I previously posted info on dining out at CC Factory and we often talk about smart choices while eating out and it is a common questions so to continue on our journey, follow a few pointers!
When dining out – plan and prepare, just as you would at home.
You can eat healthy in just about every restaurant
you can imagine if you follow the guidelines, combine the right foods, and stop eating when comfortably full, not stuffed.
For example, at lunchtime, you’ll want a lean, complete protein, a natural starchy carb (and/or a little fruit), and a fibrous carb. I can’t think of a restaurant anywhere that doesn’t offer an option to meet these guidelines.
If you’re eating at a Mexican restaurant, for example, you could order fajitas with lean meat and lots of veggies (ask them to go very light on the oil), with a side of black beans and brown rice OR a big House salad with grilled chicken. FYI– a great dressing option is to just use their salsa!! 🙂 (and lime)
Or if you want to do fast food, go to Subway and have a turkey sub with lots of veggies on whole wheat (hold the mayo but go for the mustard) OR a chicken salad. Even burger chains now have excellent chicken salads with a variety of veggies and some apple slices as well.
Every restaurant has at least a couple of good options, if you follow the guidelines and order wisely. Pick a side salad instead of fries, request that your chicken or fish be grilled instead of fried.
Ask that your food be prepared with no oil or butter; request that sauces, condiments, and dressings come on the side. That way, you -not the chef- have complete control over how much you add.
And if you need help developing a good plan, I can help you go over the menu and offer ideas for making it a healthy and enjoyable dinner. Almost every restaurant has a website with their menu posted. I will be happy to make suggestions on the best things to order.
Here, We can even check up on you later that night or first thing in the morning to hold you accountable.
Bottom line: we’re all here to help each other succeed, so whatever we can do to help make sure you do, we’ll be more than happy to … and if you plan in advance like this, and stick to it, you absolutely cannot fail. Promise!!
Here are a few more tips to ensure your success when you have plans to dine away from home.
–Eat regular frequent meals during the day. Don’t starve yourself to
compensate for your dinner plans. Do eat fewer calories during the day, if you want, to compensate for a “refuel” or other “non-ideal” foods, but make sure that you don’t go into the meal starved or you’ll likely lose control and make unwise choices.
–Also, if you begin feeling hungry before dinner, eat a small healthy snack (Protein shake) to hold you over. This will allow you to arrive at the meal pleasantly hungry so you can relax, eat slowly, and enjoy the meal rather than needing to devour everything in sight.
Just remember to make healthy changes to the foods: cut down on the fattening or sugar-packed extras, such as cheese, oil, butter, sour cream, dressings, etc, that are really not needed to enjoy the meal.
The most important point to remember when dining out is that YOU are the paying customer and you can request the way the food is prepared. And unless you say something in advance, your food may be high in fat and sugar, not things you want to be eating while eating out!
Other key points to remember:
If you’re dining out, have a small snack so you’re not starved.
Develop a plan and stick to it. And have someone hold you accountable,
Gina, you can go out to eat often and have a really good time, as
long as you plan ahead of time, have the right mindset, and make wise choices.
