How to Make Healthier Choices While Eating out at Restaurants
Tips & Tricks to Making Healthy Choices while Out to Eat… that you actually ENJOY
I always find comfort in cooking my own food. I know the exact ingredients I’m using - organic fruits and vegetables, grass fed ground beef, and wild-caught salmon just to name a few! I always build my plate with strategy - fat, fiber, and protein are top priority. I finish meals knowing they will be nutritious, satiating, and I will feel great afterwards (no belly ache, bloating, etc). Cooking at home brings me joy. But you know what else brings me joy? Socializing and spending time with friends and family, celebrating milestones, and trying new foods/recipes. Many times, this means meals may be spent dining out.
Over time I’ve discovered ways to find nutritious and feel-good meals while eating at restaurants. Listed below are a few tips for how I navigate eating out while still maintaining balance - and enjoy it!
Start by Researching
One of the best ways to begin preparing to eat out is to search ahead of time for restaurants. An easy way to find healthier restaurants is to simply google “healthy food near me.” Scan through menus so see if anything fits into your dietary needs/preferences. Local, family-run restaurants, farm-to-table, and organic options are usually best - if you can find them.
TIP: Save the restaurants you like or want to try!! Add them to your “saved” folders on the google maps app, or make a note on your phone. Organize these recommendations into specific cities/areas so you can easily find them again the next time you visit - this way you don’t have to do repeat research every time you revisit a city or a friend asks you where you want to go!
Prioritize Protein/Fat/Fiber
When reviewing menus, it can be hard to decide what is the “healthiest” option. I look for options that check off this list as much as possible:
Protein (~1-2 palm sizes)
Fat (~2 tbsp) (healthy fats like olive oil, wild fish, avocado & coconut products are best, BUT it’s almost inevitable that you’re going to eat unhealthy industrial seed oils while eating out at restaurants, so if that’s the case, just eat it, enjoy it, and move on)
Fiber (~½ your plate = colorful veggies)
+Carb (1-3 golfball size) (complex carbs and fruits are best. Avoid processed carbs like white pasta, white bread and crackers if you can)
TIP: I always look for and prefer options that include organic produce, grass-fed ground beef, or wild-caught salmon. This is not always a possibility at all restaurants - but look for higher quality ingredients whenever available!
Extra TIP: Prioritize complex carbs as a SIDE dish to keep blood sugar balanced! Did you know that eating carbs at the END of a meal significantly helps reduce a blood sugar spike? For example, your plate is chicken, broccoli, and potatoes. Eat the chicken & broccoli FIRST and then the potatoes at the end of your meal (pre-loading w/ fat/protein/fiber) and your metabolic health will thank you! Order of eating makes a big difference and it’s a simple tweak. No restricting involved.
Swap Out Foods
If you are having difficulty finding items on the menu that are full of fat/fiber/protein/greens, try swapping out some ingredients. Some examples include:
Trade grains for veggies
Replace cheese with avocado
Ask to switch out tortilla strips and croutons for nuts or seeds
TIP: When swapping in veggies, choose COLORFUL veggies. Eat the rainbow to add in more nutrients!
Specific Menu Options to Choose
Mexican
Fajitas are always a great choice that can leave you feeling full and can be customized with your favorite protein. To keep it grain-free leave the corn/flour tortilla on the side!
Taco salad is another option that is easily tailored to your preferences. Hold the cheese, sour cream, and corn to keep the meal blood sugar balancing, dairy-free, and easy to digest.
Italian
Although it may be difficult to find options that are lighter on the carbs and grains, take this opportunity to prioritize gluten free choices. Ask for a protein like chicken or fish and lots of grilled veggies. Again, a fun salad is always an option - but hold the gluten and cheese!
American
Head straight to the dinner entree section in the menu. Look for a delicious protein and veggie combo. One of my go-to options is salmon, asparagus, and some roasted potatoes.
Of course you can always find fun and fulfilling meals on the salad menu as well! If you can, avoid croutons and sugary dressings. I usually ask for (and specify) olive oil and balsamic on the side - or sometimes just olive oil, lemon wedges, and sea salt for an easy dressing option!
TIP: When ordering your salad specify that it is gluten/dairy free - they will omit the cheese/bread crumbs!
Burgers
Lettuce wrap burgers are easy, but spice them up with more tasty options like adding avocado, bacon, tomato, sautéed mushrooms, and/or caramelized onions! Ask for a side salad or roasted veggies in place of fries. Organic, grass-fed burgers are always best but sometimes hard to find. You could always mix it up with a lettuce wrap chicken burger!
Sushi
Sashimi is a great option that is not typically served with rice. Plus, you can load up on ginger, seaweed, wasabi, and green tea at nearly every sushi restaurant!
Mediterranean
There are often many options for healthy appetizers like olives, hummus, veggies with nuts, wild fish - to name a few! Again, a protein and veggie combo is always reliable for an entree, just hold the grains.
Drinks
My go-to drinks when out to eat include water, herbal tea, and mocktails (hold the sugar). Occasionally when drinking alcohol, I prefer biodynamic organic wines, specifically lower sugar options like a dry red wine. No-sugar tequila soda with lots of lime is another good choice!
Other Tips & Tricks
Specify to your server that you have a “gluten and dairy allergy” to ensure you don’t get sick if menu options contain trigger foods for you.
Don’t eat carbs on an empty stomach! (No “naked” carbs :) ) It will be difficult to stop eating and will likely cause your blood sugar to spike.
Always eat fat/fiber/protein FIRST - this will help you with portion control (not overdoing the carbs), help you feel more satiated (turn off your hunger hormones), and help you get more nutrients in! Starting with a bowl of bread, fries, or chips will leave you with many empty and inflammatory calories and will affect your blood sugar levels more than if eaten at the tail end of a meal.
Build-Your-Own Restaurants are often best and easy to ~healthify~! This way everyone in your party can easily customize their plate. For a place like Chipotle - order a salad bowl with cauliflower rice, lots of veggies, chicken, and guac!
Recommendations for healthier ALCOHOL choices will be coming in another blog post soon!
