Eating out and on the road
The rule that works almost everywhere: keep the meat, fish or eggs, skip the bread, chips, rice and sweet sauces, and ask for extra veg or salad. Most places are happy to help.
Just say this
- "Could I have that without the bun, please?"Works in burger places, pubs and cafés. If they can't, just leave it.
- "Can I swap the chips for salad or veg?"Most pubs and restaurants will. Some charge a pound or two.
- "Can I have the sauce on the side?"So you can use a little, or none.
Where you are, what to order
Services and petrol stations
- Boiled egg pots
- Cheese snacks
- Pork scratchings
- Plain salted nuts
- Cooked chicken pieces
- Beef jerky or biltong (check the sugar)
Go easy on: sandwiches, crisps, flapjacks, "protein" bars.
Burger and chicken chains
- Burgers without the bun
- Grilled, not breaded, chicken
- Side salad instead of chips
- Mayo is fine, ketchup and BBQ sauce are sugary
Go easy on: nuggets, wraps, chips, milkshakes.
Pub
- Steak, gammon, mixed grill, chicken
- Chips swapped for salad or veg
- Carvery: meat and green veg, a little gravy
- Burger without the bun
Go easy on: Yorkshire puddings, roast potatoes, pies, battered fish.
Indian
- Tandoori chicken, chicken or lamb tikka (the dry kebab)
- Shashlik, seekh kebab
- Saag (spinach) dishes
- Salad or veg instead of rice
Go easy on: rice, naan, poppadoms, sweeter sauces like korma, bhajis, samosas.
Italian
- Steak, chicken or fish with veg
- Antipasti: cured meats, cheese, olives
- Big salad with meat or fish
Go easy on: bread basket, pasta, pizza, risotto. Or have the pizza and enjoy it.
Chinese
- Crispy aromatic duck, without the pancakes and hoisin
- Egg foo yung (omelette)
- Plain stir-fried greens or beansprouts
The trickiest one: many sauces are thickened and sweetened. Go easy on anything sweet, sticky or battered, plus rice and noodles.
Hotel breakfast
- Eggs, bacon, sausages, mushrooms, tomatoes
- Cheese and ham
- Plain yoghurt with a few berries
Go easy on: toast, hash browns, beans, cereal, juice, pastries.
The car or bag kit
Five minutes the night before saves a services sandwich. A small cool bag with: