A&A’s Tips for Dining Out Healthy

[ashleypoptodorova]

Dining out! AHHH! This can be so daunting when you are beginning to adopt a healthy lifestyle or adhere to a program. There are several practical tips that I applied when starting my own journey to getting healthy (remember, I started at 208 pounds!)  I LOVED to eat out. Today, I can still enjoy sensible healthy dining experiences but I make these tips as regular as waking up and brushing my teeth in the morning.

I also find that I do not desire to eat out nearly as much, but that is a story for another day! 🙂

Here are 13 simple tips you can apply to dine out wisely. Have questions? Ask! Have some of your own tips? Share in the comments!

 

1. Plan ahead & look up menus. Planning ahead for SUCCESS is key. Almost all restaurants have an online menu available for research and many include nutritional facts as well.
2. Take some digestive enzymes before hand.
3. Drink a lot of water and lemon (or just water if you do not like lemon). This helps to keep you fuller longer.
4. Bring in your own healthy dressing (I hide mine in a small tupperware in my purse! It works like a charm)
5. Always keep a bottle of your own stevia in your purse and a little bag or teeny tupperware of himalayan salt. (The problem with dining out more than anything else is the food is loaded with sodium!)
6. Do not order fries or loaded carbs as a side. This wreaks havoc on goals. Order extra veggies or a nice side salad instead.
7. Choose broiled, baked or grilled over fried
8. Skip dessert – it does nothing for you but a temporary satisfaction. Remember your GOALS!
9. Drink hot tea instead and add a little of the stevia you brought with you.
10. AVOID ALCOHOL. Nothing makes food get stored as FAT quicker than combining alcohol with it!
11. Split your meal and have them box half. Most portions are grossly oversized these days anyway. That healthy meal can be TWO!
12. Focus on two things that mean something to you (your goals, kids, longevity) etc and focus on these while dining. It will make overcoming the temptations that much easier.
13. I saved the BEST for last, leave the bread. Why bring it out so it is RIGHT under your nose tempting you? Totally not worth it. Tell them to not even bring the basket to the table. 🙂

If you have tips, share them & feel free to post a pic of your healthy dining options the next time YOU eat out for dinner. YOU CAN DO THIS!

Ash 

 

[ashleypoptodorova]

Anyone have any questions about these dining tips? 🙂

[Elizabeth – Happy Healthy Caregiver]

Can you expand on this one…’Take some digestive enzymes before hand’? Thanks, Ashley!

[jobeth86]

Tip #1 is always the most useful for me! If I have a plan in mind it makes it much easier to stay on track. If I don’t plan ahead it’s easy to start looking at everything on the menu and feel overwhelmed and end up making a bad choice!

I’d like to know what you mean about digestive enzymes too…. Does that just mean pro biotics or something else?

[ashleypoptodorova]

Hi JoBeth 🙂
Great question!The Digestive Enzymes are something totally different that help w/assimilation and breakdown of food. Enzymatica makes the BEST quality digestive enzyme and a good general rule is to take one prior to each meal. Especially if you find that you get bloated, gassy or have issues when eating!

Love this post!