How to Eat Out Without Ditching Your Diet

You're doing your utmost to follow a nutritious diet, you know the drill. From Monday through Thursday, you've got it down pat. You start each day with a nutritious breakfast and pack delicious snacks to go. Lunch is lean and mean, and dinner is clean and green.

However, life takes over on Friday, and you want to go out! No one can eat every meal at home, even though cooking at home is the best way to eat healthily. Here are some doable suggestions for eating out without breaking your diet.

How About Coffee?

Dining out should be a “sometimes” thing, so reserve your restaurant meals for special occasions and get coffee instead. Getting coffee or tea instead of a meal out may be an equally intimate way to meet up with friends, connect with family and save yourself some serious calories.

Get it To Go Before You Get Your Meal:

No one wants to be the extremely picky diner at a restaurant. But don't be afraid to request a box to go up front if you find yourself at a place with fewer than healthful selections. Make a promise to yourself that you will order whatever you want, but only consume half of it. Savor your share of that restaurant dinner now, take the remainder home, and eat it as leftovers.

Skip the Bread:

It's well known that eating inexpensive carbohydrates at restaurants makes you feel full. How frequently do you extol the virtues of a restaurant's bread? Although some restaurants provide amazing bread, it's usually lukewarm, almost stale, and hardly worth the calories. Do yourself a favor and decline the bread basket if the server approaches you carrying it. Hold off on eating the things that are hard to prepare at home. Bypassing the bread, you'll save unnecessary calories and enjoy your meals more.

Learn the Lingo:

If you've worked in a restaurant, you know the language of the kitchen. Ask your server about dish preparation to avoid unnecessary fats. Request items without added butter or oil, and ask for condiments on the side to manage calorie intake efficiently.

Front-Load Your Food:

When dining out, pace yourself by strategies like pausing between bites and chewing thoroughly to recognize fullness cues. To control intake, start with low-calorie, high-volume foods like soups and salads. Stay mindful by having a snack beforehand, sharing entrees, and limiting restaurant visits for better meal enjoyment.

Steps to Supporting a Healthy Thyroid:

1. Amp Up the Antioxidants: For a healthy thyroid, eat fruits and veggies like cherries, tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, and blueberries rich in antioxidants. If you have hypothyroidism, consider limiting soy and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts, which can lower thyroid hormone production.

2. Sneak in Selenium: Selenium is a mineral acting as an antioxidant, protecting the thyroid and regulating hormone synthesis and metabolism. Low selenium intake is linked to Grave’s disease, an autoimmune hyperthyroidism. Good sources include brazil nuts, turkey, tuna, and sunflower seeds.

3. Replace Refined Grains: Opt for whole grains like oats, buckwheat, quinoa, and amaranth (seeds) over refined grains (pasta, white rice, white bread, cereal) for thyroid health. Adding healthy fats in place of some grains can support hormone balance and thyroid function.

4. Increase Iodine: Thyroid hormone is produced by the thyroid using dietary iodine. Fish, seaweed, and iodized salt all contain iodine. However, more iodine won't benefit the thyroid gland in Hashimoto's disease.

5. Consider Eliminating Gluten and Dairy: Leaky gut lets large proteins (like gluten and casein) enter the bloodstream, harming the thyroid and causing inflammation. Switching to gluten-free grains, going grain-free, and opting for a2, goat, or sheep milk products can aid thyroid healing.

6. Calming cortisol: As a stress hormone, cortisol has been linked to weight gain at higher levels.

7. Exercise: Blood circulation throughout the body is improved and increased by aerobic activity. It improves thyroid hormone circulation, burns calories, and builds muscle to raise metabolism.

Although all of these can benefit your thyroid, it is always advisable to consult your physician to determine which course of action is best for you.