HuHot Mongolian Grill in Columbia If you are craving oriental cuisine, HuHot may be one of your safest ways to satisfy that craving and still stay true to Keto. The reason is that there are DOZENS of food options that you get to pick from to build your own meal–you will customize a Keto feast! Lots of great meats and seafoods to pick from, then start adding on your veg and proteins like eggs, bacon, and other yummies. There are carbs in veggies, so keep that in mind as you are piling them onto your plate. Some of the less Read More ...

Golden Corral in Columbia I will admit I am not much on buffets. It’s not so much the food, but the atmosphere I don’t care for everyone touching the serving utensils, lingering over the food with whatever germs, and they’re usually not the cleanest places because of the high traffic. But sometimes when the set-menu restaurants around us are just not an option (most Italian or Chinese restaurants), we will go to a Golden Corral, and actually do quite well, food-wise. Breakfast foods are pretty standard, and a lot of it is Keto OK. Bacon, sausage,  ham, cheese, eggs, maybe Read More ...

Colton’s Steak House & Grill in Jefferson City A steak house is one of the most Keto friendly eateries you can choose. At Colton’s, you can order things customized and I have found them to be very accommodating. It goes without saying that you would not want the breaded appetizers, like the “Onion Tanglers” (90g of carbs!!!) and such, but there are plenty of great items so you shouldn’t feel deprived.  Colton’s has an AWESOME “Nutrition Calculator” where you can put in your menu item with your custom options to get your carb count! I had fun playing with that. Read More ...

Chick-fil-A in Jefferson City and Columbia A lot of folks love The Chick! And you’ll be happy to know you can stay Keto at CFA. The first time I ate at one since going Keto was when we were out of town at a conference and I just needed something light to tide me over until an evening banquet meal, but not heavy enough to spoil my appetite. So we went to a big mall and I got in a LOOOOOONG line thinking I would be there until the banquet started. But within five minutes I had my 8-piece nugget Read More ...

Burger King in Jefferson City and Columbia That’s right. You can have it Your KETO Way at Burger King! We stopped at the Jefferson City BK on our way back into town from a long road trip and we were too tired to cook for ourselves. We both ordered the bacon cheeseburger WITHOUT the bun and sauces, and took it home for a feast! But a burger is not the only thing you can get there, they also have grilled chicken, and salads, as well as breakfast items that can be custom-ordered to leave out the carbage. In fact, there Read More ...

Madison’s Cafe in Jefferson City This is a legendary local restaurant that started in downtown Jefferson City–on Madison Street, obviously–in 1982, and we have been loving it since Day 1! A lovely place to go on a date night, or casual enough for the BUSY downtown lunch rush, especially during legislative sessions. Walkable from downtown offices and businesses, or if you drive, the downtown parking garage is just across the street, a few short feet from Madison’s front door. Now, on to the food, Madison’s recently began carrying and expanding their gluten-free selections, but there are plenty of great items Read More ...

LongHorn Steakhouse in Jefferson City and Columbia Steak is one of the most Keto friendly foods in the universe. Just about any cut, as long as it’s cooked right, is something I could eat several times a week. I cook it myself quite a bit, but when I want to go out for a good steak, LongHorn is one of the first places I think of. LongHorn has started listing a complete Nutritional Guide on their website, and it is very informative, if not eye-opening. For instance, they have a new appetizer called Cauliflower Au Gratin, which we tried to Read More ...

Chipotle Mexican Grill in Jefferson City and Columbia Chipotle (“chip-OTE-lee”) now has a menu item called “Keto Salad Bowl!” And it still has several options to make it even more low-carb. Of course, you can go through the line and pick out your own ingredients and toppings, which is what I’ve always done anyway before they offered this ready-made salad bowl. You probably have your own favorites, so I’ll share mine. On top of my lettuce, I get the steak, some shredded cheese, sometimes a little bit of the pico sauce (it’s a bit too spicy for me…and if I’m Read More ...

This is one of our favorite places to eat on special occasions since seafood is one of the most Keto friendly foods ever! You can order several things from their “Create Your Own”  menu feature by picking two, three, or as many as you want to pay for. Also, you can just switch menu items around–like substituting grilled shrimp for fried–and they’re very accommodating. They do have vinegar and oil if you ask for it, but we started taking our own in little Tupperware minis because some, but not ALL, Red Lobsters will bring out vegetable oil and white vinegar. Read More ...

One of my favorite Keto meals at a local eatery is the Philly Steak sandwich (WITHOUT the bun), and I ask for extra cheese, at Towne Grill in Jefferson City. Yummm!! You can also get breakfast any time they are open, most of which is Keto friendly. Their sausage and cheese omelette is the bomb! We have ordered their bacon cheeseburger (again, WITHOUT the bun) plus an (optional) fried egg on top, and it was delicious! Ask for grilled chicken on top of one of their salads, with (full fat) dressing on the side, or take your own vinegar and Read More ...