Yep, it’s possible and, no, it doesn’t have to be stressful or consist of a bowl of rabbit food. Travel food is on my brain as we make our way across the country. Packing some of our food is helpful, but packing ALL of it gets crazy and it takes away the excuse to try out something yummy that I didn’t have to cook. Last week we found ourselves in a BBQ joint in Branson, MO…so much yumminess, but finding something tasty that wouldn’t make me feel rotten later was a little tricky. But not impossible with a few tips we’ve picked up along the way:
- Check the Website: when possible, take a peek to see if the restaurant has nutritional info online. Mom&Pop places probably won’t have this, but many chains do. There’s nothing more frustrating than thinking we’ve made a healthy choice only to find out later that the meal had 2,000 hidden calories and a bunch of salt/sugar that leaves us feeling gross! Some sites, like Ruby Tuesday, will even let you play around with customizing your order online so you can find out exactly what that order of sweet potato fries adds to your meal and whether it makes sense to eat the bun or ask to have it removed. http://www.gipsee.com/rubytnutrition/MenuCategoryGroup.aspx?uid=undefined&loc=PLEASE%20SET%20YOUR%20LOCATION&sid=
- Protein and Veggies: When in doubt, just look for protein and veggies. Aim for protein that’s baked, grilled blackened or steamed instead of fried or breaded. Good places to look on the menu are fish dishes, salads and burgers. You can always ask to have the bun left off and replace an order of fries with a salad or roasted/steamed veggies. Sometimes just piecing a meal together from sides works best. If you let your waiter know what you’re trying to get they are frequently great at helping you find ways to get a meat and some fruit/veggies/whole grains pieced together.
- Check for Special Menus: Many restaurants have ‘Lite’ versions, ½ plates or Gluten-Free menus. Check these out…they may have options that fit well with your preferences. Gluten-free doesn NOT mean the food is healthy (it can still be extremely processed), but sometimes it gives more options for fresh produce in place of breads and fried foods.
But what if you’re out with your family and you realize there truly isn’t a healthy option? It happens and no one wants to be the fuddy-duddy who refuses to eat while everyone is enjoying delicious, if not healthy, food. Never fear!
- Split a Meal: Do you have a spouse or child who will split a meal with you? Most restaurants serve such huge portions that both of you will be satisfied, but avoid overloading on sugar/fat/salt/etc. What if no one takes you up on your offer? Then ask the waitress to bring a to-go box with your meal. Pack ½ up right away. You’re not wasting food and you can enjoy it again later or share the goodness with your family later at home.
- Eat Slowly and to 80%: These are core habits of my 1-on-1 clients because we can use them anywhere with any food. Chew your food. Put your fork down between bites. Talk to people. The second our brain detects the smell of food our bodies start a chemical cascade that helps us digest food and sense fullness. Those chemicals take about 15 minutes to get from our brain, to our digestive systems and back to our brains. When we wolf down our food we don’t sense fullness until we’re already WAY past it. At that point our bodies have to start storing all that extra food as fat, which most of us don’t want. Eat the hamburger, pizza, ice cream or chips…just do it SLOWLY so you can eat a reasonable amount.
- Have a ‘Next Step’ Plan: If you know you struggle getting back to whole foods after an indulgent meal (super common, by the way) have a veggie-rich next meal planned. It helps to reset our palates and the water/fiber mix will aid our bodies in getting rid of slower moving food we just ate that can cause bloating and constipation.
