It’s one thing to stay on track when you’re cooking at home but what about when you go out to eat? Whether you’re out to lunch with coworkers, eating in an airport during a layover or on a hot date night with your spouse, I’m going to give you my tried and true tips for how to eat healthy when eating out in a restaurant.
Scope out the restaurant menu online. More and more restaurants offer complete nutritional information on their websites. In fact, that’s how I learned about Panera’s “secret” Power Menu offering higher protein, less processed items. The Hummus and Chicken Spinach Power Salad is delish.
If you know you’ll be going out to dinner, eat a lighter breakfast and lunch. For me that usually means a Berry Spinach Protein Smoothie for breakfast and leftover soup for lunch. Slow Cooker Lentil Soup with Bacon provides a good balance of protein and fiber to give you energy all day.
Increase your water intake to compensate for the post-restaurant bloat due to higher sodium levels. My friends and family tease me because I’m never more than a few feet away from my CamelBak water bottle. PS: Lemon slices go a long way if you’re trying to boost water consumption!