Eating out
Hello, welcome back to Autumns table!
In this post I will discuss ways to maintain a healthy diet, even while eating out.
Fast food, date nights and being on the road. All things that limit your ability to make your own food or know what exactly is in your meal. Finding the fastest and cheapest thing when traveling can easily lead to bad decisions, I will give you some helpful tips on how to find healthy food in unhealthy places.
Knowing what is in your food, how it is prepared, if it is truly nutritious, or if it is made with or without dairy or gluten.
All of these are questions you ask yourself, and end up stressing out about. Well, I am here to make this as simple as possible for you when ordering out!
When you go out to eat, first ask where your'e going, and if you can, put in your own input of a place you know may have options for you. However in most cases, it isn't that simple.
Breakfast:
I believe the biggest struggle when ordering breakfast out is how tempting the pancakes, bacon and french toast look. I mean, it is what is advertised all over the menus. Every breakfast place has a simple, and nutritious option for us healthy eaters ;) Eggs, wether they are scrambled, poached or pan fried are a fantastic options. For example, when I was on vacation in the Florida Keys, they had many typical breakfast options, but also had omelettes made to order, meaning I picked everything that went into it. I ordered the veggie omelette with a side of baked potatoes and was so energizing and satisfying!
If you're just going out for coffee and find yourself getting hungry and nothing sounds good food wise, ask or look for
smoothies. Be weary when ordering smoothies though, a lot of them are made with artificial sugar, liquid fruit and animal milk, so make sure to ask if they use fresh fruit and if they provide alternate milks! This was a honey lavender coffee with almond milk and sugar free lavender syrup (asked for one pump) and natural honey for sweetness. I knew I would get hungry, so I planned ahead and got myself a green detox smoothie! Don't be afraid to try new things, and always plan ahead if your'e not sure!
LUNCH:
I would say going out for lunch is the most difficult on the road. It is easy to eat something before you hit the road and most of the time you're at your destination by dinner time. When your'e traveling and looking for nutritious places to stop, always look up what is around you so you can see your options. My personal favorite is Panera Bread, they use fresh and real ingredients and have an abundance of healthy choices! Salads, soups, sandwiches, smoothies etc. Their portion sizes are also very reasonable, you get what you pay for.
Another option would be a subway where they offer sandwiches and salads. I personally love their salads and again are sizable and will fill you up! Make sure you are picking fresh and healthy options to put on the salad, and watch your dressing choice!
DINNER:
Dinner is where everyone will be ordering heavy, fatty and salty foods, but not you!
The most basic and well known healthy option is a salad, and a lot of the time people order the wrong ones thinking its healthy because it is labeled "salad". I am very picky about the ones typically offered, so I "make my own", which you can do at restaurants or many fast food places. A majority of the time you can add or take away certain ingredients or components of the dish. For instance, I always ask to leave off the cheese and most of the time change the dressing to a light vinaigrette or nothing at all. I also love adding extra proteins such as chicken, eggs, fish, etc. also adding avocado if they have it (can supplement for dressing)!
Soups are another great option, make sure you ASK how it is made and what goes into it, a lot of soups are made with heavy cream and salty components. Ask if it is made with dairy, animal products or most importantly, made in house to ensure they are using fresh ingredients.
When it comes to main entrees/dishes, I lean toward fresh fishes such as salmon, walleye or tuna. I also look for chicken or lean meat dishes without the creamy sauces, cheese and oil. Look for the "freshest" item on the menu, and again, don't stress out about it!
Order what the restaurant specializes in, and pick/alter dishes they are known for. For example, if it is a steak house, look for other meats because that is what they know how to prepare best.
If it is a bar like restaurant and specialize in burgers, I stray from the mainstream burgers and fries, and instead look to see
if they have black bean or veggie burgers, if you don't see them on the menu, again ASK! Many times I get big salads or wraps full of veggies and protein if those are not an option.
For example, we were on the road for my birthday and stopped for dinner at an amazing and well known burger place. I ordered their signature grilled chicken burger with avocado, a fried egg & picked onions (I added the fried egg and avocado & removed the other sauces and toppings). A great alternative to heavy and fattening meats/meals.
My biggest tip is to find a main dish that sounds good to you! Depending on how hungry you are, order what you know will fill you up. Enjoy your time out with friends and don't overthink it!
Make sure you read what the dish is composed of, and make any alterations that meet your dietary needs.
Thank you for joining my table, I hope you found my tips helpful and don't be afraid to ask what is in your food or what you can change!
xoxo, Autumn
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