Today’s clean eating tips for beginners is about what to eat when you’re away from home.
Eating clean at home is relatively easy. You cook what you want to eat and provided you have the right ingredients in your fridge and pantry you shouldn’t be too tempted by takeout and fast food.
Things get a little more complicated when you’re away from home, but I’ve got you covered.
Hello and welcome to Fearlessly Holistic.
My name is Irma and I want to share my journey to improved health by eating whole foods, moving my body and eliminating stress as much as possible.
It is my hope to inspire you to make daily changes. Why? Because eating fresh, seasonal food and getting some sunshine is the best way to increase longevity. But you do not want just a long life. You want a quality long life.
My blog posts are my opinion and the results of things that I have tried that either worked for me or didn’t. My opinions are for informational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. Medical advice should always be obtained from a qualified medical professional for any health conditions or symptoms associated with them. As well, there may be affiliate links in this post. Read more here.
Eating Healthy On The Run Requires Planning
Whether your traveling, on the go, or around the home, you don’t need to give up healthy eating simply because you are busy.
The fact is, healthy eating is even more important when your trying to keep up with a busy schedule. Having a good diet will help your body to handle stress better.
As you hustle about, a healthy meal is probably the last thing you think about.
However, with a bit of planning you will always be prepared to eat on the go.
You can take healthy food with you if you need to, so that you have it when you need it. Great travel foods are safe to eat at room temperature and portable, such as:
- Homemade “trail mix” (nuts and dried fruit).
- Stringable or other individual package of cheese
- Jerky
- Pork Rinds
- Fresh berries
I didn’t add pepperoni sticks because they can give you strong breath.
By all means pack a toothbrush.
As well, when you are eating in a restaurant or pub, on vacation, or otherwise not at home you can figure out what’s the most healthy of your available choices.
Planning ahead can keep you from derailing your healthy eating. Eating healthy on the go is easy to do, once you know how.
And remember: when you are full, stop eating. Listen to your body and what it tells you.
How to Eat Out With Clean Eating
The good thing about clean eating is that it isn’t difficult to eat out with this particular diet.
When You’re Going Out To Eat:
- Research the place ahead of time. Many restaurants have their menu online.
- Give them a call and see what they can do to accommodate you.
- Always look for food on the menu that’s baked, grilled, broiled, poached, or steamed.
You may be able to make some small tweaks in the menu to cut out foods you’re trying to avoid, like asking for an extra side of veggies instead of a baked potato or rice.
Here are some tips to follow when you want to eat out and stick to your clean eating lifestyle.
Make Your Choices Simple
When you are eating out, don’t make it complicated and choose one of the newest skillet meals or something that requires analyzing every single piece of the meal puzzle.
Instead, just go simple, especially when you are new to the clean eating diet.
This might mean simply ordering from the healthy part of the menu, like getting grilled chicken with steamed vegetables or the pan-seared salmon with a salad.
These are simple, easy meals you know most likely include ingredients you can have while on the clean eating diet.
Look For Steak or Seafood Restaurants
As far as the type of restaurant goes, steak and seafood should be at the top of your list.
While it is true you can find clean eating-approved meals just about anywhere, it is simpler when you don’t need to do a lot of substitutions. Or change half of what the meal is supposed to be.
Going to a steak and/or seafood restaurant makes it easy to order.
Steak restaurants already have steak as the main component for most of their dishes, and they usually offer a salad for the side dish.
With seafood restaurants, go for anything grilled or that is not breaded and fried, and you should be okay. Avoid dishes with pasta, creamy sauces (multiple mystery ingredients), or that come with tons of rice.
Stick with fresh or steamed veggies for a side dish whenever possible.
Be Smart About Fast Food
There are going to be some times when you need to choose food from a fast food restaurant. This is definitely not ideal, but it also doesn’t have to make or break the diet.
Try to get a side salad if you can, but think about the type of dressing you choose, or use no dressing at all.
With other menu items, do away with the bun or bread.
Try to get a grilled chicken sandwich ‘protein style’.
Most fast food restaurants will give you the grilled chicken sandwich with all the veggies, but no bun.
Many of them wrap it in a big lettuce leaf or put the burger (without the bun) into a container. Eat it with a knife and fork.
When in Doubt, Choose a Salad
There are going to be times when you just can’t make a decision, based on the type of restaurant it is. In this case, just try to order a salad with steak, seafood, or grilled chicken.
Try to get dressing on the side so you control the portion. Go for vinaigrette dressings before creamy dressing if you can.
Cobb salad, chef’s salad, or a large house salad are ideal. Make sure it has protein to fill you up.
Soups
Stick with broth-based soups instead of cream-based soups, which may contain questionable fats and starches.
Great choices are beef or chicken and vegetable soups.
Beverages
You should always try to drink water, diet soda, or tea instead of soda or beverages that contain alcohol.
It can be hard to stay in control of the drinks if it’s a big party, so pace yourself. Try to alternate an alcoholic beverage with a large glass of water. This helps your liver better process the alcohol.
Desserts
If you want to participate fully, try to find someone to split a dessert with you. Then you can eat and enjoy it knowing it’s not excessive.
If you can’t find anyone, look for something clean, such as berries or fruit.
Clean Eating When You’re Invited To Dinner
If you are not sure what type of food will be served, such as an open-house holiday buffet, eat before you go.
Not a full meal…more like a large snack. You don’t want to arrive hungry and be tempted by all the “off-limit” food options.
If it’s a sit-down dinner, depending on your relationship with the hostess, you may or may not want to mention your dietary restrictions.
Make the best choices you can.
At the end of the day, a few bites of processed foods won’t kill you.
Just avoid any known trigger foods and if you can, stay away from wheat and sugar.
Anytime you head out, even if it’s just for a few short hours, carry a healthy snack with you.
Keep some non-perishables like nuts and dried fruit in your purse along with some bottled water. No matter what happens, you’ll have your snack
and can make it until you get back home to cook a clean meal.
As key ingredients to your meal, choose dishes with fruits and vegetables. Both fruits and vegetables are great sources of dietary fiber as
well as many vitamins and minerals.
Clean Eating When You’re Traveling
Do your homework before you head out.
- What options will you have on the road and once you arrive at your destination?
- Is there are grocery stores close by?
- Will have access to a mini-fridge (if you’re staying in a hotel)?
Pack some emergency snacks in case you can’t find anything you can eat, like nuts, fruits, seeds and raw vegetables.
I’ve gotten pretty good at getting organized to eat healthy while traveling. I was never a jerky eater until I went full-Ketovore. Jerky has saved me more than once!
Look for nearby food places like:
- Chipotle (order without rice, beans, or corn)
- Wendy’s (salads with chicken are not bad)
- McDonald’s (Big Mac, no bun or the low carb breakfast).
When we were river-floating in summer, we ate tons of jerky and mixed nuts because we do 2or 3 runs in a row.
If you can, pack a little cooler with other ready to eat food. Having water and herbal teas on hand will also help when you’re traveling.
Clean Eating For Car Trips
Keep some healthy snacks in your car at all times, so that when you get hungry – you have them.
Always take water bottles so you’re not tempted to drink sugary drinks from fast food places.
Airports
An airport can be a very stressful place, although you shouldn’t scrap your diet because of it. Eat because you are hungry, not because of stress,boredom, or to kill time.
In airport cafeterias, look for small salads, cheese packages, jerky/pepperoni or get a sandwich and throw away the bread.
It’s easier than ever these days to request a Keto or low carb meal on airplane flights.
If you are driving to your destination, pack as much food as you need to avoid making unhealthy choices.
Pack some nutritious foods in a cooler full of ice packs:
- Ready-cut vegetables,with Ranch dressing dip (homemade or clean brand)
- Full-fat Greek-style yogurt with fresh berries
- Cubed cheese and nuts
At Your Destination
It can be very tempting to abandon your good sense of healthy eating on vacation. Although you may strive for healthy eating, it’s easy to drift off and grab an ice cream cone here and there.
There are however, ways to watch what you eat on vacation.
Once you arrive at your hotel, you should check your situation.
If your hotel offers a continental breakfast, avoid the processed hand-foods (muffins, bagel). Instead, look for eggs or other protein foods like cheese packages.
Or go somewhere else, like Denny’s.
Try to have a big protein breakfast to fuel your body. Then have a late lunch that is also high protein, like a Wendy’s Baconator (no bun).
When I eat a Baconator (no bun), I don’t need any other food for the day.
If your hotel has a stove or microwave, consider bringing your own healthy food with you.
If you find it hard to fit in three square meals a day, try to fit in six high-protein snacks.
Even though it may sound hard, eating healthy on vacation isn’t really that difficult.
All you have to do is use a little will power, and pass up foods that you know aren’t good for you.
This way, you’ll enjoy healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle wherever you go.
The next time you go on a vacation, always remember that eating healthy is a way of life. You can afford to get something you crave, although you
shouldn’t make a habit of it. One ice cream cone or a pizza isn’t going to matter – as long as you know when to stop.
Clean Eating Tips For Healthy Holiday Eating
When the holidays arrive, many people forget all about their diets and healthy eating. Weight gains of 7 – 10 pounds are common between
Halloween and Christmas.
To make the holidays easier, these tips will help:
- Turkey is a great source of protein, and a little gravy is okay.
- Skip potatoes and have extra veggies. The exception is for veggies with processed ingredients added (green bean casserole) or sugar (Sweet potato casseroles).
- Eat plenty of vegetables, good fats, and protein FIRST. Then have a small treat.
- Crustless pumpkin pie is fine. Top with real whipped cream, not cool whip or other fake toppings
- Small servings of treats are okay, but not to excess. If you think the foods will cause you to quit eating healthy, AVOID them.
- Avoid cocktails with sugary mixes. And watch the eggnog!
- Plan to take a walk after meals, park farther from stores when you shop, and take a few walks around the mall before you begin shopping.
Decide on what you plan to eat in advance, then stick to your plan. Be flexible with your healthy eating, as one bad meal won’t ruin your diet.
Conclusion
Clean eating away from home does not have to be difficult if you plan ahead. And you may learn something about your local cafes…like which ones have clean food.
I’m now in the habit of checking local stores for their jerky selections. It can be pricey, so I watch for sales and stock up. I don’t go on a road trip without it!
Last summer I found jerky trail mix. It had mini chocolate chips, which I ate to see how the mix tasted. It’s kind of a new take on the whole salty crunchy thing. It’s not in our stores yet.
Holistic approaches never just address symptoms of specific health problems, but instead aim to return or keep the patient in a state of balanced health between mind, body, and spirit. Holism targets overall wellness, and when we are well, we only get better with age.
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Until next time, here’s to our health!
-Irma