By Christine Schroeder, MOT, OTR/L
We all have that favorite restaurant……that one place we just can’t resist. Our go- to place for special occasions. If you have committed to a healthier lifestyle, does that mean you have to kiss that restaurant good-bye? Not necessarily …….

However, adopting a healthy lifestyle does mean holding yourself accountable.

Did you exercise today? Did you resist that cookie after lunch? Have you eaten out only on days that end in ‘Y”? LOL! Make sure you treat special occasions as what they are…special occasions!  Don’t diminish those wonderful and rare experiences into normal everyday occurrences. 

But, let’s face it…life happens. No matter how hard you plan, sometimes things just go awry…..BUT that doesn’t mean you have to throw in the towel! If you find yourself eating out when you hadn’t planned to, keep in mind these simple tips to help make choosing the healthier option a little easier:

1 - Eat a healthy snack before heading out.

It may go against reason. You usually want to save up your appetite all day so you have ‘room’ to enjoy that steak dinner and dessert, but that usually ends up with you feeling stuffed and like you overate. So, next time, take the time to eat a healthy snack, like an apple or a cup of Greek yogurt with blueberries before you head out the door, just to take the ‘edge’ off.

2 - Ask to box up half your meal before it arrives.

Most people follow their mother’s advice from when they were growing up and ‘clean their plates’ even if they aren’t hungry. If food sits in front of us, most of us will keep picking at it. Why not take that urge away by taking some of the food away from the start (and you’ll have lunch already made for tomorrow;).

3 - Look for the healthy eating options or low cal entrees before just ordering the usual.

More and more restaurants are listing the nutritional content of their food on their menus and/or have healthier menu items listed on their menus (which are also often available online). Take a few moments to look at the menu ahead of time so you can choose the healthiest option for you and then stick with it. This will be much easier to do ahead of time when you are at home than when you are sitting in a restaurant, surrounded by a lot of people, distracted by the sights and sounds.

 “Every time you eat is an opportunity to nourish your body.” - Unknown

Click below to read more about choosing healthier options when eating out:

• 20 clever tips to eat healthy when eating out

• 6 ways to pack a clean-eating lunch

As always, feel free to give us a call anytime to set up your free 15 minute consultation to learn more about how to become the healthier you!

CLICK HERE for Christine's previous columns

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