Hey, do you want to go out to eat?

Ariel (student worker in our office, and avid blog reader) asked me to write about going out to eat, so this one is for you Ariel!  I don't blog as much as I told her I would, so the least I can do is meet her request.

Even though I am on a journey to be healthy, I am still living my life which includes eating out on occasion. When I first saw my nutritionist, I was eating out a lot. It just seemed easier being a single person. She asked me what was a realistic amount of times to eat out in a week. I think I told her 3 was what I thought would be realistic to start off with. I now try to only eat out one day at lunch and one day for supper (if that).

I try to plan ahead if I know I am going to eat out. I use it as my splurge meal for the week, so that I can get what I want. I also plan my calories for that day around knowing that I am going out to eat. Now, that doesn't mean that I starve myself throughout the day so that I have enough calories to eat whatever I want. If I do that, then I eat more than I need because I'm so hungry! I generally try to cut my snaking back a little that day or have snacks that are less calories but still fill me up (carrots, celery, string cheese).

That's great when you know you are going to eat and can plan, but what happens when you weren't planning on going out? Even though your friends might understand you are trying to get healthy, they will still ask you to go out to eat- guaranteed! It's a social thing, and you don't want to miss out- I completely understand that! In those cases, see if they will go somewhere that you know has healthier options. One of my friends always asks me where I want to eat "because you are the one eating healthy." As sweet as that is, it does get a little annoying. I need to remember that he is asking because he cares about me and doesn't want me to fall off the wagon. My usual response is that I can make it work wherever we go, and so can you!

If you have already used a splurge meal and have a reasonable amount of calories left, make healthy choices at the restaurant. You can use also your phone to look up nutritional information before ordering. Some places will have the calories listed next to the items on the menu, which is nice, but be aware that it is only the calories- not fat, protein, sugar, etc. I have learned that it's ok to ask questions and it's ok to be picky! You are the customer and you deserve to know how things are prepared and ask for specific requests. Pretty sure my friends are incredibly annoyed when they go out to eat with me. My conversation with the waiter/waitress usually goes like this "I'm going to be complicated. Do you have whole wheat tortillas for the wraps? Ok, I'll have a chicken wrap with the whole wheat tortilla, grilled chicken, no tomatoes, and the dressing on the side. What are the seasonal vegetables? How are they prepared?"

It's important to ask questions, because I have asked for the green beans before thinking I'm making the healthy choice but then they come out soaked in butter. UGH!- should have just got the fries! I have also learned that just because something sounds healthy, doesn't mean that it is. A salad at a restaurant can sometimes be the most unhealthy thing on the menu after they put everything on it!

Bottom line- make smart, healthy choices as if you were at home. Give yourself some leeway if it is a special occasion or your splurge meal. You are out to eat after all, so what fun is it to get the grilled chicken and broccoli?! However when I was eating out all the time, I definitely should have got the chicken and broccoli more! My nutritionist told me if I am going out to eat multiple times, only have one time where I get what I want, the other times I should be making healthy choices.

It's inevitable that someone will ask you to grab lunch or dinner when you weren't planning on it, but you can make it work. The other option is to ask them to do something else like going for a walk, grabbing coffee (usually less calories and fat), or shopping. The person probably just wants to spend time with you and eating together is a very common way to do that; however there are other options.