Are You Dining Out More as Restaurants Reopen?

Here’s How You Can Enjoy Being Out of the House Again, Without Blowing Your Nutrition Plan

At long, long last . . . Temperatures are heating up and social distancing recommendations are cooling down! After a spring season spent almost exclusively at home, shops and restaurants all over the United States are (somewhat tepidly) beginning to open their doors again. 

Every city has a different timeline, and some are reopening with outdoor/limited seating. Which means one big thing: Time to hit up all our favorite local establishments!

Unfortunately, dining out more can ALSO mean trouble for your nutrition plan. But never fear—just as in pre-Covid life, making smart nutrition choices while eating at restaurants is still totally possible! It just requires some strategy, some determination, and the willingness to make smart choices.

From my foodie heart to yours, here are a few of my top tips for navigating restaurant meals without putting yourself at risk of bloat, digestive issues, and weight gain:

1. Don’t be afraid to ask for special requests.

While most of our favorite restaurants are probably still operating on limited margins and limited staff, the odds are pretty good that your local digs will be THRILLED to have your business. If you’d like to ask for something to be grilled or steamed instead of fried, go ahead and ask. The worst that can happen is that they aren’t able to accommodate! In that case, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to pick a different dish that’s a little lighter or stick with your original choice.

2. Take a look at the menu ahead of time.

If you know you’re likely to feel pressured into making an unhealthy decision, don’t put yourself in that position. Look at the menu online before you head out, decide what you’re going to order before you’re sitting in the restaurant, and then stick to your decisions regardless of what everyone around you is ordering. This requires a little bit of planning and determination to put your health first, but you can do it!

3. Keep things like butter, salt, and oil in mind, and ask to skip whatever you don’t want.

The same rules apply here as in tip #1—if you see that the veggies are cooked in butter and you’d rather skip the puddles of butter, just ask if you can get them without it. Nine times out of ten, this is totally doable and your server will be happy to accommodate your requests.

4. Enjoy your experience!

You deserve it. In life, there are always moments when a little extravagance is in order. If you’ve been cooped up for months without access to restaurant food, go ahead and just enjoy a really great meal. Consider it part of your recharge strategy, and get right back on track the next morning.

Hopefully these tips are helpful for you! I’d love to know—are you heading back out to restaurants yet? Are you sticking to takeout for a little longer? Let me know in the comments! Personally, I’ve been practicing super strict social distancing, but I’m VERY excited for my favorite sushi place to open up again.

As always, what I wish for you in the upcoming week is that you’ll live a life you love without being hungry, feeling deprived, or giving up your glass of wine with dinner.

If you’d like more conversations like this, here’s your invite to join me over in my Facebook Community, Never Diet Again. Hope to see you there!