Hold the pickles, hold the lettuce, hold the bun. For students on low-carbohydrate diets, eating out can be a hassle, but some area restaurants are altering their menus to accommodate dieters.
The low-carbohydrate dieting craze began in 1992 when Robert Atkins published “Dr. Atkins New Diet Revolution,” which revisited the low-carbohydrate diet he first developed 20 years earlier. The diet gradually grew in popularity to the point where his book spent five years on the New York Times best-seller list from 1997-2002, according to a timeline on Atkins Nutritionals Web site.
On the Atkins diet, carbohydrates are restricted to 20 grams a day from salads and non-starchy vegetables for at least the first two weeks, which is designed to help the body switch to burning fat. After this phase, carbohydrates are gradually increased. Because of the carbohydrate limitations, people on the Atkins diet frequently eat a lot of meat.
Another diet similar to Atkins is the South Beach diet, developed by cardiologist Arthur Agatston. Like Atkins, the South Beach diet requires a two-week period of limiting foods, but instead of restricting carbohydrates across the board, it only blocks those carbohydrates present in fruits, breads, rice, potatoes, pasta, baked goods, sugar and alcoholic drinks, according to the WebMD Web site. After the initial period, fruits, wine and whole grains are allowed.
Problems sometimes occur at restaurants where the majority of the food is served on or with high-carbohydrate foods such as potatoes, buns, biscuits or other types of breads.
Some restaurants began substituting for bread to help dieters still eat their foods. Jimmy John’s began offering their subs wrapped in lettuce instead of the typical French bread a couple of months ago.
“We had heard that a lot of people were on the Atkins, so they did that to be able to serve those people also,” said Stacey Hutchinson, general manager at the 1860 N. High St. Jimmy John’s. “Regular Jimmy John’s customers who got on the diet were still able to enjoy Jimmy John’s subs.”
Another restaurant making the decision to offer its customers low-carbohydrate options is Don Pablo’s. The chain added low-carbohydrate fajitas and low-carbohydrate margaritas to its menu two weeks ago. The decision was made chain-wide, said Erika Olson, a hostess at the Lennox Shopping Center Don Pablo’s.
“I would assume personally that so many people are on the Atkins or South Beach diet, and at restaurants there are so few options, they wanted to offer something that was very good and satisfied their needs,” she said.
Differences between the low-carbohydrate and regular fajitas include a different marinade and sauce, substituting squash, zucchini and button mushrooms for onions and peppers and providing lettuce as a wrap instead of tortillas. The low-carbohydrate margarita has a different sour mix than the regular margarita, which reduces it to 1.5 carbohydrates.
The specialized fajitas were ordered regularly, Olson said.
“I’ve definitely seen them go out on a fairly regular basis – not quite as much as our regular fajitas – but fajitas are definitely one of our most popular menu items,” she said.
For students eating in dining halls, there are no special options offered to those who might be on the Atkins or South Beach diet. But students have been able to follow those diets in the dorms because of the a la carte system the dining halls use.
“The point is that we have such a wide variety of items available that students would make their own selections that would correspond with the Atkins diet,” said Jill Irvin, assistant director of Campus Dining Services and a registered dietitian.
“If they wanted a hamburger for lunch, they have always been able to ask for it without a bun,” she said. “You can follow an Atkins diet and eat with us, but it would be the responsibility of the person to make the choices.”
Irvin said there seems to be minimal interest in low-carbohydrate diets among those eating in the dining halls.
“I have not had any requests for information, menu changes or new products we would serve in terms of the Atkins diet,” she said.
Erin Wilson, a junior in interior design, first started on the South Beach diet at the end of the summer, stopping and starting again when she wanted. She said she occasionally had problems with eating in restaurants but learned to look at menus for information.
“It’s just a matter of looking at the menu,” Wilson said. “A lot of menus, they have the entree written down. They usually have the ingredients.”
Wilson said she noted the similarities between the Atkins and South Beach diets, but felt that the South Beach diet was better.
“They are, but the South Beach is a lot more healthy,” she said. “It has less saturated fat and more healthy fat.”
Because low-fat foods are frequently more processed and bad for those on low-carbohydrate diets, restaurants that offer more Atkins and South Beach-friendly options are good, Wilson said.
“I think that’s excellent, I really do, just because a lot of stores offer low-fat food but they have so many simple sugars like white bread and stuff like that,” she said. “It just turns into fat a lot faster than, say, wheat products that haven’t been processed.”
