I love to cook. It’s rewarding to me for many reasons:

1. I get full disclosure on the ingredient list.

2. It’s another way to love on my family. Good food in the belly is like a warm hug.

3. It’s a major high to land on yum at the end of shop, prep and cook.

That being said, sometimes I want absolutely nothing to do with it.

And for those times, there’s takeout.

It can be challenging, to say the least, to locate “low-carb friendly” out there in the sea of takeout options vying for your affections.

Here below are some strategies that have helped me navigate those tricky waters.

TRY THESE IDEAS NEXT TIME YOU WANT SOME LOW-CARB TAKEOUT:

1. Go With What You Know

Here’s my current, trusted low-carb takeout trio —  Honeygrow. Chipotle. Applebee’s.

I also frequent a few family-owned places nearby, but these three stay in rotation for me mainly because they’re all pretty close to my house, I’ve memorized most of their menus, and they’re all customize-it friendly. When I’m in a hurry, I don’t have to wonder if I can score a low-carb meal for me, along with options for my not always low-carb family.

What familiar favorites are closest to you? Give them a call or go online to look up their takeout order methods and menus so you’ll have them when you’re ready.

2. Ask Questions. Make Requests. The Worst They Can Do Is Say, “No.”

Though they might not boast a “Low-Carb Inside” neon sign out front, there are low-carb takeout options to be had in many locations if you just investigate a little.

A pretty easy place to start is the fresh salad section of almost anyone’s menu. As you scroll through the features of a salad entree, don’t let the appearance of croutons and high-carb honey mustard dressing discourage you. Ask for that salad with a fat-based dressing and all the extra fixins on the side. Then you can build the salad the way you want when you get home.

Sometimes you may need a little more muscle in your asking than “on the side” alone provides. So don’t be afraid to ask for substitutions or minor modifications to create the meal you want. I’m not talking about substituting a rack of ribs for the macaroni salad, but most restaurants will accommodate a reasonable low-carb request to encourage your repeat business.

Also, if you’re not sure from the menu description if a meat entree has any breading, or if a special sauce is made with sugar, just ask. (In this case, the best they can do is say, “No.”)

Here are some easy swap requests to get you started:

* Broccoli or sauteed spinach, not fries.

* Broccoli, not pasta (think Alfredo dishes).

* Open-faced burger with extra fried egg, not the bun.

* Extra side-salad not garlic mashed potatoes (think handy side for tomorrow’s lunch).

* Fresh berries and whipped cream not cheesecake (I’ve done that before and it’s not for the faint of heart. It’s only truly rewarding about an hour after your meal.) 😉

3. Keep Your Own Substitution Solutions On Hand

There are times when despite your best efforts, a low-carb takeout attempt at a restaurant will leave you with a sad pile of iceberg, a lackluster dressing and a bunch of on-the-side breadsticks at the bottom of the bag that are dying to meet you.

Hunger happens and sometimes we’re just too busy to low-carb plan for it properly. So I don’t expect that all of your future low-carb takeout meals will have the wow factor, but here’s a tip to help stack the odds in your favor:

Add some of your own stuff.

I know that won’t always be possible, but if you happen to unpack a less-than-spectacular takeout bag at home, you’ll be able to add some polish in a pinch if you follow along.

Here are some items to keep handy:

Your favorite low-carb salad dressing. Here’s one of mine.  This will help give life to a dying side salad and free you from feeding it to the pigeons.

If the bunless burger showed up with a little more frailty than you imagined, tuck it into a low-carb sandwich thin. (You can go here to read about one of my favorites along with a few other quick and easy must-haves.)

What if all the right pieces showed up in the bag, but they left their full flavor behind?  I’m definitely a seasoned girl (haha) and I know sometimes all it takes is a few shakes to take a dish from bland to grand. Keep your favorite healthy seasoning in the pantry (I happen to love this one right here) and don’t let a boring piece of takeout chicken keep you down.

4. Remember to Store What Worked Before

Trust me. The time to look for the takeout menu or remember the website for the place that served that delicious macadamia nut-encrusted salmon three months ago is not on a Friday at 6:00 PM when you haven’t eaten lunch all day.

Start keeping a running list of all the places that have successfully freed up some of your cooking time this month. Store a list on your phone, star your favorites in your best food-delivery apps or go old-school and magnet-post a menu on your fridge. You’ll be glad you did.

If you’ve ever experienced low-carb takeout trauma, I hope this post has inspired you to be brave and branch out beyond another grilled chicken Caesar salad for your next takeout mission. 🙂

Do you have any go-tos or best practices on takeout day? Let’s hear about them in the comments below!