Eating Out without Freaking Out!

I love going out to restaurants and socializing with friends over lunch or dinner.  Unfortunately, I used to lose all self-control and order whatever looked or sounded good on the menu without giving it any real thought. Afterwards, I always had the same guilty feelings wondering…why did I eat that?  After four years of being on the road for my job, I had no other choice but to eat out almost every meal, so I eventually started packing on the pounds.  Snacking on candy while driving did not help the situation!

For a lot of people, eating out presents a huge challenge.  How can we dine out and still eat healthy?  Well, it takes some orchestrating, but it’s definitely doable.  You have to make it work for yourself.  You can’t depend on the chef, cook, or server to make YOUR healthy choices because it WON’T happen.  Since I only look at food now as “fuel”, it’s so much easier to find and order what I need at just about any restaurant.

The most IMPORTANT part of ordering is your communication with the waiter/waitress.  You have to convey how you “need” it…no extra sauces and everything on the side.  Most of the time, even if I don’t see what I need from the menu, I discuss with my server what I would like.  It’s never been a problem and I always get the food that I was looking for. 

I start with a basic protein like chicken, salmon, tilapia, turkey, etc.  Then I look for sides like steamed vegetables, asparagus, broccoli, brussel sprouts, etc., and I add a complex carb like brown rice, couscous, faro, or sweet potato.  If you're visiting a new restaurant and are not familiar with the menu, sometimes they’re available online so you can plan your choices ahead.  If not, then just take your time looking over the menu and ask for what YOU need so you can make a healthy and smart decision. 

Remember this when you’re looking over menu entrees and/or desserts:  “Yum, this looks really good, but will it look as good stuck to my thigh?”