It’s one thing when you’re in the comfort of your own kitchen to decide what to eat, but quite another out there in the world of temptation! Yikes…but if you look you’ll find healthy options at restaurants, fast food places and coffee shops.You just have to know what to look for.
The following is a guideline for healthy eating out – what menu items to choose and how to adapt them as necessary to your new lifestyle.
Breakfast
• Omelet with lots of veggies and salsa dip (skip the cheese)
• Poached or boiled eggs and whole grain toast
• Rye toast with sliced tomato (butter on the side)
• Baked beans (instead of breakfast meats)
• Fresh fruit salad alone or with cottage cheese
• Plain yogurt with granola and fruit or muesli with dried fruit
• Oatmeal or porridge (sweeten with honey)
• Whole wheat French toast topped with applesauce instead of syrup
• Whole grain toast with 100% nut butter and fruit-sweetened jam
Lunch
• Salad with veggies, grilled chicken or salmon, nuts, goat cheese or fruit
• Vegetarian or chicken chili with whole grain bun
• Whole grain wraps or pitas, with salmon, chicken, turkey or egg salad lots of vegetables or grilled veggies with goat cheese in a pita
• Vegetable broth soups with chicken, barley, lentils or just veggies
• Red pepper, butternut squash or carrot soup
Dinner
• Grilled chicken or salmon with wild rice and steamed veggies
• Chicken, shrimp or veggie stir-fry on steamed rice
• Halibut steak and salad
• Chicken or steak fajitas (light on cheese and sour cream)
• Vegetarian pizza on a whole wheat thin crust, ½ the cheese
• Chicken curry on steamed rice
• ¼ chicken dinner, baked potato and veggie (no skin, skip the sauces)
• Pasta with pesto sauce and shrimp
Appetizers and Snacks
• Baked tortillas with salsa and guacamole
• Hummus or roasted red pepper dip with pitas
• Grilled calamari with tzatziki sauce or shrimp skewers
• Nature bars with nuts and seeds
• Homemade fruit desserts (lower in additives) or frozen yogurt
Beverages
• Water with lemon or cranberry juice and soda
• Chai latte with rice milk (made with a tea bag not syrup)
• Fruit smoothie or freshly squeezed juice from juice bar
• Herbal teas like mint, chamomile, rooibos and chai-green tea
That should seem like a lot of choices. So there’s no reason to say no when you’re invited to dine out with friends. You just need to be smart about what you order. Thinking about reaching your ideal weight should be all the motivation you need to make healthy choices when you’re eating out!
To help you make these life-lasting changes, I invite you to get our Free Consumer’s Awareness Guide and Free MindBody FX Lifestyle Book Preview at: www.WeightLossConsumersGuide.com.
MelonieDodaro, of Top Dog Social Media, is passionate about social media and helps business owners, entrepreneurs and professionals to use social media marketing to boost their visibility, attract new customers and increase their revenue. Dubbed by the media as Canada’s #1 LinkedIn expert and social media strategist, she’s also a regular contributor to several social media and business magazines and is a highly sought after speaker and trainer. To learn more about Melonie visit her web site at http://TopDogSocialMedia.com