How To Order Keto At *Any* Restaurant

A few things to avoid right off the bat when you're dining out: Skip a dish if it says “breaded” or “coated” (hi, carbs!) and ditch bowls with noodles or rice as the base, Bonci says. And you’re always better off avoiding “glazed” foods, as that probably equates to a lot of sugar. Oh, and leave the buns off those burgers and say buh-bye to fries. Salad, dear keto dieter, will be your new go-to side.

In addition, Rissetto suggests certain easy subs like cauliflower rice, avoiding condiments with added sugar (such as ketchup, barbecue sauce, honey mustard, and sriracha), and making sure to never be afraid to build your own version of a dish, like an omelette with veggies or a salad without croutons.

Luckily, being on the keto diet gives you the green light to eat those cheesy, creamy sauces you have to avoid on other diets; it also gives you a full range of meats to choose from (steak, chicken, fish—you name it, they're all keto-friendly). And, as always, fill your plate with as many leafy greens and non-carby veggies as possible.

Here's the catch: You might have to go "off-menu" to find exactly what you're looking for. "My rule of thumb is that if you see an ingredient on a menu, you can ask for it to be added or swapped into your meal," says Amy Gorin, MS, RDN, owner of Amy Gorin Nutrition in the New York City area. "So if avocado is an ingredient on a burger but you’re ordering the chicken breast, you can definitely ask for your meal to come with some avocado slices."

But your best line of defense is, quite simply, being prepared by researching restaurants and their nutritional information in advance, she says.

Even easier? Referring to the list ahead of the best dining-out options—all of which have been reviewed by experts such as Gorin.