This past Tuesday I went to a concert with my fiancé. We arrived to the venue at around 8pm. I had already had dinner and I thought I was going to be ok with a tea for the evening. But my tummy had other plans…at around 9pm I started to get hungry. Usually, I don’t get hungry after dinner so I didn’t bring any food with me like I usually do. I got caught with my food pants down!
On a regular outing I usually pack some veggies, dark chocolate, stevia or nuts, just in case. At this particular venue, a jazz club, there was food available BUT after 9pm there was only a select menu and none of the items were redeeming. We even tried to order some plain raw veggies but the server said that could not be done. We were out of luck. Raw veggies are something we can get anywhere most of the time. Needless to say, I had to suck it up and let my hunger be (at least I get fasting points, yay!). I survived.
Anyhoo, moral of the story is be prepared! I am usually prepared. I have an insane appetite and well, I get grumpy if I’m not fed on time! Which brings me to some tips for eating while away from your kitchen.
1. If you are going to a café that doesn’t serve your choice of milk or sweetener, bring it yourself. I usually bring some stevia with me although I am usually good with having my tea sans milk or sugar. If I am specifically going out for a latte I choose a place that serves almond milk. I haven’t found any places that offer stevia as a sweetener.
2. Take some veggies in your purse. Carrots and celery are great and they don’t get soggy. I snack on them with I get hungry and I have even had these at the end of a meal.
3. Pack some dark chocolate. This is great as a dessert when healthy options are not available. I actually went to a food + art thing this past Saturday and there was a crazy rainbow cake being offered. To be honest I didn’t feel like having it (all that sugar, crazy food colouring, processed flour-essentially not real food at all, sorry S!) but in case I was tempted I had some dark choco handy.
4. Bring a small handful of raw nuts with you. They are full of good fats and protein and will keep you full for a couple of hours.
5. Bring your dinner with you! On Saturday I was out for most of the afternoon but I didn’t really feel like eating out for dinner so I brought a salad from home with me. Eating out too much doesn’t make me feel good. I always prefer to eat at home. Food just tastes better plus I know what everything is made of! Bringing a salad was a great option for me.
6. Go to a restaurant that serves healthy options. My fiancé has this joke that we can only go to 2 restaurants in the city; Fresh and Rawlicious 🙂 I love these 2 because I can get a really great salad or meal that is very healthy! At other restaurants I will get a huge salad. I’ve even read of others bringing their own salad dressing, I might do that one day too lol
7. If you are going to a dinner party at a friend’s house, bring some food to share. I will be going to a friend’s bbq in the upcoming weeks and I can’t wait to share some awesome whole food, raw and yummy desserts.
8. Why go out? Invite friends over and enjoy a great delicious meal in the comfort of your own home!
9. On the road if hunger strikes and there are no restaurant options my fiancé and I stop off at a grocery store and buy some pre-washed veggies and hummus. It’s quick and easy. You can even do this for an impromptu picnic in the park!
Hopefully this list helps everyone continue their healthy eating even when out. I hate that guilty feeling of having to eat something I would rather not in a restaurant just because I am hungry. With a little effort you can comfortably go out and eat healthy and enjoy the social aspect even more without worrying about eating 4 cupcakes in a row. Trust me I’ve been there!
Have a great afternoon.
~Michelle
