Eating Keto at an Italian Restaurant
The ketogenic diet doesn’t mean avoiding restaurants altogether. Italian cuisine, often associated with pasta and pizza, offers several keto-friendly options if you know what to look for. The key is focusing on proteins, non-starchy vegetables, and healthy fats while avoiding breaded items and sugary sauces.
Starters and antipasti
Begin with antipasti. Opt for cured meats like prosciutto di Parma or salami, which contain zero carbs. Avoid breadsticks and bruschetta. Many Italian restaurants serve grilled vegetables like courgettes or aubergines drizzled with olive oil – ask for these without breadcrumbs. At Waitrose, you’ll find similar antipasti platters for £6-8 that make a good reference point for portion sizes.
Olives and capers are excellent choices, providing healthy fats and flavour. Some restaurants offer burrata or mozzarella with tomatoes – request it without the bread that often accompanies it. keto-friendly cheese selections work well as starters.
Main courses
For your main, choose secondi rather than pasta dishes. Grilled fish like branzino or salmon with a side of greens makes a solid keto option. Chicken or veal piccata (without flour coating) in lemon-butter sauce fits the macros. Avoid anything breaded or served with potato.
At Tesco, a 200g portion of skin-on salmon fillet costs about £3.50 – comparable to restaurant protein portions. Steak with mushroom sauce or grilled lamb chops are other sound choices. Always ask how dishes are prepared – some kitchens dust meat with flour before searing.
Sauces and sides
Request vegetables instead of pasta or risotto. Sauteed spinach, roasted peppers, or broccoli rabe with garlic make excellent sides. Be cautious with sauces – tomato-based ones often contain sugar, while cream sauces may use thickeners. A 2013 study in the British Journal of Nutrition found that very-low-carbohydrate diets led to greater weight loss than low-fat diets (Bueno et al., DOI: 10.1017/S0007114513000548).
Ask for olive oil and lemon instead of sugary dressings on salads. calculating net carbs becomes easier when you control sauces and dressings.
What this means in practice
A typical keto Italian meal might include:
- Antipasti: Mixed cured meats (£7-9)
- Main: Grilled sea bass with sautéed greens (£16-22)
- Side: Roasted aubergine (£4)
- Drink: Sparkling water with lemon
Total carbs: Under 10g for the meal. At Sainsbury’s, similar ingredients would cost about £12 for two servings – useful for budget comparisons.
Handling social situations
Italian dining is often social. Explain your dietary needs politely – most restaurants will accommodate. If others order pizza, focus on your own meal rather than feeling deprived. The metabolic benefits of nutritional ketosis, as shown in a 2019 Frontiers in Endocrinology study (Athinarayanan et al., DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2019.00348), support this approach.
Frequently asked questions
Can I eat pizza on keto at an Italian restaurant? Traditional pizza crust contains about 30g carbs per slice. Some restaurants offer cauliflower crust options (5-10g net carbs), but verify ingredients first.
What about wine with dinner? Dry red or white wines contain 2-4g carbs per 175ml glass. Prosecco has similar amounts. Avoid sweet dessert wines.
Are there hidden carbs in Italian food? Watch for breadcrumbs in meatballs, flour in sauces, and sugar in tomato sauces. Always ask how dishes are prepared.
The bottom line
Eating keto at an Italian restaurant requires selective ordering but remains entirely possible. Focus on protein mains with vegetable sides, avoid breaded items, and don’t hesitate to ask about preparation methods. If you’d rather not do the macro maths yourself, the Keto Dieting app does it for you on Google Play and the App Store.
References
- Bueno NB, de Melo IS, de Oliveira SL, da Rocha Ataide T (2013). Very-low-carbohydrate ketogenic diet v. low-fat diet for long-term weight loss: a meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Nutrition. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0007114513000548
- Athinarayanan SJ, Adams RN, Hallberg SJ, et al. (2019). Long-Term Effects of a Novel Continuous Remote Care Intervention Including Nutritional Ketosis for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes: A 2-Year Non-randomized Clinical Trial. Frontiers in Endocrinology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2019.00348
