I get this question all the time…
“How do I go out to eat at a restaurant and stay on track with my nutrition plan?” A lot of restaurants offer healthy options these days, so it usually comes down to MIND over MATTER. Your WILLPOWER must be stronger than your stomach, which can be hard at times! Trust me, I know! I like food just as much as the next person! I just like being fit more. Today, I put myself to the test as I went out for lunch. Here is my breakdown: 1. I knew I was going out for lunch, so I made the conscious decision to curb my eating just a LITTLE bit in the morning. I still ate breakfast, because it's the MOST IMPORTANT meal of the day. And, then I had a small fruit snack before leaving for my lunch outing. 2. Even though I was conscious of my morning choices, I DID NOT GO OUT TO EAT HUNGRY. NEVER. DO. THIS. That is pretty much like walking into a beehive while holding a pot of nectar. You are going to get destroyed. So, don’t do it. 3. If you don’t go to the restaurant starving, you should be able to skip on the appetizers, so do just that. See how simple this is? 4. Drink water instead of pop, sweet tea, or beer. And, guess what? Both options 3 & 4 will save you money! BONUS!! 5. Now onto the entrée part. Most people think the only healthy restaurant option is a salad, but this is usually not the case. Actually, in some circumstances the salad could be loaded down with so many extras that it is actually worse for you. Most restaurants these days have multiple lean meat (grilled chicken, grilled fish, turkey, etc.) options and steamed veggie options (mixed veggies, baked potato, etc.) to choose from. Here is what I got for my lunch entrée: A grilled turkey burger that came with sautéed mushrooms and swiss cheese. I had them hold the bun and seasoning. Now, don’t get me wrong, I eat bread. Every. Single. Day. I just didn’t want it for lunch, so I skipped it. It’s all about balance, folks! My turkey burger came with a side salad (super boring, I know), which I requested that they leave the dressing on the side. Here is a little tip for salad dressing consumption - always get it on the side and dip the prongs of your fork into it, then stick your lettuce leaves with the dressing-dipped fork. This ensures you don’t oversaturate your salad with dressing. The things being in a sorority in college will teach you. #lifelesson Yep, that's it! Quite simply, it comes down to your choices and balancing those choices with your goals.