Hello everyone! With the New Year beginning, many of you may
be trying to make healthier choices in your diet. This is fairly easy to do at
home, when you are in control of what is being put into your food. What about
when you are eating out? How do you stay on track?? Here are a few tricks I’ve
figured out to help you in your eating out adventures.
1. When it comes to
fast food, don’t. Please just do not! Take a look at any fast food’s
nutritional information on their website if you need convincing. Just say no.
You deserve a fresh, well prepared meal. Yes, I have been at Burger King or
McDonald’s with friends without getting anything. It is possible and feels awesome. When it comes to “fast food” I will only eat two places…
1. Subway- I get a six inch
veggie sub on wheat with mustard. No cheese, no extra dressings etc. It may not
fulfill every one of my nutritional meals for the day, but at least I am eating
clean and light.
2. Chipotle- I love chipotle’s
philosophy of offering ingredients with integrity. If you know what to order,
you can get a fantastic, well rounded meal here. Warning!! According Eat This Not That just the tortilla used in making burritos is 290 calories. Just the
tortilla!!! I don’t know about you, but I’d like to be able to enjoy more
than a tortilla and some lettuce for my meal please. Go for a salad instead.
You can get all of the flavor for a normal calorie intake. I always get a salad
with black beans, peppers, salsa, and a tiny bit of guacamole (yes, I ask for a
tiny bit). No cheese, sour cream, etc! I feel great about what I’m eating and
enjoy a delicious meal. They have a fantastic calorie calculator on their menu,
so you can avoid pitfalls.
2. Do your research-
Most major chains have all of their nutritional information online or on an app.
Look at this! You will be shocked at what you find. For example, half of the
Panera vegetarian sandwich, just half, (seemingly healthy) has 190 calories
just from the bread! Also, most everything , even the seemingly healthy things, from The Cheesecake Factory has an OUTRAGEOUS amount of fat and calories. It's best to just go somewhere else! Educate yourself. Look at your options. How can you have a
nice meal without destroying your efforts to eat well? Luckily, a number of
chains are now offering healthier options. For example, Uno’s has some
wonderful veggie and whole grain side dishes, and offers a veggie wrap which,
without the goat cheese, provides a filling ,flavorful and guilt free dinner.
Ruby Tuesday’s now offers Fit and Trim specials, great veggie sides, and
spaghetti squash! Bertucci’s also has some lovely small vegetable sides that
can combine to make a yummy dinner. Take the time to look ahead and plan! For
example, if my friends ask to go out, I always make sure to suggest a place I
know has options that I can enjoy while feeling good. How do I do this? I put
in the effort because my body and health are important to me!
3. Make your own
meal- If it’s on the menu, chances are it can be combined with something
else to make a meal. As a vegan, I often order several sides and a salad and
let the waiter know which will be my entrée. Also, never be afraid to ask
questions! If you have a concern about an ingredient that may or may not be in your meal simply ask. It’s almost always possible to get things without extra heavy
condiments, cheeses, etc. Also, ask for your veggies to be prepared with olive
oil and not butter!
4. Beware of salad
dressings- Ever wonder how a salad can be listed as over 500 calories? It’s
likely the dressing. Stay away from the complicated ones. Ask for olive oil or
plain vinegar instead, on the side, so you can control how much goes on.
Croutons and cheese are also easy things to cut out that can ruin the “healthiness”
of your salad ! (more on preparing the perfect salad to come in a future post).
5. Go with the flow-
Staying healthy in the restaurants of America takes a bit of effort. Prepare
ahead of time and be ready to go with the flow. For example, if you have read
the menu of somewhere and know it will not meet your dietary needs, have a
healthy snack ahead of time. Also, if you leave unsatisfied, knowing you stayed
within your clean eating routine but need more nourishment, have something
after! For example, today I went out and got a veggie burger with my mom. It came
on a massive white roll. I do not eat massive, white rolls. However, I knew I
needed something grainy. So, I simply ate the burger itself, and small side
salad, and then came home and had one of my favorite tortillas. Problem solved!
Restaurants do not control you! You get to decide what goes
into your body and what is used to form your complete composition. If you have
a nutritious meal, your body uses that fuel to create the right mixture of
muscle, bones, cells, fat etc. If you are overloaded with heavy foods, your
body will have too much to handle, and that lovely layer of unnecessary reserve
starts to accumulate near all of your “problem” areas. With minimal effort, you
can make sure all of your hard work in taking care of yourself does not go to
waste after a few meals out. You can be fit while being social with friends and
family! The two are not mutually exclusive. Healthy living is a lifestyle, not a temporary routine. It simply
becomes second nature and a part of who you are. It may take a little figuring
out at first, but soon you will be tackling every situation with ease. I
promise!
Be well.
Love, Julie
No comments:
Post a Comment