Eating Out Healthy- 5 Things to Consider

eating-out-healthy-tips

As we grow closer to the
holidays, and the social schedule fills up to the max, we inevitably find
ourselves dining out a lot more. Sometimes it is socially, other times, it is
just what we choose to do in the pinch of the busy moment. As all this fun
and great food starts to build up momentum in your calendar, any commitments
or efforts to eating healthy, or even eating out healthy start to become less
of a priority. But you don’t have to let that happen unless you truly want
to.

Wondering how to keep your healthy commitments,  when
faced with an unfamiliar menu at a restaurant, is one of the top
considerations my nutrition coaching clients share when we are going
through their initial consultations. You’ll be happy to learn that it is
actually pretty easy to handle when you have a plan and a few tips. So, I
have prepared a small list of things to consider when you are
committed to eating out healthy, as opposed to eating out
with set backs. This will come in handy especially over the holidays, when
most people do themselves in and throw all their wellness commitments out
with the turkey carcass.

5 Considerations for Eating Out Healthy
1. Who is Preparing Your Food?

Yes, that actually is as persnickety as it sounds. It pays to
build a database of local and favorite restaurants where you know who the
owners are, and what their mission is in owning a restaurant. I explain this
to clients all the time about grocery stores they frequent. If you want to
live a healthful, organic lifestyle where your food is nutrient-dense, clean
fuel, do you want a restaurant that only serves “organic” options
because they want a piece of that market? Or would it perhaps be a better
buying decision to patronize a restaurant where the owners’ sole mission is
to bring organic foods to their clientele? Think about it. Making a lifestyle
commitment to live well takes discipline, some education, and for my clients
even some coaching! Surround yourself with friends, businesses, resources,
chefs, and restauranteurs who truly and organically have your back. By doing
this you have a built-in no fail network of restaurants that will champion
your healthy commitment, rather than just “catering” to
it.

2. Did You Check the App?

There are some great apps that you can install on your smart phone
so that finding a place that suits your healthy lifestyle is super easy, even
when traveling away from your home city. Here are a few that I like, and a
couple taken from an article
on clark.com
:

Food
Tripping app
 – Find great alternatives to fast food wherever
you are. Food Tripping locates the closest eateries, juice joints, farmers’
markets, microbreweries, and more

Gluten Free
Restaurant Items app
 – Provides you with gluten free food
items of over 150 most popular restaurant and fast-food
chains.

Find Me
Gluten Free app
 – Helps you eat gluten free and more than
that, with free apps that help you find gluten free businesses and
products.

DINE Gluten
Free app
 – Lets you access a huge database of gluten free
dining and travel reviews from the U.S. and around the
world.

There are probably more out there, so I encourage you to explore
and have some fun with it. Let me know in the comments of you find a good
one!

3. Can You Plan Your Order Ahead of Time?

Most restaurants have a website with their current menu published.
If you know where you will be dining, it pays to take a few minutes to review
the menu and decide ahead of time what you are going to order. Why is this so
important? Because, if you wait until you are sitting with your friends or
family before you decide what to eat, your decision process is more likely to
be led by your subconscious habits around celebrating and dining out with
friends. And, you are more likely to be inadvertently swayed by peer or
social pressure to order something that might not be as good for your body.
If you have specific questions or concerns about a menu item, you can even
call the restaurant ahead to get your questions answered. That way, you don’t
have to “make a scene” or draw attention to yourself at the table
when it comes time to order. You can be ready before you even get to the
restaurant, and place your order with grace, ease, and razor sharp
confidence that you are making  healthy, supportive choice for
yourself.

4. Does Your Order Fit Your Healthy Plate
Blueprint?

What does that mean exactly? Basically, I am just suggesting that
you take the basic architecture of whatever diet protocol or macro and micro
nutrient guidelines you are trying to stick to, and apply it to a
“blueprint” of what your plate will always generally look like. If
you don’t have any idea, you can start with my all-purpose “clean eating
plate” that consists of:

1/2 colorful non starchy vegetables
1/4 clean protein
1/8 healthy carbs, grains, starchy vegetables, fruit
1/8 healthy fats.

So, when you go to place your order, you want to start by
identifying menu items that comprise of at least 50% vegetables. This does
not have to look like something sitting on half your plate. It can be a
veggie burrito with mostly veggies and a little rice and beans, or a veggie
stir fry with some chicken added and just a touch of rice, etc. You can do
something similar if, for example, you are keeping Paleo. A Paleo plate would
look similar, but it might  have more room for clean protein and perhaps
no starchy carbs at all since those are generally not allowed on a Paleo
diet. You can draw out a diagram to keep with you, or just keep it in your
head when you go to order at a restaurant.

5. Are You Making Yourself and Everyone Uptight?

In other words: Lighten
up!! 
It’s only food, and even if you totally fall off
your healthy wagon, your body is designed to digest, process, and bounce
back. If all else fails, just enjoy your time with your friends. Try being
candid about your healthy commitment. Share your healthy adventures with your
friends. Laugh at yourself. Make friends with your server. They will be more
likely to assist you and provide you with the valuable information you need
about the menu if you include them in your process and reassure them that you
can’t achieve your wellness goals without their help.

This goes for your friends and dining companions as well.
Sometimes our friends become “Sally Saboteurs” around our eating
commitments, because they feel threatened that our healthy
habits might impose on eating traditions that they look forward to sharing
with us. Include your friends so they are a part of your healthy journey.
Tell them you rely on their support and friendship to be successful. You will
end up having a great time, and you may even convert them over to the
“happy healthy-eating side.”

So go forth into the crazy holiday season a more empowered and
nourished soul. I promise that at the beginning of the new year you will
thank yourself. And you might even have a clearer, more enjoyable memory of
the whole season.

If you enjoyed reading these tips for keeping your commitment to
eating out healthy, you will LOVE one of my nutrition & health
coaching programs. Let’s have a complimentary
strategy session
to figure out how I can best help you. It’s free!
I look forward to speaking with you soon!

 

2 thoughts on “Eating Out Healthy- 5 Things to Consider

  1. Hm, I never thought to go online and check the restaurants website before hand. I’ll have to remember that next time I plan to eat out with my husband. We may even go tonight, but we’ll see what the plans are.

    • Hi Megan! Yes, sometimes I even check out the bar menu of a restaurant in advance, because I don’t like to drink, so then I can easily order a non alcoholic drink without asking a zillion questions of the server or bartender. 🙂 I think this is a very handy tool to work into your healthy habits.

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