- Grocery Stores
- Trader Joes / Whole Foods / Specialty Stores
McDonald’s / Burger King
Both McDonald’s and Burger King offer things that can be made low carb at a low price – this makes it a great stop on a road trip as one of these restaurants can usually be found in the smallest of pit stop towns.
You can ask for a breakfast sandwich at either restaurant and order it without the bun (or croissant), and the same goes for a grilled chicken breast or burger for lunch or dinner. Try to avoid the chicken nuggets as they’re always breaded and climb in carbs very quickly.
Our personal favorite of these two is the McDouble from McDonald’s without a bun or ketchup. They will usually serve it in a bowl and sometimes will add lettuce with it. Pretty tasty and keto-friendly at only 4g net carbs (ketchup will add 1g net carb extra)!
If you’re looking for more delicious keto McDonald’s meal orders, give these options a try:
- An Egg McMuffin without the muffin (3g net carbs)
- A Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit without the biscuit (roughly 2g net carbs)
- Double Quarter Pounder, without the bun or ketchup (~4g net carbs)
- Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich, no bun, with creamy ranch sauce on the side (~1g net carb)
Burger King has several satisfying keto order options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner as well:
- Eggnormous Burrito in a bowl, no tortilla or hashbrowns (roughly 6g net carbs)
- Fully Loaded Crossainwich without the croissant (~3g net carbs)
- Bacon King Sandwich without the bun, ketchup, and mayo (~3g net carbs)
- Whopper with Cheese, hold the bun, tomato, ketchup, and mayo (~1g net carb)
Both chains offer their nutritional information in a customizable menu builder which allows you to delete individual ingredients (like the bun). I recommend using this tool for meal planning and getting the most accurate macros for your order. When you’d rather skip the drive-through entirely, our parmesan tortilla breakfast burrito uses a crispy egg-and-parmesan wrap instead of a flour tortilla and comes together in a few minutes at home.
Wendy’s
Almost as iconic as McDonald’s and Burger King, Wendy’s comes in as one of the most popular fast food chains in the US. They don’t have a lot of low-carb options, so you have to be careful what you choose. Some ideas if you’re in a rut are below:
- Double Stack without Bun (2g net carbs)
- Baconator without Bun (4g net carbs)
- Grilled Chicken Sandwich without Bun (5g net carbs)
Make sure that you request no sauces (like sugary ketchup) and get mayonnaise and mustard on the side. Mayonnaise and extra cheese can add some fats to your meals without added carbs.
Unfortunately, you have to stay away from the salads at Wendy’s. Their salads range above the 30g carb mark for all of the options available, so it’s best to avoid this. This may change in the future, so it’s always worth checking their website for updated information.
Hardee’s / Carl Jr’s
This is another great place to grab a keto-fied fast food meal and where the staff is comfortable knowing their low-carb menu options. They are one of the few spots to grab a keto breakfast on the go with their Low Carb Breakfast Bowl (8g net carbs) – a rich selection of egg, cheese, and meats.
For lunch or dinner, consider ordering one of the following:
- Low Carb 1/3 lb Thickburger (8g net carbs)
- Low Carb Charbroiled Chicken Club Sandwich (7g net carbs)
These are all low carb versions of your favorite sandwiches served on a lettuce wrap. You have to specifically ask them to make it low-carb for them to wrap your chicken or burger in lettuce.
Hardee’s/Carl Jr’s websites also allow you to see the nutritional information of these items, helping you to easily track your daily macros. If you need something even faster or can’t find a drive-through, our keto meal replacement shake is a solid on-the-go option that keeps carbs low without any ordering hassle.
In-N-Out Burger
Are you lucky enough to have an In-N-Out Burger nearby? While I, unfortunately, do not live near one, you can get a great keto-fied burger there as well! Order your In-N-Out burger “protein style, double double” and they will swap out the bun with a lettuce wrap. This comes out to 8g net carbs for their double-double (protein style). To up the flavor without the carbs, swap the house spread for mustard and more pickles.
- Double-double Protein Style (8g net carbs)
- Cheeseburger Protein Style (8g net carbs)
It’s well worth ordering a double protein style to get more calories and fat instead of carbs. If you want to order specifically to their low-carb menu, you can!
Their Flying Dutchman is a combination of two meat patties, two slices of cheese, and no bun or lettuce wrap! They don’t have the nutrition information for this on the website, but we estimate it to be about 5g net carbs. If you want any condiments, be sure to request them as they are not included on the Flying Dutchman. Remember that some condiments do add to the carbs.
Five Guys Burgers
This is one of the few burger places we’ve been to that doesn’t flinch when we ask for no bun – you can either get your burger wrapped in lettuce or in a to-go box (as pictured). Think of Five Guys as a build-your-own burger bowl. You have plenty of options to choose from and a lot of the included sides are no extra cost. Next time you’re here, consider any of the following:
- Bacon, 2 slices (0g net carb)
- Hamburger Patty (0g net carb)
- Hot Dog (1g net carb)
- A1 Steak Sauce (0g net carb)
- Cheese (0.5g net carb)
- Green Peppers (1g net carb)
- Grilled Mushrooms (1g net carb)
- Jalapeno Peppers (0g net carb)
- Mayonnaise (0g net carb)
- Onions (1g net carb)
- Tomatoes (2g net carb)
- Pickles (1g net carb)
You can pick the toppings you want from their board. Best part is, if you order a bacon cheeseburger, you can ask for extra cheese and extra bacon as well! Another perk if you eat inside the restaurant is that they have all you can eat peanuts in the shell. A fun side dish that doesn’t have all the added carbs of french fries – just be careful with the amount you eat (peanuts do add up in carbs).
Sonic
While Sonic doesn’t have any low-carb options at first glance, we can always apply our rule of thumb to find something. For Sonic, we can remove the bun and have burgers or hot dogs. Although the nutrition information is not known, you should estimate that there are some carbs in the meat. Typically fast food restaurants use some filler ingredients in their meat so you should expect at least 2g carbs per patty or hot dog.
One great thing about Sonic is that you have the option to “Build Your Own.” That means toppings! Just live Five Guys, you’re able to add a plethora of toppings to your burgers and hot dogs. Among other things, there are favorite keto staples like cheese, bacon, and avocado.
For condiments, they have a few great low-carb options which include:
- Mayo (0g net carbs)
- Mustard (0g net carbs)
- Ranch (1g net carbs)
- Salsa (1g net carbs)
Checkers / Rally’s
Checker’s/Rally’s has quite a few options when it comes to keto. This is mostly because of the new chicken wings that they have on their menu. You can choose from a lot of different low-carb flavors, including:
- Plain Naked (2g net carbs per 5 wings)
- Garlic Parmesan (3g net carbs for 5 wings)
- Angrier/Mild Buffalo (2.5g net carbs for 5 wings)
They also have burgers and hot dogs available here. Using our rules of thumb for ketogenic fast food, we can take out the bun and assume there are a couple of carbs per piece of meat. You can always pair their burger or dogs with:
- Bacon (1g net carb per serving)
- Cheese sauce (2g net carbs per serving)
- Ranch (2g net carbs per serving)
- Check for real mayo at the condiment station (0g net carbs)
If you plan to have a burger here, consider ordering one of their larger size items like a bacon double cheeseburger. You usually get the best bang for your buck regarding calories.
Red Robin
Red Robin is an excellent choice when it comes to their burgers, but they have a few options that most don’t think about. Be careful with the burgers you choose as they have many different types. Some burgers may include high-carb sauces or extras (onions, pickled vegetables, etc.) which you want to avoid. Luckily, Red Robin supports low-carb lifestyles and will wrap your burger in a lettuce wrap if requested.
Remember that you can always add bacon (0g net carbs) or cheese (1g net carbs on average) to your burgers. If you’re in the mood for something lighter, you can always order from the kid’s menu. Specifically, the Grilled Chicken Stickens (4g net carbs) and steamed broccoli (1g net carbs) are great items.
They do have some side salad options, but you can order a side grilled caesar salad for only 7g net carbs.
For dressings, you can choose between any of these:
- Bleu Cheese (1g net carbs per 2 oz.)
- Caesar (2g net carbs per 2 oz.)
- Lemony Oil (2g net carbs per 2 oz.)
- Ranch (2g net carbs per 2 oz.)
- Salsa-Ranch (2g net carbs per 2 oz.)
If you do end up getting the chicken, or just want some extra sauce to top your burger with, you can choose from the following:
- Buzzard (0g net carbs per serving)
- House-Made Ranch (2g net carbs per serving)
- Roasted Garlic Aioli (3g net carbs per serving)
Burgerville
Burgerville is a popular west coast chain. Your options are mostly limited to burgers with no bun. Though, there are plenty of toppings and condiments to choose from that are low-carb. Remember when you’re ordering to keep away from the chicken sandwiches and fish as they are breaded with flour and filled with carbs.
If you want to add a topping or side to your burger, consider:
- Slices of cheese (1g net carbs on average)
- 1.5oz ham (1g net carbs)
- Fried egg (0.5g net carbs)
- Bacon (0g net carbs)
- Sausage patty (0g net carbs)
Their lowest carb condiments include:
- Cream Cheese (1g net carbs)
- Tartar Cups (2g net carbs)
- BV Spread Cups (4g net carbs)
- Ranch Dressing (2g net carbs)
- Bleu Cheese Dressing (3g net carbs)
- Caesar Dressing (2g net carbs)
Avoid the vegetarian options for burgers as they’ll be extremely high in carbs.
Note: Sometimes they will have seasonal offerings like asparagus and wild salmon salad. Feel free to check their website for the nutrition information to make a decision on if it’s keto-friendly!
Jack in the Box Keto Options
A very well known chain across most of the US, Jack in the Box offers burgers as their mainstay specials. If you’re coming here for a burger, consider getting a combination so that your money stretches. Consider a sirloin swiss burger with bacon (sans onion) – of course leaving the bun off. We estimate that it is about 8g net carbs.
If you’re not in the mood for a burger, Jack in the Box also offers chicken strips (4 piece) for 5g net carbs. Alongside it, they have a Chicken Club Salad (served with grilled chicken) for 8g net carbs.
They indeed offer a wide variety of sauces and condiments to go with your burgers, chicken, and salads. Feel free to pick any from the list below:
- Bacon Ranch Dressing (3g net carbs)
- Creamy Southwest Dressing (3g net carbs)
- Buttermilk House (3g net carbs)
- Fire Roasted Salsa (1g net carbs)
- Buffalo Dipping Sauce (2g net carbs)
- Tartar Sauce (2g net carbs)
- Zesty Marinara (4g net carbs)
- Chipotle Sauce (1g net carbs)
- Creamy Italian Sauce (1g net carbs)
- Peppercorn Mayo (1g net carbs)
- Sun Dried Tomato Sauce (1g net carbs)
Keep in mind that some of the sauces listed are sandwich sauces, so you may have to request them on the side. They do also offer some breakfast options, but they’re typically in a wrap or have hashbrowns cooked in. If you opt for one of these, make sure to remove the carb-filled items.
Whataburger
WhataburgerLike most burger places, you can opt to get their burgers with no bun. They do have a lot of different toppings to choose from, so feel free to add/combine flavors for your burger. They have many peppers and cheese, so don’t forget to include some for flavor (but not too many to add a lot of carbs)!
Some other options that are available here include their salads and melts. If you want to get breakfast, they do have breakfast tacos, but you should opt to eat them without the tortilla. Here are a few examples:
- Grilled Chicken Melt (no bread)
- Bacon Tacquito (no potato)
- Garden Salad (5g net carbs)
- Garden Salad with Grilled Chicken (6g net carbs)
They offer seasonal sauces and menu items (including salads), so it’s not clear what will be available at any given time. You’re welcome to look up the nutrition information on their website if you happen to be there and unsure of what to order.
White Castle / Steak n’ Shake
Neither of these places is a great choice when it comes to keto. If you have the choice of going somewhere else that has more to choose from – we recommend it.
At White Castle, you only really have the option of ordering their chicken or beef sliders with no bun. The double beef burger slider is about 9g net carbs each while the chicken sliders are only about 1-2g net carbs each, without the bun. If you want to pair with sauce, you can get cheese sauce or ranch dressing on the side (1g net carb each).
At Steak n’ Shake, the options are virtually the same, though they offer much more toppings for their burger. They have guacamole and bacon that you can add to your burgers, alongside sausage and eggs that you can order from their breakfast menu. Their nutrition information is not laid out well online, so if you eat here, try to be sensible with what you order.
Chick-Fil-A
Unfortunately, Chick-fil-a doesn’t have too many low-carb options. They do offer a few options, but the easiest and lowest-carb item is their:
- Grilled chicken nuggets (2g net carb per serving)
If you have the carb allowances, you could opt for a salad, though. Their best salad would be the:
- Grilled market salad (11g net carbs)
You could pick out some of the berries/fruit and leave out the granola to reduce the carb counts significantly. Don’t be fooled by their side salad and “superfood” salads as they’re both heavy in carbs. Similarly, don’t be too fooled by their sauces. Almost all of their dipping sauces are higher than 10g carbs per serving – so definitely avoid them.
If you have to get a dipping sauce, consider the following:
- Zesty buffalo (1g net carbs)
- Garlic & herb ranch (1g net carbs)
Zaxby’s
A very well known chicken chain that’s growing in popularity. There are a few low-carb options here, so we recommend checking their online nutrition guide. The Grilled House Zalad (11g net) or the Garden House Zalad (9g net) without Texas Toast are good options, but they also offer a substantial amount of other salads in their restaurant.
They have a fantastic online nutrition lookup, which offers each ingredient of their salads broken down for you. This way if you’re not sure how to remove some carbs, it will give you an excellent guide on where they are all coming from.
Zaxby’s also offers traditional chicken wings with a variety of sauces. We recommend getting their wings naked and dipping in their ranch sauce (2g net carbs).
The buffalo sauce can add up quickly, but if you have to have hot sauce try to choose their Tongue Torch flavor as it has the least carbs per serving (2g net carbs).
El Pollo Loco / Nando’s / Other Grilled Chicken Places
El Pollo Loco is one of the few restaurants that have gotten on board with the lettuce taco shell. Here, you can grab any of their tacos in a lettuce shell – so make sure to check their nutrition information beforehand on their website. All of their flame-grilled chicken has 0g net carbs, so they’re a fantastic option to choose if you have an El Pollo Loco closeby.
They also offer a few dressings and a lot of salsas. All of their salsas are either 2g net carbs or 1g net carbs per serving – so you can eat these. If you want to add in a dressing, choose one of the following:
- Creamy Cilantro (2g net carbs)
- Ranch Dressing (2g net Carbs)
- You can add avocado
They also serve broccoli and side salads if you’re looking for a vegetable option to pair up with your meal.
El Pollo Loco’s menu looks pretty similar to those of other grilled chicken places. Make sure to double check what their carb counts are online before ordering, but you should have a detailed idea of what to order based on this.
KFC
KFC can be a good place to stop for a keto meal – each serving of their grilled chicken is either only 0 or 1g of net carbs. Ordering a few pieces of grilled chicken is super simple and super quick. Skip most of the sides – but if you must have one, ordering an individual serving of green beans is 2g net carbs.
If salad is more up your alley, consider from the following choices:
- Caesar Salad without Croutons (1g net carbs)
- House Salad without Croutons (2g net carbs)
- Heinz Buttermilk Ranch Dressing (1g net carb)
- Marzettie Light Italian Dressing (2g net carbs)
- KFC Creamy Parmesan Caesar Dressing (4g net carbs)
Note: KFC seems to be phasing out their grilled chicken during 2017, so when we are updated with their new options the post will be updated as well!
Popeyes
At the end of the day, there are only a few choices at Popeye’s chicken. If this is the only fast food around, our recommendation would be either the blackened tenders or the bonafide legs (scrape off as much of the breading as possible). That way you can get a bit more protein and fat in. Otherwise, there’s probably some better choices for you within just a few minute drive.
The blackened chicken tenders are only 2g net carbs for three tenders, which is a rare find at most fast food stops. Their bonafide chicken legs (spicy or mild) come out to 4g net carbs each. They’re not that big, so we recommend scraping as much of the breading off to reduce the carb count.
Normally restaurants like this will have real mayonnaise in their condiment section – so take advantage! Popeyes has tartar sauce at 1g net carb per serving and blackened ranch at 2g carbs per serving.
A good mix of protein and fat (tenders and sauce, in this case) would be appropriate for anyone on a ketogenic diet.
Bojangles’ Keto Options
The best meal in terms of calories to carbs you can get at Bojangles’ is their Grilled Chicken Salad, sitting at only 6g net carbs. Although they do offer a few chicken dishes – you just have to be careful with the number of carbs that they contain.
Their small roasted chicken bites are a pretty good option at 4g net carbs per serving, but it’s a rather small amount. You can actually opt to get their fried chicken, too. Notably, the chicken legs are 4g net carbs each. Similarly, with other chicken places, we recommend trying to scrape as much breading off of the chicken as possible. This will reduce the carb count substantially.
If you choose a salad or something that needs dipping, you can choose one of their few low-carb sauces:
- Ranch (2g net carbs)
- Bleu Cheese (2g net carbs)
- Hot Sauce (0g net carbs)
- Mayonnaise (1g net carbs)
You’re welcome to pair with a side of green beans (their only low-carb side option), but they are still 5g net carbs so it may be worth skipping.
Church’s Chicken / Other Fried Chicken Places
Church’s Chicken doesn’t have too many options when it comes to low-carb and ketogenic diets. But, they do offer some foods (like fried chicken legs and thighs) that have a moderate amount of carbs. If you have no other fast-food options available and you’re in a hurry, you can scrape the excess batter off of the outside of the chicken.
If available (or if you’re at a different chicken place), it’s always better to try to opt for grilled chicken as typically the carb counts are very low and there’s no cross contamination of wheat products. It’s better if you can pair chicken with a side salad and top with fattier dressings. Most popular chains carry at least Ranch dressing, though many chains have their nutrition information (with sauces separate) online.
Remember, if you’re not sure if you can or should eat it – just don’t. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Potbelly / Whichwich / Saladworks / Other Salad Shops
Standalone sandwich and salad shops are growing in popularity and there’s usually a handful in every major city. Salads are a staple lunch for most people on a ketogenic diet, so there’s no surprise when salad places have spectacular low-carb options. Some example salads that you can get from Potbelly include:
- Wreck Salad (8g net carbs)
- Farmhouse Salad (6g net carbs)
- Clubhouse (5g net carbs)
Whichwich is primarily a sandwich shop but you can build your own sandwich on a lettuce wrap (or have it in a bowl similar to Jersey Mike’s). They have a lot of different options, but you can build your own on their website, which we highly recommend. Keep in mind that the lettuce bowl/wrap itself will be 2g net carbs.
Most salad shops will have a similar offering or allow you to build your own salads around what they have on hand. Usually, if you explain that you’re low-carb, they’ll be very willing to help out. Typically you want to watch out for carb counts of mixed greens and toppings like corn, apples, and cranberries that are often overlooked in salads.
Dickey’s BBQ / Famous Dave’s / Other BBQ Places
BBQ joints are scattered all across the US, and for a good reason – it’s delicious! On a ketogenic diet, you can usually get smoked meats and sometimes even pickled vegetables with no sauce or sugar added. We always recommend that depending on which chain you’re choosing, you look up the nutrition information online. It’s always going to be the easiest way to make sure you’re staying on track with your carbs.
At Dickey’s, for example, you can choose from:
- Beef Brisket (2g net carbs per 1/4 lb.)
- Pulled Pork (2g net carbs per 1/4 lb.)
- Polish Sausage (2g net carbs per 1/4 lb.)
- Spicy Cheddar Sausage (3g net carbs per 1/4 lb.)
- Side Caesar Salad (6g net carbs)
Typically if you’re ordering from a BBQ place, all of their meat will be fine to eat as long as it doesn’t have sauce on it. If you’re lucky enough, some chains even carry sauces that are low-carb friendly.
Check beforehand if their meat uses a sugar-intensive rub (usually this can be found through their online nutrition portal) as well. Or if you’re in a small enough town, you can ask the chef yourself. The less sugar you can consume for any meal, the better.
Jimmy John’s / Jersey Mike’s / Subway / Other Sub Shops
Many sub shops nowadays offer their full subs to be made and tossed into a lettuce bowl – making low-carb options super easy. At Jimmy Johns you can order an unwich, their subs wrapped in lettuce; at Jersey Mike’s you can order their subs in a tub; at Subway, you can order grilled chicken salads or their entire subs put into a salad.
The options are pretty limitless when it comes to subs. Try to stick with the lower carb ingredients like meat, cheese, and other leafy green vegetables.
For the lowest carb counts at these places, try to order with:
- Grilled Chicken
- Boiled Egg
- Bacon
- Spinach
- Cheddar Cheese
- Pecan/Almond Pieces
- Olive Oil/Vinegar
Of course, you can find nutrition information for many more ingredients that they have on hand on their respective website. There are lots of options to choose from, so take some time to review!
Panera Bread
Don’t let the “Bread” in Panera Bread stop you from giving this place a try for a keto meal – there are plenty of options! While they have a few salads that are low-carb with no dressing, there is a newer, better option for keto menu items at Panera found on their hidden menu.
For a breakfast meal, ask for the:
- Power Breakfast Egg Bowl with Steak (3g net carbs)
- Power Breakfast Egg White Bowl with Roasted Turkey (4g net carbs)
If you go during the day for lunch or dinner, consider getting:
- Power Mediterranean Chicken (7g net carbs)
- Power Mediterranean Roasted Turkey Bowl (7g net carbs)
- Power Steak Lettuce Wraps (6g net carbs)
Panera also does an excellent job of listing the nutritional information for these menu items on their website. Make sure that you double check for additional side items and dressings that you can add on there.
Chipotle / Moe’s Southwest Grill / Other Mexican Chains
Up for Mexican food? You’re not alone! Mexican is our favorite go to food when we are craving spicy while on the go. At many build-a-burrito places, you can choose between a burrito bowl sans rice and beans or a salad. There’s normally a lot of options to choose from for a ketogenic diet, too. Just be careful as the carb counts do start to creep upward as you add more toppings.
We recommend ordering a salad bowl with a combination of the following:
- Meat (beef, pork, chicken)
- Cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, jack)
- Sour Cream (make sure that it is full fat)
- Lettuce (this does add up in carbs)
- Salsa (tomatillo-red usually has fewest carbs)
- Guacamole (may cost extra)
There are countless options you have when building a salad at places like this. They normally have many toppings and sides to choose from, so try to stick with the simpler and lower carb options. Bigger chains almost always have their nutritional information online, so make sure to check out the respective website of where you visit.
Taco Bell / Del Taco / Other Taco Places
Typically taco places don’t stock low-carb tortillas on their shelves, so the options are pretty limited. Your only real choice is to order heavy meat/cheese filled items and remove the shell, otherwise it may get too expensive.
You used to be able to order a side of chicken, beef, lettuce, and guacamole for under $2 at Taco Bell, but many locations no longer offer this. You’re welcome to try to order side dishes (or no shell at a reduced cost), but your experiences may vary.
Even at Del Taco, their lowest carb salad (Chicken Bacon Avocado) comes in at a whopping 18g net carbs. It’s best to try to skip taco places unless you have no other choice.
Dairy Queen
This is another popular fast food chain that offers both burgers and hot dogs. Not only that, Dairy Queen is a staple in most small towns. If you’re on a road trip or live in a low population town, odds are you’ll run into a Dairy Queen. Luckily, they have some low-carb options that are readily available.
If you’re in the mood for a burger or hotdog, make sure that you remove the bun and take into account that the meat will have 2-3g net carbs per piece. You can pair it with one of their dipping sauces, but please be careful of the carb counts. They add up quickly:
- Ranch Dipping Sauce (5g net carbs)
- Wild Buffalo Dipping Sauce (1g net carbs)
- Marzetti Ranch Dressing (2g net carbs)
- Marzetti Balsamic Vinaigrette (4g net carbs)
For salads, the best option is their Grilled Chicken BLT Salad, at only 7g net carbs for the entire thing. You can always grab extra side dishes from their breakfast menu which include ham, sausage, and bacon at 0g carbs.
Arby’s
At first glance, Arby’s might not be the best choice when it comes to keto – but do they have one thing: meat. Feel free to grab their brisket or roast beef sandwiches without the bun. If you want any extra dipping sauces, consider the following:
- Buffalo (2g net carbs)
- Ranch (2g net carbs)
- Light Italian (2g net carbs)
- Buttermilk Ranch (2g net carbs)
- Balsamic Vinaigrette (2g net carbs)
If you’re in the mood for a salad, you can opt for their Chopped Farmhouse Salad, which has 6g net carbs. Pair it with a dressing or vinaigrette and you have yourself a super simple low-carb meal.
At the time of writing this, they also have a great special called the Meat Mountain. You can order with no bun or chicken tenders for a total of 6g net carbs and over 600 calories. Pair it with some fatty sauce and you’ve got yourself a huge meal on the go!
Arby’s also has a fantastic online build-a-meal service where you can individually take out each ingredient to get an accurate count of the carbs of their foods without the bun. Make sure to take a look at it before ordering.
Denny’s / Perkins / Waffle House / IHOP
Typically at places that serve breakfast all day, that’s what you should order. At Denny’s, for example, there’s a Build Your Own Grand Slam, where you can have eggs and bacon for a very reasonable price.
Though breakfast is a staple at most of these places, they also offer some lunch and dinner items that shouldn’t be overlooked. Many places offer burger patties that you can order, as well as a variety of toppings that are keto-friendly including:
- Sausage
- Eggs
- Bacon
- Spinach
- Broccoli
- Avocado
- Cheese
Most chains will take special orders and allow you to create a meal based on what they have on hand. Though if they seem confused, just order an omelette with the toppings you want. Nutrition information per item varies between each restaurant, so make sure to double check their nutrition information online before ordering.
Note: Please be careful and review nutrition information before ordering. Some places (IHOP, as an example) will add pancake batter into their scrambled egg mixture. This will knock most people out of ketosis, so research ahead of time.
Keto Cracker Barrel Options
Although Cracker Barrel falls into most breakfast food categories, we thought they deserved their own mention since they have a specialty low carb menu. While it’s nothing out of the ordinary, it does allow for many low-carbers and ketoers to enjoy their restaurant without having too much trouble deciding what to get.
They have a wide variety of things offered including:
- Half Pound Bacon Cheeseburger (3g net carbs + carbs in sides)
- Grilled Steak Salad (7g net carbs + dressing)
- Lemon Pepper Grilled Trout (0g net carbs + carbs in sides)
- Grilled Roast Beef (4g net carbs + carbs in sides)
They include low-carb side items as well, including things like:
- Green Beans (2g net carbs)
- Spicy Pork Rinds (1g net carbs)
- Blue Cheese (2g net carbs)
- Buttermilk Ranch (1g net carb)
Don’t forget that you can always ask for a side salad or sub in some broccoli in place of something else. Of course, if none of the low-carb options sound good, you can always order omelettes, scrambled eggs, or salads with your choices of toppings.
Buffalo Wild Wings / Wingstop / Other Wing Places
Pretty much every wing place you go to will offer traditional style chicken wings. While the lowest carb option is always going to be naked (best dipped in a fatty sauce like ranch), it can get boring quickly.
Many of the bigger chain wing places will usually have dry rub options or sauce options that are very low in carb. Make sure that you double check the nutrition information before going or ordering, but you generally have the choice of a few sauces. One of our favorite wing spots is Buffalo Wild Wings – where some of their options include:
- Naked or Plain (0g net carbs)
- Buffalo (1g net carbs for 20 wings)
- Blazin’ with Ghost (7g net carbs for 20 wings)
- Chipotle BBQ (2g net carbs for 20 wings)
- Desert Heat (2g net carbs for 20 wings)
- Hot (4g net carbs for 20 wings)
- Lemon Pepper (1g net carbs for 20 wings)
- Salt and Vinegar (1g net carbs for 20 wings)
- Parmesan Garlic (6g net carbs for 20 wings)
If you’re ever in doubt, always order naked wings with a side of ranch. Sometimes chains will add sugar into their sauces and rubs, so make sure you check online (or with them).
Pizza Hut / Dominos / Papa John’s / Papa Murphy’s / Other
Most pizza places, whether a chain or a local joint, offer chicken wings (since pizza is off the menu). Normally, this is one of the few items that you can order from pizza places while on a ketogenic diet. Just be careful about the breading on the chicken wings and don’t be afraid to ask ahead of time.
At Pizza Hut, for example, you can get:
- All American (0g net carbs per 2 wings)
- Garlic Parmesan (1g net carbs per 2 wings)
You can also pair this with a fatty side dish like Ranch Dressing, but it will have around 1-2g net carbs per container.
At other places like Papa Johns, you can order:
- Wings with No Sauce (1g net carbs per 2 wings)
- Buffalo Wings (2g net carbs per 2 wings)
Remember to always double check the nutrition information online before ordering. Many times the sauces and dry rubs contain sugar, so be careful of what flavor wings you choose.
Dunkin’ Donuts / Starbucks / Tim Hortons / Other Coffee Shops
When you are looking for a drink to warm you up or cool you down, you can always head to a coffee place. While the easiest option is to ask for a black coffee or tea, hot or iced, you can always ask them if they have heavy whipping cream, almond, or coconut milk (make sure these are unsweetened, if they carry it). We have found most small mom and pop coffee shops will have heavy whipping cream and Starbucks will usually have it if you ask.
Other low carb options include an Americano, which is hot water added to espresso, and a Depth Charge, which is a shot of espresso added to a cup of coffee (also known as a red eye, turbo, and shot in the dark). Most baristas will not bat an eye at your drink requests – they are used to getting silly long orders!
A lot of coffee houses now offer hot breakfast sandwiches as well – so if you are in a rush, order a breakfast sandwich and get rid of the bun – you’ll be left with a gooey and delicious mess of eggs, cheese, and sausage or bacon!
Gas Stations / Convenience Stores
We never thought we would be the ones to eat a sandwich from a gas station but a long car trip last year changed that; we didn’t want to have to stop for gas (and at a restaurant) when we just wanted to keep driving. But, hunger struck!
We picked up a breakfast sandwich from inside a gas station and after peeling off the bun – it was pretty tasty! Just sausage, egg, and cheese. Keep in mind, though, that the sausage patties will usually have a few carbs in from filler material.
A lot of gas stations now offer ketogenic options like:
- Hard-boiled eggs
- Deli meat
- String cheese
- Almonds
- Pork rinds
Take a look around; you can easily make a keto meal when you’re in a rush. Many gas station chains have also started to make their cheap coffee more “gourmet” too and offer add-ins – we have found sugar-free syrups at more than one chain, making that late night pick-me-up taste so much better!
Grocery Stores
Grocery stores are always going to be your best bet for keto food when you’re not at home. The easiest and most cost-effective thing to get is a rotisserie chicken, where you can save the leftovers for dinner (or lunch the following day). Costco and Sam’s Club typically have the best deals on them, but they usually only run $5-6 at other stores.
Some other keto foods you can look for in grocery stories are:
- Meat and Cheese Packs
- Hard Boiled Eggs
- Canned/Packaged Tuna
- Pre-packaged Salads
- Parmesan Crisps
- Pre-cooked Bacon
- Heavy Cream + Butter + Coffee
- Raw Green Veggies + Dip
There’s always going to be options in grocery stores for you to choose from, and even the smallest towns typically have a decently stocked store. Plus, if you live in a larger city where lunch lines can be very long – grocery stores typically have self-checkouts that are extremely quick.
Trader Joes / Whole Foods / Specialty Stores
Specialty stores normally have a much larger range of low-carb foods to choose from. Another perk of visiting a grocery store while on a fast food run is that you can pick up extra keto-friendly options for later in the week. Some choices that specialty stores sometimes offer include:
- Artisan Smoked Meats
- Long-aged Cheese
- Parsnip Chips
- Baked Cheese
- Zoodles
- Riced Cauliflower
- Riced Broccoli
- Broccoli Chips
- Specialty Condiments/Sauces (e.g. Hollandaise)
- Seaweed Snacks
Among these, you’ll find many other specialty low-carb goods and items from both the grocery stores themselves and brands across the US. Just like in standard grocery stores, you’ll find a wide selection of meats and cheese from the deli that you can use as a meal replacement.
Resources:
* Photo of McDonalds – /u/Goat_fish on reddit
* Photo of Wendy’s – @crafty.moira on instagram
* Photo of Five Guys – /u/tobymacfreak412 on reddit
* Photo of Whataburger – @ksalom_fitness instagram
* Photo of Popeyes – @ezpz.keto on instagram
* All other photos are provided by the respective restaurant
Qdoba also does bowls and salads and guac is no extra charge!
Thanks for that Randy. I’ll be updating the article with more places in the coming 2 weeks.
Thanks for that Randy. I’ll be updating the article with more places in the coming 2 weeks.
Beware of the coconut milk at starbucks. It is sweetened and has like 8g of sugar per cup I believe.
A few people let me know about this and I removed it from the post. Thanks for the heads up!
I know this is an old thread, but I would love to add Road House Grill (original and new) to this. I know they aren’t “fast food” but I love to just call in the order on my way over and then run in and pick it up. It’s super fast and you can order steaks and veggies on the go. 🙂 this applies for any pick up place really.
Good tip! This applies to a lot of places as well. I’ve ordered steaks and chicken before to add to meals when I get home. Super convenient 🙂
Omg! Thank you for this! I travel frequently for work, just during the day, and often eat lunch on the road…this is so helpful! I really appreciate all the work you do to help the rest of us be successful!
Always happy to help – hopefully this makes it a bit easier 🙂
Great post! Always need keto go-to’s when out and about.
https://youtu.be/rvQPHGzVrlY
Thanks!
We only do fast foods when we are on long car trips and don’t want to take too long for an elaborate meal.
I’m not a huge fan of Panera’s low carb options because their meats tend to be very dry and devoid of fats. But my bread eating family likes to go to Panera when we are on the road. On request you can get small packets of olive oil (at least it says it’s olive oil) to go with their power bowls. I sprinkle on the olive oil, squeeze some lemon from the beverage area, and a sprinkle of salt and it’s tolerable.
Starbucks has snack boxes with cheese, almonds, and a few slices of apple. I toss the crackers and the cranberry raisins mixed in with the almonds.
I know they are only on the West Coast, but El Pollo Loco is always a good bet. They have grilled chicken and very nice salads that you can ask for minus the tiny amount of tortilla strips they toss on top.
Great suggestions – I didn’t know that I could get little packets of olive oil at Panera myself. Thanks!
We’ve got El Pollo Loco here in Houston. Highly recommended.
I’ve heard good things about it!
At Hardees, try the Monster Burger — two 1/3lb patties, cheese, bacon, and mayo. You can order it without the bun, but then they don’t always include all the mayo and cheese. I just order it normally and pull off the bun. YUMMO!
Sounds awesome 🙂
At Hardees, try the Monster Burger — two 1/3lb patties, cheese, bacon, and mayo. You can order it without the bun, but then they don’t always include all the mayo and cheese. I just order it normally and pull off the bun. YUMMO!
Sounds awesome 🙂
Thank YOU so much for this great article! I have been avoiding eating out and I am SO sick of cooking!
Thank YOU so much for this great article! I have been avoiding eating out and I am SO sick of cooking!
Have you heard of Elevation Burger? It’s a chain restaurant that serves only 100% organic, grassfed, free range beef, plus everything on their menu is also organic (chicken, cheese, bacon, etc) and a lettuce wrapped option is on the menu AND all their nutritional information is online. Pretty much keto heaven. I usually splurge and get it with BBQ sauce and carmelized onions. YUM.
I haven’t, no. But it sounds like a few chains that just started opening up near me. At the moment they aren’t that “fast” so I chose to leave them out of the list. Thanks for the suggestion, though!
I copied this to a Word file for future use.
Awesome – hope you get some use out of it 🙂
Always happy to help – hopefully this makes it a bit easier 🙂
These are great ideas! We use a lot of these methods when we have to get food on the go (our favorite fast-food meal options are In n Out and Five Guys – glad to see they were in here!).
The best thing about these tips is that they can be applied to a lot of those semi-fast food, sit-down restaurants too – like Applebee’s, or TGI Fridays. And we’ve found that it’s possible to eat at real, local restaurants as well and still stay keto, as long as you think creatively.
These are the kinds of tips and tricks we love to see, because they make it easier for keto dieters to successfully stay in keto and lose weight, while not having to sacrifice in ways they don’t have to. Which is exactly what motivates us when we write our own content!
As a Keto with type 1 Diabetes, I find that many veggies such as tomatoes and onions, and larger quantities of red meat (over 6 oz per meal) raise my blood glucose levels quite a bit. For non-diabetics, this might be something to be aware of. Portion sizes do make a huge difference when eating Keto, even if it is primarily protein.
I used to order just hamburger patties at Burger King and it was cheaper than ordering a double burger without the bun.
If I ordered 2 plain hamburgers, no toppings, no bun…I was counting it as 0 net carbs. I cannot find the info for 4g net carbs, what is your reference or resource for that info?
Which restaurant are you referring to?
I thought any all beef patty would be 0 carbs (McDonalds, Burger King, Wendy’s, Buffalo Wild Wings)??? I think you referenced McDonald’s, Burger King & Wendy’s as 4g net carbs per bunless burger. My question is if I get no cheese, or toppings would the patty be 0g net carbs or am I doing something wrong???
Unfortunately the patties usually aren’t pure meat in fast food chains. For one thing, it’s hard to get pure ground meat to stick together as a floppy, rubbery patty like they do at fast food restaurants plus the fat (which is where all the flavor/juice is in a patty) will run right off on the grill and leave something not good so restaurants (fast food and sit down alike) will add bread crumbs or other fillers to their beef mixture before forming it into patties and this is where you end up getting those extra carbs from. The same goes for meatballs and meatloaf as well. Most recipes for these items will tell you to put bread crumbs in the meat before forming it which allows it to be moist and juicy and holds in all that flavorful fat but also adds carbs to the meat. As someone who breaks out in hives when eating gluten – I found this out the hard way.
Taco Bell: Cantina Power Bowl (chicken or steak), no beans, no rice. It’s cheaper if you just order sides as suggested, but I hate having to repeat it every time because the person taking the order usually gets confused.
Taco Bell: Cantina Power Bowl (chicken or steak), no beans, no rice. It’s cheaper if you just order sides as suggested, but I hate having to repeat it every time because the person taking the order usually gets confused.
Yeah, there is a big divide between knowing you CAN order something keto at a fast food place and whether in practice you actually should. You can order the burger at Wendy’s without the bun or just just toss the bun yourself. I find it far easier to do the later rather then dealing with the cashier’s puzzled, “Uhhhh, Whaaaatttt?” In general if the “secret” item has a name like at Jimmy Johns or In ‘n Out then it’s not a problem. But in general the ‘secret’ menu at most fast food places are also a secret to the cashier who’s accustomed to just pressing the pre-configured buttons on the register.
That’s definitely true. I think nowadays many of the fast food chains are more accustomed to “no bun” or to order without certain things; a few years back I’d have strange looks but now it seems very normal. I’ve also noticed that every common fast food place does have a “No Bun” option that shows on the receipt, so I think most people know about it now.
I don’t bother trying to customize my order at fast food places… 95% of the time, they get it wrong if I customize… Even without customizing, they get it wrong 50% of the time anyway.
That’s a shame. I’ve driven through many states here and ordered custom stuff at every fast food place I went to. I’ve never really had an issue as long as you’re nice and explain clearly what you want.
Lol. I order two round eggs and two sausage patties at my local McDonald’s. That’s pretty easy for them. The tough part is getting them to stack it all together in one sandwich wrapper. Usually comes on a platter, or if they attempt stacking, I two egg and sausage in paper.
Yeah, I ordered 3 cheeseburgers with no bun at McD’s and got 3 big styrofoam breakfast platters with one beef patty per container???!! Mother Earth and I were crying!
in Australia I have asked for no bun at FF restaurants for nearly 5 years with no problem or weird looks 🙂
Now that McDonalds offers breakfast all day… My goto is a mc double plain with no bun and add a round egg total cost is $3.19 plus tax and 3 net carbs per sandwhich. (Mc double only has 1pc of cheese)
I love Panda Express. You can get the mixed veggies (instead of rice or chow mein) and then get any of their not-fried options (grilled teriyaki chicken, black pepper chicken, kung pao chicken, string bean chicken, beef and broccoli, etc)
I’d definitely watch out for the kung pao and teriyaki – usually those are loaded with carbs. As far as the other things it sounds pretty decent – though might be lacking quite a bit in fat.
Actually the Panda Express grilled Teriyaki chicken and the Kung Pao chicken are the amongst the lowest carb items on the menu at 8g and 12g of net carbs respectively. The Mushroom Chicken is also the lowest at 10g. I know cause I get the bowl with veggies and grilled chicken teriyaki like once every other week or so. The grilled chicken tops the protein at 36g per serving. The broccoli beef is only 11g of carbs but oddly enough only averages about 9g of protein because, well, it’s mostly broccoli. So, I usually don’t bother getting it.
And why, if you are writing about a low carb diet, chastising people about fat intake? Low carb diets are by their nature high protein, high fat diets. The reason why people try low carb diets and then say they hate it is because they won’t let go of the failed paradigm of the low fat diet as well. Your bodies primary source of energy is fat. If you cut the carbs, and the fat, then you’re left feeling hungry and lacking energy all the time.
I’m by no means chastising people, I just wanted to voice my opinion was all. Low fat diets are naturally high in protein and moderate in fat, but ketogenic diets are moderate in protein and high in fat. I get many e-mails about weight loss and problems with weight loss; usually it turns out that they are eating too much protein and not enough fat – so I was just trying to be constructive.
Sorry if you found it offensive, I did not mean it in that way.
When I eat too much protein I gain weight. Period. I have to limit protein harshly to lose weight. I never limit the good fats, at all. I find that I get tired of the fats long before I would eat “too many” so I don’t bother to count them. I can’t do low fat, but keto diet works wonders for me. My mother, on the other hand, can’t do keto but the low carb works for her. Sadly she is still stuck on the idea that fat = high cholesterol, even after seeing mine drop from incredibly high levels down to normal after only 3 months of healthy eating. Sigh.
Too much protein is converted to carbs and stored as fat. That’s why you were gaining as was I until I realized that. You have done so well! And to have the support of your whole community is awesome!
I was going to say, the main focus on this article seems to be the carbs, with very little said about protein. I generally try to take in no more than 45 g protein per day, and some keto recipes out there exceed that limit. In my experience, it’s the protein that is trickier to control than the carbs.
Re-read what he said. He wasn’t saying those options have too much fat he said they might be LACKING fat. In other words, he was saying the same thing you did. They sound good but you might need to find a way to up the fat content in those meals to avoid feeling hungry or sluggish.
LIFE SAVER! My husband and I work a ton of hours and our respective bosses announced recently that they will be assigning even more mandatory overtime due to high work volume in the near future. I was stressing about what we were going to do because getting up at 5 a.m. working a 13 hour day and then rushing home to feed the dogs and let the poor things outside to use the bathroom leaves pretty much NO time for grocery shopping let alone cooking. These options should save me a boat load of grief. Thank you!
No problem – always remember that you can prep food in advance as well and eat it throughout the week. That sounds like a heck of a work schedule!
Any ideas for vegetarians too? I recently found Five Guys Burger and Fries and JImmy Johns have the vegetarian options and with lettuce wraps, those are awesome. Any other options to know would be awesome.
Chick File A had an amazingly cheap breakfast. I order 2 eggs and a sausage patty, and it only costs $2.
The KFC grilled chicken has wheat as an ingredient in the soy sauce and as a part of the coating that makes it crispy skin. Stone people might care about the gluten part.
Thanks for pointing that out!
I guess if you’re on the road and absolutely starving, these are the best of the worst options. But considering most of them use crap quality meat and vegetable ingredients that are often packed or processed with all sorts of extra chemicals, preservatives, flavor additives etc, many of which we have very little understanding of how they impact metabolism, I think it would be pretty dumb to eat any of these meals on any regular basis. And most of them are giving you very little fibrous or nutrient-packed vegetables, and keto isn’t an excuse to only eat cheese, nuts and meat all the time. Better than a beer and bag of Doritos in a pinch, but something I would generally avoid at all costs otherwise.
I agree – this is more for if you’re in a rut, very hungry, with no other better options in sight.
All of my local restaurants know I am low carb. Some of them aren’t exactly sure what that means (they keep thinking I want no gluten, so they push rice and such, but I am getting them straightened out). I live in a very small town, so most of them will even help me when I am desperate to cheat and they ask about my diet lol. The local asian restaurant lady is particularly mothering, even though she is 10 years my junior. She keeps me on the straight and narrow! My local Mexican place does carne asada with no rice, no beans, no tortillas, no chips and extra chopped veggies and coleslaw (they only put vinegar and salt in it, and I can NOT duplicate the flavor, incredible). Every single place I have gone into has worked with me and helped me find items I can eat. They have made it very easy for me! Most of them saw me lose 115 lbs last year, and I have inspired about a dozen people to start dieting and exercising, what a great feeling. I fell off the wagon this winter and gained 30 lbs back and after a few of my people pulled me aside and said they were worried about me, I have started again. Much more difficult starting a second time, but I am getting it down again. If you talk to the manager or owner and get a good relationship with them (and explain that you might be coming in frequently!) they will work with you so much more. Find a place that says they are an “open kitchen” and the sky is the limit. They will make whatever you want, however you ask for it, and typically won’t charge for small substitutions. One of my local places has good organic bacon, so when I do yardsales on Saturday I get steamed broccoli and bacon, and they don’t bat an eye. My local Dutch Bros Coffee knows I am type 2 and eating a low carb diet. A few of the employees have even researched what that diet entails so they can serve me better. Great people! I get an Americano with a small amount of unsweetened almond milk (the only have half and half, not cream) and the people couldn’t be cooler. I am a huge fan of my dutchies! They all came to see me at the hospital with my two episodes of diverticulitis last year. Good kids. And they cheer me on when I tell them how much weight I have lost and give me a boost when I talk about my exercise and how much it hurts my arthritis (knees, hips, shoulders…sigh, 37 and falling apart!). Find people who will support your healthy habits and applaud your achievements and you will do SO much better!
Popeye’s: Blackened Chicken Tenders (unbreaded, just lightly seasoned) 3 of them only get you 2 carbs. I like to get a side of their green beans too, they’re made with lots of bacon and lots of pepper, with 4 net carbs. Get a pretty filling little lunch for under $5. I also use the KetoFinder app, they’ve got a large variety of restaurants to get me through in a pinch.
Great suggestions!
Does anyone have any keto friendly restaurant dessert recommendations?
Golden corral buffet restaurant, zero carb/sugar free red jello with SF topping. Zero carb per their website
Thanks for the tip Rita!
“Another perk if you eat inside the restaurant is that they have all you can eat peanuts in the shell. A fun keto side that won’t make you long for their carby fries!”
Peanuts are chock full of carbs. 24g of carbs per cup. This is because peanuts aren’t nuts. They are legumes.
Definitely true. Though the amount of peanuts that you eat there is quite small since they’re in shells. It’s always important to not overindulge.
its so funny i’m one of those people that has never been affected by peanuts. alot of other stuff yes…but peanuts no. that said i always eat a small pkg maybe 1 oz a day.
don’t forget to subtract fiber, tho
I use Great Value roasted and salted cocktail peanuts. For a quarter cup, 4 carbs, minus 3 fiber = 1 net gram carb. 8 gram protein
Whataburger – just get no bun. Probably have to skip any of the limited time offers as they typically have sauces loaded with carbs.
Nothing like a #2, no bun, extra cheese and bacon, with fajita veggies.
My favorite has been Burger King’s Bacon King sandwich! 2 beef patties, cheese and loads of bacon, and I order it on a bed of lettuce with pickles and mayo. If I have room for carbs, I order tomato and onions.
It’s SUPER filling, and BK even has a great nutrition calculator where you can select your ingredients for an accurate nutrition count.
Mine is 800 calories, with 69g fat, 46g protein, and 2g carb. It’s a perfect keto meal!
I just had that a few days ago! I tossed the buns and folded it into a meat taco lol.
Omg Burger King is awesome for keto. We live a mile away and some days (since I work nights) I get up and I’m so tired and my husband works 10 hr days. We will go there and get double Whoppers with bacon and extra cheese. Extra lettuce and pickles. Maybe a side salad but with the extra lettuce you don’t need one. I have my homemade mayo at home and a keto friendly ketchup. Soooo good. It’s so nice to feel like I’m getting a treat yet not break my diet.
This article was immediately helpful! I was out all day with my family on Saturday running errands, and when a quick bite was needed I felt very confident in choosing my order at Five Guys. Very timely, thank you!
Awesome! WTG Rebecca for staying on track 😀
I consider myself pretty good on making Keto meals when I’m out but this was very good and gave me even more ideas! Thanks!
Awesome Lena! I’m glad you found it helpful. 🙂
This morning I ordered a Jack in the box breakfast sandwich with no bun. They gave it to me in a container. I couldn’t get any nutrition info off their site since it included the bun. But I’m positive it was low carb! They will do this with their lunch sandwiches too.
Then, I just went through Popeye’s Chicken. I ordered 3 blackened Spicy tenders, Reg side of Green beans, 1 Tarter Sauce. According to website, totals were 350 calories, 18.5g Fat, 28g protein, 9g carbs, and 2g fiber.
You can subtract a carb if you eliminate tarter sauce. But the tenders were spicy and needed it in my opinion!
Perfect meal on the run for 7g net carbs. It was even better with the ice cold un-sweet tea!!
I often have a 2-3 piece chicken meal at El Pollo Loco with a side of broccoli and order a small side of Guacamole if I’m in a rush.
Heads up on the Meat Mountain at Arby’s – ask for it to be warmed or you’ll be disappointed. It’s served cold and is pretty underwhelming especially without some kind of dressing. I may give it another try but it’s got a hefty price, too, at almost $12 including tax.
My friend reviewed it (with bun and chicken) on our blog:
http://mouthybroadcast.com/…
Oh no! Thanks for the heads up Jennie
I just looked up the carbs for Jack in the Box chicken strips because I usually get those and they have 50g of net carbs, not 5 (53g total and 3g fiber). Not low carb at all, unfortunately.
The majority, if not all, of fast food grilled chicken is NOT keto friendly. I’ve checked online for every local fast food place, and they are all loaded with sugar and starch. If you have to eat fast food, it’s usually safest to stick with a bunless burger.
A lot of fast food chicken will have some type of filler ingredients. A lot of the chicken salads and other chicken items are still within okay carb ranges, though. I don’t recommend eating fast food every day, but if you’re on the go and there is no other option, you can still usually fit a chicken item into your meal. I used all of the official websites to create the carb counts of the items. It’s always worth double checking for updated nutrition on their site as this article is over a year old now.
Thanks for your response. I am referring to the ingredients, not necessarily carb counts. If the ingredients aren’t keto, then it really doesn’t matter what the carb count is since we shouldn’t be eating it anyway. There’s always a better option than chicken marinated in sugar…even just a plain salad. A bunless burger is usually your best bet when eating fast food. And if nothing keto friendly is available, you can always fast until your next meal, right? 🙂
Fasting is the better option for sure. In general, the burgers at fast food places won’t be 100% beef either – most will have some sort of filler ingredient as well. I assume if you’re eating at a fast food place, you usually aren’t overly concerned with clean eating and keeping a very close eye on ingredients. In that case, the ingredients matter less than the carb counts. Many people iterate this into their life (especially beginners) and keep the carb counts low while not focusing too hard on clean eating/ingredients. It’s usually referred to as “lazy keto”. Even with the marginal sugars, you will still stay in a state of ketosis.
Lazy keto means you eat keto, but you just don’t track your macros. And, you’re right, if you’re eating fast food, then you’re probably not overly concerned with 100% clean eating, but if you’re going by the nutrition statements from the restaurants, then there are burger options that are 100% beef, such as Wendy’s and Burger King. I will have to disagree that ingredients matter less than carb count. Check ingredients first, then carb count. Carb count is, of course, super important, but ingredients matter more. There may be an item that has 2 carbs, but if it’s got 3 different kinds of added sugar, then it’s most definitely not keto. I am certainly not debating or arguing with you, but I would just let people know to always check ingredients when possible so they can make the best choices. It’s best not to suggest grilled chicken for a fast food option. Just because something doesn’t knock you out of ketosis doesn’t mean it’s keto friendly.
What a wealth of great advice! Thank you. Love your blog!
Thanks so much, David!
Is this info still current?
Most of the info is still accurate. However, I’d recommend double-checking the restaurant’s website to find the carb content of specific menu items before ordering.