Eating Out..How to Order..like a Queen Of Course

You can Eat and Eat Healthy..

The best place to eat is at home.  You know what you put in it and you can control your portion sizes.  But, the truth of life is, we get busy and we have to eat out sometimes, or we have meeting, or social functions, or dates ( ha ha like we have many dates)...Anyway, there is no reason to abandon eating healthy when you eat out.  It's really not that hard. Here are a few tips.

Fast Food and Restaurants: how to survive it:

1. Order meats without breading or coatings and avoid fried options
2. look for grilled,baked, or broiled options
3. steer clear of fatty condiments like mayo,butter, "special sauce"..at home you can find clean versions, at fast food restaurants you are going to get the bad version.  Read the ingredients on packets of dressing. Watch out for low fat, but high sugar dressings.
4. drink water or milk instead of soda..unsweet tea with a lemon and some truvia is my favorite
5. ditch the fries and chose a side salad, yogurt, fruit, or baked potato.
6. Ask for whole wheat instead of white breads..if they don't have this option, don't eat the bread
7. Check the menu online before you go
8. order veggies for a side item.
9. Ask for meats to be cooked with no butter or oils

I was surprised.  Most sit down places will be happy to fix the food the way you want it.  All you have to do is ask.  You can eat healthy when you eat out.  Just know what to look for.  Beware of hidden sugars in sauces and dressings and avoid the bread and breading and you are good to go.  Here are a few of my favorite items to eat at the restaurants I go to.  Most of these have an online menu that you can see everything that's in your food. WOW! 

Panera..this link will let you calculate out your meal and see what's in your food.  Here I eat the "you pick 2" I get half a bowl of soup (usually broccoli cheddar) and the Fuji apple chicken salad with feta cheese instead of Gorgonzola and an apple as my side item. The boys usually eat a sandwich with an apple or organic yogurt or macaroni and cheese. Order the same type of foods at Atlanta Bread or Mccalister's Deli.

Chick-fila- this link will give also calculate out your meal and you can see what's in your food.  I eat the Chargrilled and Fruit Salad with Berry Balsamic Dressing.  Chad eats either the chargrill sandwich, which comes with a wheat bun, or orders the regular sandwich on a wheat bun, with a fruit cup.  The boys get the nuggets, with fruit and milk.

Salsaritas- I usually get the salad with romaine and spinach on a plate with the meat of my choice, black beans, grilled peppers and onions, cheese sauce, salsa, and all my favorite veggies.  Chad gets a burrito, quesedilla, or pizza on a whole wheat tortilla...they have them..just ask. Donna is great at the one in Kingsport..love her:)

Mcdonalds- I am not a fan, but if I end up there, I choose the Southwest Salad with grilled chicken and use the southwest dressing.  The kids get chicken, apples, and milk.

Chop house- at any steak house, chose a lean cut of beef like fillet or sirloin and request to be grilled with no butter, just spices, it is good.  You can also choose grilled chicken, fish, shrimp..yumm..choose asparagus, salad, broccoli, or sweet potato for sides.

Cracker Barrel- for breakfast I get the Mamma's French Toast..yep..whole wheat sourdough, with eggs scrambled and bacon.  I don't use the syrup it's not pure maple anymore.  I ask for honey to eat on them.  They had multigrain pancakes with granola and cranberries and almonds this summer and they ended that menu..that's annoying.. they also had a good strawberry grilled chicken salad..that's gone too.  Anyway, sometimes I get soup and sandwich on whole wheat, or the grilled chicken tenders with green beans and a salad.  Their low carb options are pretty safe.

Raffaele's-I order a grilled chicken breast in garlic and olive, add mushrooms and onions, no pasta the house Italian dressing on a side salad.  Rich, the owner is so great to custom make meals, he  just loves it when I come in..he should name that dish after me :)

La Carretta- I order the chicken or beef fajitas and eat them like a salad on the plate. I add the lettuce, guacamole, tomatoes right on to the skillet and don't use a shell.

Obviously when you eat out, it's not totally clean, but you should choose the most nutritious meals you can.  Fresh grilled meats, fruits, and veggies, and avoid breads unless they are whole wheats.  Plan ahead by looking at an online menu and enjoy not cooking!!