It can be really stressful going somewhere for dinner and trying to get your friends to understand keto. This makes it stressful for the people hosting the dinner. How do you reassure your friends and family that you can still be invited to dinner parties?
Options to Help Understand Keto
One option is going out to a restaurant together. There is usually something on the menu that you can eat – even if it is a chicken Caesar salad. For more specific ideas, check out our restaurant guide blogs here. If you are given a choice, a pub that has steak is usually a good option. Just remember to ask questions to your server and if they are accommodating, make sure you leave them a good tip.
But sometimes people want to host a dinner party at their houses. They will likely talk to you before hand and say, “What can you eat” with a tone of desperation in their voices. I tell my friends and family that I can eat meats as long as they are not breaded. Chicken, beef, pork – it’s all good! If they are putting a sauce on the meat, I ask that they leave my sauce to the side. That is usually not a big deal.
There are Easy Keto Options
So the meat is easy. Then they think about sides and they start to panic. No rice, no potatoes, no pasta – that is limiting. But, we can have cauliflower, asparagus, broccoli, and many other vegetables. We can have them steamed or boiled. Many people have a steamer you can pop in the microwave. It’s easy and quick but it makes the vegetables taste amazing! We can also have salads – Caesar, Greek or vegetable. Again, just ask to have the dressing left on the side.
Drinks are another concern. I usually just stick to water and coffee or tea. I drink my tea black, so if they don’t have any cream I go with what’s easy. It just avoids the hassle of checking labels and being a diva.
To Understand Keto You Need to Understand Dessert
Dessert may be a challenge. If I’m with family, I bring my own and sometimes they want to try them. A couple of times they have enjoyed my dessert more than what they had planned. Some of our options are just plain delicious! Otherwise, you may need to use a little willpower and enjoy your coffee or tea as your dessert.
I will often bring my own sauces (i.e. BBQ sauce for a grilling party), dressings for salads, butter and cream. I do this not because my friends would purchase those things, but they tend to be more expensive and they shouldn’t have to pay more to have my company.
The best way to reassure your friends is to tell them what you CAN eat. Make suggestions – they will be relieved if you do. And offer to bring something like the vegetables or salad that you know you can eat and others will enjoy too. After all, dinner parties are supposed to be about socializing and being together. Make it easy for friends and family to continue to include you.
Wendy
