Road trips, camping are holidays are definitely where most people fall off the wagon.  It is tough to eat clean away from home but it can be done; start with a plan, pack and leave home prepared.  Bring Ziploc or Tupperware with chopped veggies, hard boiled eggs, Kashi bars or other healthy little snacks to avoid falling into the gas station “trap”.  If you get caught in a situation where you have nothing to eat, find a supermarket and pick up some crunchy veggies or rice crackers to munch on.  At the coffee shop skip the fancy frappe latte drinks that can contain upwards of 500 calories- coffee or tea works.  When you’re away for meals check out the following tips on eating out:

 

Eating Out!

·                      Skip the appies!  They are 99.9% garbage!  If you really want one, a veggie platter falls into that .01%.  Just skip the dip. 

 

·                      Preparation is key. Order foods that have been steamed, baked, broiled, grilled, stir-fried or roasted. The hidden fat and calories add up quickly when food is fried, deep-fried, breaded or served with rich sauces and creamy dips.

 

·                      Hold the toast, the hashbrowns, the potatoe, the pasta…  Get salad greens and steamed veggies instead.   The only is exception is if they have brown rice- brown rice is good for you in small portions.

 

·                      Go full steam ahead with the vegetables…  You can't go wrong ordering a side dish of vegetables- in fact I recommend it. Substitute your fries/hasbrowns/potato/pasta with extra vegetables.

 

·                      Be aware of crappy calorie packed salad dressings, spreads, cheese, sour cream, etc..  Hold the mayo, dip, sauce, salad dressing, butter or margarine.  You can ask for a side of olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon/lime juice, salsa, ketchup, mustard and add it yourself, controlling how much you use.

 

·                      Drink water, soda water, carbonated lemon lime water (San Peligrino or Perrier), coffee or unsweetened tea.  Ask for a slice of lemon or lime for a little extra flavor.  If you are going to have a glass of wine cut it with soda water- it will last twice as long and your body will have more time to “deal with” the sugars.

 

·                      Keep it small.  Portion sizes are super-human at most restaurants; share a meal with a friend or take home leftovers.  Don’t ever feel like you have to “clean the plate”.

 

·                      Meals out often have calorie counts as high as 1000…  Ask for the nutrition information of menu choices or surf the restaurant's website ahead of time to look for healthier options.

 

Most important thing to do when you’re eating out- don’t be scared to ask for what you need!  You are a paying customer, so get what you want.    What do you want?  Well….   What do you need?  Clean lean protein, salad greens and veggies…  In example say,  “I’d like a piece of lean chicken, salad greens and some steamed veggies.  Can I also get some salsa and a side of balsamic vinegar?”  or  “Can I please have a the baked salmon fillet with salad greens instead of the baked potatoe and an extra side of steamed veggies?”  or  “I’ll have the spring salad, but without the cheese, the dressing on the side and I’d like to add a shrimp skewer to it please.” Or, last example “I’ll have the turkey burger, no bun, hold the mayo, no fries and I’d be really happy if the cooks would put it on top of salad greens instead” Make friends with the server- be sure you get  “please”, “thank you”, and “I really appreciate it”’ in there. 

 

Your body is your vehicle and your food is it’s fuel.  You wouldn’t try to run your car on Windex or Draino…  Your body needs what it was meant to run on- REAL FOOD

  

REAL PEOPLE GET REAL RESULTS WHEN THEY EAT REAL FOOD!