In A Food Mood

Last week I promised I would come back today to talk about what I eat when I go out to eat. That was one of my first concerns when I started the diet two years ago-- how I would eat out because eating out is one of my favorite things and I didn't want to give it up. And while I had to give up Wendy's hamburgers and Chick Fil A fries, I didn't have to give up eating out. Actually I find myself eating out more now than before, because there are times when my family is eating something I can't have, so I treat myself to a salad from somewhere to make up for it. I think that's entirely fair! I can't have spaghetti, but I can have takeout!

Ok here's the list of some of my favorites:

Panera: I get their Asian Chicken Salad. If I am feeling especially militant, I ask them to take off the little fried noodle things they put on top.

Outback: I get their smallest filet and a salad and steamed broccoli on the side. I love, love, love this meal and could eat it once a week.

Red Robin: They have a protein burger (hamburger wrapped in lettuce) that I crave. It comes with a side salad with balsamic vinagrette and I just found out they also offer melon as a side. Perfect! I could also eat this once a week too. Possibly more.

Chick Fil A: I don't eat cheese (I know, I know that's weird) so their salads are not an option for me as they come already prepared with cheese. But I get a grilled chicken sandwich, take off the bun and use the pieces of lettuce to hold it. (Sounds weird but it works) Instead of fries, I get fruit.

QDoba (or any Mexican quick cuisine type restaurant): I get a naked burrito with lettuce as the bed, shredded beef on top, mild salsa and a scoop of guacamole. I leave off the rice and beans. It's still very filling and yummy.

I have also found that at most any restaurant you can order a piece of grilled chicken and a side salad. So if you're out, you can find something to order. This past weekend I ate at Fatz and let me tell you, when you're in a place called Fatz, that's a clue that it might not be the best place to eat healthy. :) But I was with other people so I went along with it. I ended up ordering a wrap and steamed broccoli on the side. It worked out fine. Maybe not perfect but good enough. Definitely better than some of the fried and fattening things that I saw on the menu. It all looked really really good mind you, just not something I could partake of.

The point is, eating healthy doesn't mean you can't enjoy yourself. It's still possible to do that. I didn't know that before. Now I do.

I hope you've enjoyed the last three weeks of talking about eating healthy. Next week I'll go back to stuff you can make for your family and I will update you from time to time with how I am doing with my healthy eating lifestyle... not diet.