Eating out

As promised I am posting about what I eat when I go out. I do believe your "diet" (lifestyle change) needs to include the ability to eat out, especially if you are used to going out. I don't think a diet will actually work if you have to completely change everything about your life and eradicate everything convenient. We are bust people with lots to do and sometimes we may have to break down and go out for lunch or dinner, and it shouldn't be the end of the world. And it doesn't need to be a guilt filed experience.

My favorite places to go are Chick fil A, Qdoba, Panera, Subway, Modmarket, and California Pizza Kitchen. These places all offer nutrition information so you can make healthy choices when you do eat out.

I'm not gonna lie, readjusting you eating out habits is hard. I love waffle fries and chick fil a sauce, but that's not something I indulge in anymore. (unless I worked out really hard). So a meal for me at Chick fil A is either a grilled chicken sandwich with a fruit cup, or chicken nuggets (fried or grilled) with a fruit cup or side salad. You can find their nutrition calculator here http://www.chick-fil-a.com/food/meal

One note: beware of salads. They are deceptively full of calories! They put some many delicious toppings on salad that before you know it you have a 700 calories salad. So know before go. Don't assume a salad is a safe choice.

At Qdoba I love to get either the tacos, a naked burrito, or a salad. My tacos are soft with chicken, sour cream, cheese, pico, and lettuce. Naked burrito bowl is chicken, rice (no beans), queso, pico and guacamole. Salad is lettuce in a regular bowl, no dressing, chicken, fajita veggies, cheese, guacamole, and pico. You can build your own meals here http://www.qdoba.com/menu-nutrition

Panera is fabulous, I always end up getting a salad because their sandwiches are pretty calorie filled. I love the chopped chicken cobb with avocado it's just 580 calories and delicious. You can see Panera nutrition info here http://www.panerabread.com/pdf/nutr-guide.pdf

Modmarket is amazing as well. They serve only organic made to order foods. Its fresh and delicious. Their nutrition info is listed on their menu and on your receipt. I like to build my own salad with romaine, chicken, peppers, onions, cucumbers, avocado, buttermilk ranch dressing, and edamame. They also have a super yummy BBQ chicken pizza, you can order just the half size to reduce your calorie intake, or get the whole pizza and split it with a friend.

Remember eating out is sometimes unavoidable;e, but it does;t need to be an excuse to ruin your hard work. You can keep a healthy active lifestyle and still enjoy outings with friends and family. Just do the research before you go out. Or use your smart phone to do a last minute look up. Lots of places also have their nutrition info available on site if you ask.