Last weekend I went to the Keg for dinner with my friends to celebrate my friend Judy’s upcoming birthday. I love the Keg, and I was looking forward to the meal ever since we made the plans to go there.

BUT…as the day drew closer, I thought more about what I would eat there and how I would enjoy what I used to never think twice about eating. It was mentioned to me, “have a chicken breast, that is a safe bet”….yeah, well, not when you are going to a steakhouse and you eat chicken pretty much 5 out of every 7 days of the week.

So steak it was going to be. But which one, and how big. Portion size should be the size of your palm, which is about 4 oz of protein. There isn’t a steak on the menu that is the correct portion size, so you have to make a choice, to take some home, or be okay with what you eat and leave the rest.

The Keg has a great prix fixed menu right now – $39.95 gives you a choice of salad, four different steak/prime rib options, seafood side and then dessert. The dessert was the only thing that made the option not the best for me, but it turned out it was not a full size dessert, but their shooter glass size mini portion.

Ordering reminded me of my favourite movie – When Harry Met Sally. I said to the girl, “I will have the 7 oz filet, but I would like it like this….can you give me a tablespoon size of garlic mashed, and the rest steamed vegetables, not the sauteed ones that you normally give, but steamed.”. To which she replied, “the portions are all pre-portioned out, but I will see what I can do.”

I should say that I also had shrimp with my steak. So, when the plate arrived at the table, it was exactly what I asked for, my steak, the shrimp, one beautiful little scoop of garlic mashed and veggies, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and green beans – the perfect plate.

After eating the salad, and then as the nutritionist suggested, the veggies, I ate the four shrimp and at the end of all of that, didn’t eat the whole 7oz filet. I didn’t even finish the one little scoop of potato. It was a really great meal, and it was totally satisfying.

Eating out has been a source of stress for me the last few months. Making the right choices is really challenging. I guess as time goes on, and the new lifestyle starts to become habit and normal, it won’t be as hard. I am hoping that happens, because it really hasn’t happened yet.

Conquered the Keg, and was really happy about it.