Following a nutritional plan doesn’t mean that you should avoid social situations or feel stressed and lost when you travel. After all, sharing meals with people can provide a sense of wellbeing, and work related travel might be unavoidable. It just takes a little time to get used to different choices and courage to speak up about your needs. Sometimes you may need to persuade friends and family where to eat, too. You may also have to quit your usual favourites. Saying that, restaurants are very accommodating and they don’t mind doing little tweaks, especially that you’re the customer who pays for the experience. Try and get creative ;)
One of my food related mantras is: you can always pick something better. This means that even if you’re in the worst possible junk food place, there will always be a better option. Even if far from good, you can always try and pick the best out of what is available to you.
Although health plans vary from person to person and some people will have to be more cautious (the 80/20 rule certainly does not apply to everyone!), here are my general tips to make the most out of dining:
If possible, pick a restaurant with good food ethos although these can be expensive. Don’t get discouraged from eating out because of prices. Do the best that you can afford, even if it’s not ideal.
Ask the waiter not to bring bread. Olives and pickles, on the other hand, are great as they can enhance digestion. Olives dipped in alioli are my favourite but be careful as it can be very filling and some people may find this combination hard to digest due to the high amount of combined fat.
If you want to avoid sugar, ask the waiter not to bring out the dessert menu - you will avoid the temptation.
When possible, play around with the menu, mix and match different menu components. You can, for example, order fish or meat from one dish and a vegetable side dish from another dish.
Best to avoid deep fried or battered foods in general (e.g. KFC style chicken, fries, chicken Kiev, fish and chips, fried cheese, battered and fried calamari) but if you have no choice, go for just the protein and a salad or other vegetables that are available - skip sandwich type meals and do not get the fries.
In general, I recommend ordering either grilled or quickly pan-seared meat or fish (or seafood) with a double portion of vegetables, or two vegetable sides. If you are active or want to bulk up, grab a portion of starch like rice or boiled potatoes. Drizzle vegetables with olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice, even if they are cooked. Vegetarians can go for grilled halloumi or goat’s cheese salad, or a veggie burger without a bun. The same double portion of vegetables and a possible starch rule applies.
Fast food places: go for non-battered chicken wings or a burger patty or two (without a bun), with a double salad. This is possible even at McDonald’s.
Italian restaurants: pick one that has options other than pasta and pizza. Carpaccio s always a great starter buf if dairy is ok for you, Caprese salad with buffalo mozzarella is a good choice too. For the main, you can ask for bolognese sauce over roasted or grilled vegetables instead of pasta. A good Italian place should also have a steak, meatballs and fish on the menu.
Asian restaurants (Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, Vietnamise): start with either a soup, skewers or ribs. For the main, opt for a stir fry type dish with rice or rice noodles, if starches are ok for you. If not, ask for extra vegetables on the side. If you like ramen, ask the waiter to swap ramen noodles for rice noodles. Sushi is excellent for rice eaters and one of the healthiest ways to eat fish. Sashimi is higher in protein than sushi and better if weightloss is your aim. If you’re new to raw fish, keep it mind that it’s practically flavourless but just to get you covered - wasabi mixed with soy sauce will mask anything :) Avoid meat and fish in batter like ‘sweet and sour’.
Indian restaurants: if poppadoms are made with just gram flour (no added wheat) and legumes are ok for you, go for it. My best recommendation is tandoori meat or prawns with a vegetable side and optional rice. A cream and sugar free curry and steamed rice is also fine, plus a vegetable side. if rice is not recommended on your plan, then have the meal with a vegetable side dish like spinach and potato saag, or okra. Vegetarians can go for paneer curry, and a little dahl is fine too. The sauces that are free of cream include rogan josh, bhuna, jalfrezi or madras but double check with the restaurant. Biryani is also ok for rice eaters but get it with a side of vegetables.
Burger: ask for no bun but keep the trimmings and get a side salad - this applies to both, meat and veggie burger. Perhaps the restaurant makes sweet potato fries - it’s always worth asking.
Steak: ask for a large side of vegetables and alternatively mashed or boiled potatoes instead of fries.
Salad dressing: ask for vinegar or a wedge of lemon and olive oil instead of ready-made dressings; dress the salad generously (approx. 2 table spoons of olive oil).
Dessert: ask for a fruit salad. It will satisfy the sweet tooth without making you feel guilty about having a dessert. Otherwise, get a sorbet. Some health oriented restaurants make great desserts and there will be more options.
Alcohol: if your health condition allows for some alcohol, enjoy a glass or two of dry, red wine, preferably biodynamic or organic. Otherwise, vodka with sparkling water, a couple of squeezed lime wedges and mint can replace a mojito. Neat rum is fine too, and so is gin and tonic. Alcohol dramatically slows down fat burning so keep that in mind if you are on a weight loss plan. For more information on alcohol and avoiding a hangover, read this post.
Digestive tips: eating out regularly compromises gut function, unfortunately. Practice caution if you often get bloated or suffer from IBS-like symptoms which includes diarrhoea, constipation or excess gas. Most importantly, enjoy the time out, don´t rush and chew properly. Lack of chewing is a starting point of more prominent digestive issues. The saliva activates important enzymes without which the small intestine cannot properly complete its job. The stomach doesn´t have any teeth so make it easier for the gut by chewing. If you order a salad, dress it liberally with olive oil and vinegar or lemon juice as it will greatly enhance digestion of raw veggies. You may also squeeze lemon juice over meat and seafood, for the very same reason. Ask for water without ice as cold drinks disrupt digestion and opt for either herbal tea which you can sip throughout the meal or a glass of dry wine. Wine acts as a digestive tonic but if you get a reaction to it like a rash, headache, burning, loose stools and insomnia - wine is clearly not a good option for you. If you tend to get bloated, quit starchy sides like potatoes, pasta, rice or noodles - even those gluten free. You can replace those with extra protein or cooked vegetables, depending on your preference or what you can digest better. Carry digestive enzymes, digestive bitters or fennel seeds to chew on with you. A glass of Cava or Prosecco with a little Campari is a great aperitif due to the bitterness. The golden rule in all gut conditions is simplicity. The less ingredients combined, the better.