lowcarbfriends I need your help!

[ROB S.]

Hello every one, I am starting a fast food restaurant geared towards health, and weight loss.(the kind of restaurant we have all been waiting for)Health food that tastes amazing!
My question is what do people like us devoted to health, and physique really need, and want to see, and experience in a restaurant like this?
What Would you want to see that would improve your life?
Thank you every one!

[PaleoRainy]

Very interesting....I'd want to see reductions together with extras.
If I ask the restaurant to put extra bacon on my food I pay an extra, that's right.
If I tell them to not give me the bun, I still pay for it!

[Nigel]

I agree. Why should we pay for things we cannot eat?

I'd like a low carb restaurant with vegetarian options and several low carb bread/cracker options.

These days, it's tough cause so many people are gluten free and allergic to nuts, etc.

i might not advertise my restaurant as geared toward weight loss, simply because you cannot control what or how much someone orders and eats.

The Healthy Appetite sounds like a good name for me and then underneath specify what you specialize in...whether it's low carb, low calorie, low fat, etc.

Just my .02 cents worth.

[cabrioluvr]

Lots of veggie options instead of french fries - maybe a "combo" could include a side salad or fresh veggie instead? I'd also like to see some low carb bread/cracker options too!

One of my all time favorites that B. King carried many years ago was a pita stuffed with salad fixings (shredded cheese, ham, etc. etc.) and topped with a delish ranch dressing. Maybe there's a low carb option for the pita out there?

[Ann Lytle]

Great idea, please keep us informed of your progress there are many great recipes on here you might use. Much luck............................ Ann

[graciejean]

Sounds like a winner to me .

[Ginaaaaaa]

There are low carb pita, tortilla and other breads available, through Netrition. I would like to see those types of options available when I go out to eat also. It seems like the biggest problem with everyone is low carb bread options. It would be even better if there were homemade breads, rolls, pitas and tortillas, available at restaurants, but what are the chances of that. We have loads of recipes on this board for those types of things at home but when we go out to eat, it's a different story. Same story with crackers. I love the almond thin crackers and other cracker recipes from this board, they're great for home but when I go out to eat, there are no options.

If you're grearing your restaurant towards just weight loss and not low carb, you will want lots of fresh salads and vegetables as well as low calorie soups. For meats I would think lots of grilled fish and chicken options would be good. Stay away from pasta and potato dishes, they have loads of calories and don't help people lose weight.

You could offer sugar free cakes and muffins but I wouldn't buy them unless they were homemade and had ingredients I could pronounce. LOL

[drjlocarb]

I want to go to a restaurant that knows the difference between low carb, sugar free, gluten free, and diabetic friendly.



I want a place that realizes most low carbers can't eat a meal and dessert with more than 20 net carbs.

[Nigel]

Isn't it strange that no one has opened a resataurant just for diabetics? There seem to be a raving amount of diabetics these days, unfortunately.

Hey Rob, can you let us know what state this restaurant might be in?

[tofucheez]

be vegan friendly. yes, there are lc vegans =)

[ROB S.]

Originally Posted by Nigel

Isn't it strange that no one has opened a resataurant just for diabetics? There seem to be a raving amount of diabetics these days, unfortunately.

Hey Rob, can you let us know what state this restaurant might be in?

I am starting the first one in Denver,Co. I am planning to franchise New America across the U.S.

[ROB S.]

Thank You For the feed back every one. Please Do not hold back on the suggestions.please state any low carb item you can dream of, or think of anything you most desire,or anything you would like to see different for that matter. Best of all they taste even better than the originals!

[Jennifer Eloff]

I don't live in America, but I think your idea is wonderful and I hope you are very successful. There are many Paleo low-carbers that will flock to your restaurants as well. Make it trendy with zuchini pasta (you get a little spiral slicer on the internet) and Alfredo and Meat sauces - even spaghetti squash "pasta" - rutabaga and cauliflower mashed to take the place of mashed potatoes. Definitely have all sorts of lovely meat, fish and shellfish dishes and a variety of veggies - not just one silly little veggie on the plate - plenty of options and a salad option. The dessert menu - low-carb cheesecakes are a must as well as low-carb, sugar free ice cream with a decadent chocolate sauce topping, my Buttery Apple Torte would be yummy with ice cream or a decadent low-carb, sugar-free, gluten-free brownie (remember many people are gluten-free these days by choice). Yep, lots of exciting ideas! I liked Gina's comments.

Low-carb beers and dry wines, low-carb margarita, etc. perhaps. I love a salad bar. If you want to limit how much people waste - say they can only go once to the salad bar.

[Barbo]

As a long time low carber and diabetic. I miss lots of things when
we go out to eat.

We don't get anything except meat, salad, plain steamed veggies.
We never get dessert.

I would like lc creamed spinach, cauliflower with cheese sauce,
same with asparagus, we can have hollandaise sauce, cheesecake,
Small dishes of berries with whipped cream sugar free of course.
We can lovely crackers made from coconut, almond, hazlenut flours,
everyone misses having those things. Most soups are not geared
for diabetics, low carbers. How about cream of chayote with bacon.
or cream of broccoli, there are too many things to mention.
No one even offers us low carb ice cream. Going out to dinner,
and really staying on program is rather boring. In order for me
to eat out at my local fish restaurant, I have to order a hamburger
on lettuce, with tomatoes, hold the bun. All of their fish is battered,
breaded or coconuted with sugar.

If you can pull this off, I will be ever so grateful. We are desperate
for a trend in the direction that we are all going here on this board
and all over America.

[Nigel]

I had another thought. If you do burgers and sandwiches, you could do similar to Red Robin restaurants and have choices of meats, buns, veggies, condiments, even vegetarian boca or garden burgers as a meat substitute offering as well as others available out there.

I honestly think a lot of people are turning towards at least part-time vegetariansim these days, so it would be great for families that have a vegetarian included along with the meat eating family members.

Since there are so many types of Low Carb, GF, etc. breads, if you could make them in house, I think that would go over big time.

[Ginaaaaaa]

Jennifer has some great ideas for the Zoodles (zucchini squash) and spaghetti squash to replace high carb pastas. Another idea to replace high carb pastas would be the kelp noodles or I saw a post for chickpea pasta which is grain free but not the lowest carb.

How about using cauliflower in place of rice for a cauliflower risotto, or fried rice option. For soups instead of pasta, rice and potatoes use the kelp noodles or miracle noodles, cauliflower, zucchini noodles, celeriac, turnips or rutabagas. Cabbage is great for stir fry's too.

Spinach lasagana doesn't even need the noodles, scalloped ham and cauliflower, cauliflower mac and cheese.

Appetizers are hard to order because they're usually breaded but there's lots of low carb options. Buffalo wings with no breading, deviled eggs, bacon wrapped jalepeno poppers, low carb meatballs, hot mexican cheese squares. Spinach dip, avacado dip, artichoke dip they can be served with low carb crackers, tortilla chips, pita chips, or pork rinds.

Low carb chili with chicken lady's low carb cornbread.
Low carb pizza using Jennifer's pizza crust or Linda Sue's deep dish pizza.

Quiche is easy to low carb too.

As for the deserts, fresh berries are great with sf whip cream, cheescake with low carb crust or no crust, cakes, muffins and cookies made with almond flour, flax or coconut flour. Sf low carb ice cream with sf sauces.

There's so many sugar free and low carb options. It would be so great to see some restaurants geared towards this way of eating.

[marieze]

And don't forget some really good, hardy salads. I would love to drive through somewhere other than the large chains and pickup a salad without all the additives and preservatives....mayne a great spinach salad with bacon, hard boiled eggs, red onions with a low carb dressing. One that would be filling and where I wouldn't have to toss out half of it to make it edible!

And freshly made protein drinks would also be great....and egg salad....low carb veggies with vinegarette!

Maybe a sliced steak salad with blue cheese crumbles....I would be so willing to pay whatever it would take to have easier/faster access to this lind of food!!

Good luck

[ladeeda]

Big time carnivore here. I'd love to see lots of cauliflower options...so tired of only side salad and steamed broccoli as veggies. Can't eat yellow squash, so must avoid combos containing it. Be careful of add-ins. Not everyone can or wants to eat red onions.

[pocahontas]

Originally Posted by Jennifer Eloff

I don't live in America, but I think your idea is wonderful and I hope you are very successful. There are many Paleo low-carbers that will flock to your restaurants as well. Make it trendy with zuchini pasta (you get a little spiral slicer on the internet) and Alfredo and Meat sauces - even spaghetti squash "pasta" - rutabaga and cauliflower mashed to take the place of mashed potatoes. Definitely have all sorts of lovely meat, fish and shellfish dishes and a variety of veggies - not just one silly little veggie on the plate - plenty of options and a salad option. The dessert menu - low-carb cheesecakes are a must as well as low-carb, sugar free ice cream with a decadent chocolate sauce topping, my Buttery Apple Torte would be yummy with ice cream or a decadent low-carb, sugar-free, gluten-free brownie (remember many people are gluten-free these days by choice). Yep, lots of exciting ideas! I liked Gina's comments.

Low-carb beers and dry wines, low-carb margarita, etc. perhaps. I love a salad bar. If you want to limit how much people waste - say they can only go once to the salad bar.

[Tweaker Geek]

Shrimp scampi over cauli-rice or spaghetti squash, appetizer shrimp cocktail with sauce made without sugar, scallops wrapped in bacon. Wraps are always popular, I make a chicken wrap at home with chicken, cheese, bacon and pesto - yummy! Sugar free dessert offerings would be appreciated by many people, I'm sure. There are some really good low carb pie crusts so you could offer quiches with or without crust as well as dessert pies. I like them without but I know many think it isn't right if there isn't a crust.

I love the idea Rob and wish you all the success in the world!

[sligh]

Would love to be able to order a great salad with artifically sweetened cranberries. Also would love to be able to eat dinner out and then be able to take home some of their bread (sandwich buns or a whole loaf), muffins, crackers, dessert, etc.

[Psmileyf]

Low carb breaded chicken! Not just grilled chicken.

A "Paula Burger"- two patties, two slices of cheese, 4 slices of bacon and mayo on the inside...and you pick it up holding the patties and eat it like a regular burger. And in a setting where people don't stare at you like you have no manners

Abig pile of roast beef with cheese sauce.

Stubbs BBQ sauce on everything!

[Ocean]

For my own personal tastes, I would like to see bunless burgers, low carb hot dogs, alternatives to fries such as fried zucchini, and low carb desserts.

In order to appeal to the masses, I think you would need to offer a variety of low carb, low fat, and low calorie choices. The main thing I think would be to offer lots of whole foods with natural ingredients. Some things could be grilled chicken nuggets with low sugar sauces. You could offer full fat cheeseburgers for low carbers, but also veggie, turkey, and chicken choices for people watching their fat or calorie intake. You could offer a variety of buns such as lettuce wrapped, ones made with flour alternatives, and ones made with whole wheat for non low carbers. To appeal to any diet plan, you good offer tasty veggies as sides. Maybe instead of advertising it as a diet restaurant, you would want to advertise it more as healthy food made with natural ingredients.

[mirinblue]

Oysters rockefeller, shrimp cocktail w/lc sauce, king crab legs with butter, rib eye w/bearnaise or mushroom reduction. Scallop and shrimp scampi over zuchini noodles...Roasted leg of lamb with lamb jus and cauliflower mash, creme of she-crab soup with a little sherry, cream of cauli or broc soups, stuffed mushrooms, lovely fresh salads w/blue cheese or ranch dressings or with lardon and poached egg, eggs florentine or benedict using gorgeous thick tomato slices instead of english muffins, scotch eggs, lc crepes, lc waffles with homemade sf jam, seasonal desserts-pot de creme, flans, cheesecake bites, homemade ice creams, low carb cocktails, wonderful warming teas, coffee selections.....

[oceandiva]

I need to eat gluten free and LC. and appreciate it when restaurants know how to really cook gluten free without adding sweeteners and flavorings. Most of the food listed by mirinblue looks great. I also would a treat like a cheesecake, that is not full of coconut milk or flakes like so many gluten free products has moved to include.

[Tilly]

I would love, love, love to have available a good LC bread options, buns for burgers, to snack on at the table, be able to purchase for take out. What about shaping the buns into hot dog rolls, nice LC option for kids.

What about pizza? Oh my gosh, so many LC options for the dough, low on sauce (sf of course), and large on cheese, meat options, LC vege's.

Looking forward to making Jamie's (Your Lighter Side) crockpot lasagna which uses eggplant. Loads of things to make with eggplant, Jennifer's Eggplant Parmesan. Eggplant fried, breaded and fried or baked. Any vege sliced real thin sprayed with olive oil and baked until crispy.

Yes, desserts. Cheesecake is the obvious, and ice cream, and so many other ideas, cookies, biscotti, LC cakes, Gina made pies recently.

I know I would LOVE to patronize your restaurant. Good luck and PLEASE keep us posted.

Oh, oh oh, how about shakes? Gosh, guess I had better stop now.

A p.s., did someone mention soup? I would love soup when I go into a restaurant, but I know that #1) too high in sodium, and #2) grains or beans of some sort are usually added. Okay, I really will stop now. This is exciting!