ArcaMax

When you’re on a diet, or just living a low carb lifestyle in an effort to maintain your weight, you can’t expect to just sit home. That’s not fair. You have to be able to go out once in a while and not sabotage your progress.

The trick is in what you order.

I’ve researched the menus at some of the more popular chains and have outlined some advice on what choices to make when you look over the menu. You can eat really well, enjoy your meal experience and not gain weight.

So, let’s check out Olive Garden.

Keep your mitts off those breadsticks. They taste great, but they are awful for you. Eat a nice, big salad. Then choose an entrée.

When you are working to keep your carbohydrate intake under 20% of your daily total, you want to keep your choices as low carb as you can. Make wise choices and you’ll enjoy your dinner as well as what you see on the scale the next day.

Look at the HUGE difference between the lower carb choices and those that are high carb...

Read the full column at PlanZDiet.com

Related Recipes at PlanZDiet.com:

Ranch Chicken
Pink Punch a la Zola

Raspberry Ice Cream

This is a ZReduction recipe. I scream. You scream. We all Scream for Ice Cream – and we are on a diet! BONUS!

Servings: Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 – 2 cups of frozen raspberries
2 – 3 Tbl of heavy cream
½ tsp of Truvia
A teeny drizzle of organic vanilla

Instructions:

In a small container, put in your cream, Truvia and vanilla. Stir and let the flavors meld for a few minutes (Secret Told: I do this when I am starting dish clean up and it’s ready when I am finished filling the dishwasher)

Put your raspberries in a small bowl while frozen. Immediately drizzle on half of the cream mixture per bowl. Stir into the berries and eat slowly so you savor it.

Close your eyes and you just might think you are eating a rich, raspberry-filled ice cream. HUGE YUM!

Note: I put the portion at 1 to 2 cups because I find I am fully satisfied with just ½ cup of raspberries and my cream on top. This gives me a creamier texture.

Just factor in too, that this takes away from some of your cream allotment for the day.

Second Note: I also tried this with frozen strawberry bits. They worked well but not quite as well as raspberries. I love cantaloupe and ice cream. I bet if you freeze diced cantaloupe this will be amazing. My guess is blackberries would be a bit big and maybe too frozen but they are worth a try.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola