Eating Out Without Cheating

It seems almost every social event, gathering or catch-up is revolved around food! Whether it’s breakfast with the girls, lunch with family, coffee catch up with mum or your best mates birthday dinner, every meal or snack out DOES NOT need to break your clean eating plan.

Here is a guide to each meal:

Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Rule #1 is to eat what you would normally eat.  I.e. eggs on toast/oats/muesli etc. The trick is the watch the portion sizes & the added extra’s.

Example breakfast = 2 x poached eggs with spinach, tomato & mushroom on 1 x piece of wholegrain toast

Most café’s, restaurants will have something along these lines

Tips

• Swap white toast for wholemeal toast & watch the portions
• Avoided the extras of hash browns, bacon & hollandaise sauce
• Avoid that extra-large glass of juice (there is more sugar in it than you realise!)

Lunch

This meal is all about watching your portions! The mistake most people make here & getting the side of fries. Opt for the lighter option of a salad or a wrap. Make sure the for wraps  & salads, that dressing come on the side, always ask about the portion size & make sure there is enough protein in the meal so you are not starving afterward (i.e. meat/tofu/eggs etc.)

Example Lunch = grilled beef & salad wrap

Again most café’s, restaurants will have something along these lines

Tips

• Don’t be afraid to ask if the salad has dressing, or how big the portions are
• Go for the grilled, baked or steamed options
• Dessert does not follow lunch

 

Coffee Date

This is the sneaky extra that comes into a lot of people’s diets and won’t be counted as a cheat meal. If you have a piece of cake/slice/large cookie - guess what, it’s your cheat meal. Avoid overdoing the coffee, 1 x per day is ideal (2 at most). Instead choose a herbal tea or green tea.

Example= 1 x loose leaf green tea

Every café should have this

Tips

• Avoid cakes, slices, biscuits etc.
• Aim for a regular coffee not a large
• Avoid frappes & milkshakes

Dinner

This meal is generally the biggest downfall for most people. Focus on removing the extras such as entrée’s, desserts & alcohol, and instead stick with the main course (after all you only have course when you are cooking yourself!). Be mindful of the amount of alcohol you drink, this will affect your food choices, motivation for training the next day = affecting your results.

Example Dinner= baked salmon with mixed veggies

Most restaurants will have something along these lines

Tips

• Beware the Bread: it is often the first thing on offer as soon as you get to a restaurant
• Replace the side: Many dishes come with a side of chips. Swap it for some salad or cooked vegetables
• Pick an entrée size dish
• If a large portion size – doggy bag the extra portion
• Hold the additions (sauces, dressings, extra butter)

Here are some extra tips

• Avoid all you can’t eat: This a recipe for disaster, you are GUARENTEED to over eat here
• Eat slowly: Enjoy your food and the company that you choose to eat out with. Chewy your food will allow your body to feel fuller at a normal rate, digestion & absorption happened more efficiently & you won’t over eat.

If you are struggling to eat clean & don’t know where to start, get a copy of the 7 Day Clean Eating meal plan found here: 7 Day Clean Eating Plan
Or email naednutrition@gmail.com for more information