Eating Out Responsibly By Sandra Blackie
Owner / Freedom of Fitness
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Many of us believe that, if you want to follow a clean and healthy meal plan, going out to eat is not an option. Actually, this is not entirely true. You can go out to restaurants, eat at fast food establishments (on occasion), enjoy food with your partner, family or friends, and even go to parties or other social events!
Healthy meals are served almost anywhere. However, it is important to keep a few general guidelines in mind when you eat away from home.
Eat foods that you can see in nature. Potatoes grow in the ground and apples grow on trees but there is no such thing as a bagel bush or a pasta plant! Commercially prepared foods should be eaten in moderation.
Ask for your foods to be prepared without gravies, sauces, oils or butter. Ask the server to put dressings and sauces on the side.
Use the “2/3 plate rule” whenever possible. 1/3 of the plate should be covered with protein (chicken breast, fish, lean red meat), and the other 2/3 of the plate should be carbohydrates (1/3 starch/grain and the other 1/3 fruit/vegetable).
Eat slowly until you are comfortably satiated, not stuffed.
If the restaurant does not serve a “perfectly healthy plate”, eat a small amount to tide you over until you can get back on track with healthier choices. Avoid going longer than 4 hours without food. It is a set up for over-eating and making poor food choices.
Most of the restaurants that I’ve eaten at will accommodate most of these “healthy meal guidelines”. Fast food chains are even beginning to serve more healthy food options.
For more information on the fat burning benefits of the bodybuilding lifestyle, call
Sandra Blackie at (858) 273-4151 or visit our website at www.freedomoffitness.com.
