Eating out is fun! It can also be challenging when you’re following to a conscious, healthy eating plan. Here are some easy-to-follow tips that will help you stick to your food plan and eat as nutritiously as possible when you’re enjoying a meal out.
- Call ahead to make sure that your requests can be accommodated. There is often lots of information online about what can be served as gluten free, vegan, vegetarian etc. Look at the restaurant’s website and see what they offer, then when you make a reservation inform them of your dietary needs. Some restaurants are even willing to prepare a special meal just for you.
- When in doubt, just eat vegetables, salad and meat. Every restaurant I have been to is willing to substitute steamed or sautéed veggies for rice, potato, or grains.
- Ask what is fresh today. Ask if the seafood is wild caught/sustainably harvested, ask if meat is local, organic etc and make your choices according to that. Bring your fold up card about sustainable seafood choices (available in the chinook book or online)
- If you are grabbing something quick, stick to whole foods. Choose a salad with beans, veggies and meat on it rather than a burrito or something cheesy. Remember that dairy and meat have the higher concentration of pesticides so choose carefully.
- Bring good digestive enzymes so that if you go a little off your food plan you can compensate.
- Chew your food really well (25-35 times each bite) and savor and enjoy the time out, the company and the food!!