The Scoop on Dining Out While Maintaining Your Fitness Goals
January 10, 2015Healthy Eating vs. Having a Life
Happy, happy New Year to all of my awesome readers! Whether it was a big night out or a quiet night in (where are all my new Mom’s and Dad’s at?!), I hope it was a great evening filled with love and the motivation to kick 2015’s butt!
I get a lot of questions regarding dining out while maintaining fitness goals. While I do not recommend eating at restaurants too often, I am totally on board with “everything in moderation.” If your friends are enjoying nights out wining and dining, you should be too. Life is just darn short. However, if you want to maintain/lose weight or build muscle, what you eat does play a huge role in the process. Here are some things to think about before a night out on the town:
1. Check the restaurant’s menu online. This is a biggie and something I always do prior to making a reservation. I scroll through the menu and make sure they offer healthy options. Feel free to call the restaurant as well, especially if you have any food allergies/intolerances. If a restaurant cannot make substitutions (ex: cannot provide a plain sweet potato, only drowning with butter/oil), chances are their food is not fresh. If that is the case, I don’t want to be eating at that restaurant anyway!
2. Meet friends for dinner OR drinks. A night out on the town can lead to a calorie overload. If you know it will be a late night, meet friends for one or the other. Cocktails (especially the ones made with mixers) are loaded with sugar. If you choose to have a night out drinking with friends, at least your dinner was nutrient dense and made with no hidden ingredients.
3. Be the person to bring the vegetable tray to the potluck. I always bring veggies or fruit to a gathering at someone’s home. This guarantees a healthy snack to nibble on.
4. Order an appetizer (or two). Appetizers at most restaurants are filling and can be considered a meal. I love ordering apps! I can try more than one thing.
5. Walk. Ditch your car or cab to get to your destination (weather permitting and neighborhood safety come into play here, of course!) If the restaurant I am heading to is close, I will definitely walk. I get my steps in and it helps with digestion.
Dining out should be an enjoyable experience. Healthy foods are delicious and available at restaurants all over the city. It just takes a little bit more work to find one that is the perfect fit. Cheers to a happy and HEALTHY New Year!
