It might seem counterintuitive to eat at a restaurant that is known for its delicious pancakes while you are doing the Atkins diet. Pancakes are filled with tons of carbs! Oddly enough, there are some things you can eat if you happen to find yourself at the IHOP while you are trying to stay on the Atkins diet.
I’m not entirely certain how this got started, but my husband and I have been making frequent trips to our local IHOP lately. I know that we had some coupons for IHOP, so that could explain a few visits. There was a night when we were out late with family, and hungry, and the only thing open was the IHOP and the Denny’s. I think there was at least one or two trips that I initiated, because I was really getting bored with food, in general.
Now, obviously, people who are doing the Atkins diet shouldn’t be eating plates filled with pancakes. I’m not certain exactly how many carbs each pancake from IHOP would have, but somehow, I am certain it is over the amount of carbs that the Atkins diet requires people to stay under.
I would recommend going online, and reading over the IHOP menu. This is a good way to figure out how you are going to manage to find something to eat without cheating on your diet. The advantage of doing this before you arrive at IHOP is that you cannot be influenced by the wonderful smell of the pancakes.
We also took a look at the Denny’s menu, just for the sake of comparison. Unexpectedly, I found that the IHOP menu had better food options than the Denny’s menu did. Mostly, this came down to cheese. I have learned that it is pretty easy to take the bun off of a hamburger, or even a cheeseburger. However, when the sandwich is served as a “melt”, and is grilled, it becomes impossible to remove the bread and eat the meat.
If you tell the server at IHOP that you would like to be served a hamburger without the bun, they will do that for you. Tell them to wrap it in lettuce instead. I learned this accidentally.
After a few trips to IHOP, with the same server waiting on us, she noticed the pattern. I was asked if there was something wrong with the bun. I explained to her that I was not eating the bun because I have a gluten allergy, and the bun contained wheat, (which happens to be true). The waitress at the IHOP told me that they will serve the burger without the bun, (if you ask for it like that).
Instead of getting french fries, or hash browns, you can get a side of fresh fruit. If you are in Phase 2 of the Atkins diet, you are allowed to eat some fruits. These fruits include cantaloupe or honeydew melon. Don’t eat the grapes in the fruit cup, and you will be fine.
If you are really hungry, then get an omelet. They are huge! The main difference between the omelets at IHOP and the “Southwestern Omelet” described in the Atkins diet (for Phase 1), is milk. Just remember to account for a few extra carbs when you count up your total for the day.
Image by Paul Long on Flickr