Eating Out as a Flexitarian: Tips and Strategies for Healthy Choices
As a flexitarian, your eating habits are mostly plant-based, but you still enjoy meat in moderation. While it may be easy to stick to your diet when cooking at home, eating out can be challenging. However, with some preparation and a few smart strategies, you can make healthy choices while dining out without compromising on taste.
Here are some tips that will help you navigate menus and enjoy your meals:
1. Research the Restaurant
Before heading out to eat, do some research online about the restaurant’s menu and options for vegetarians or vegans. Many restaurants these days offer vegetarian or vegan options on their menus – even fast-food chains like Burger King and KFC have started offering plant-based alternatives.
If the restaurant doesn’t have any vegetarian or vegan options listed on their website or menu card, call them ahead of time to inquire about their dishes’ ingredients. You can explain that you’re looking for plant-based options so they can guide you accordingly.
2. Look for Veggie-Based Dishes
When scanning the menu at a restaurant, look for dishes that feature vegetables as the main ingredient rather than meat. Salads are always an excellent choice; however, make sure they don’t contain any hidden animal products like bacon bits or cheese.
Other vegetable-rich dishes include stir-fries made with tofu or tempeh instead of meat; pasta dishes with tomato sauce; roasted vegetables served over rice; and bean soups.
3. Swap Out Meat-Based Entrees
Most restaurants allow substitutions in their entrees; hence this is another great way to customize your dish according to your preferences while sticking to healthy choices.
For instance, if there is chicken fettuccine Alfredo on the menu – swap it out by requesting whole-grain pasta with marinara sauce loaded with veggies such as onions and mushrooms instead of chicken Alfredo sauce. If a wrap or sandwich is your choice, ask for grilled vegetables instead of meat.
4. Be Mindful of Condiments and Dressings
Sauces and dressings may seem harmless, but they can add up to a lot of calories and fat if not used in moderation. Avoid creamy sauces like ranch or Caesar dressing; instead, go for oil-based dressings like vinaigrette.
You can also request condiments on the side so that you can control how much you use – this works well with ketchup, mustard, and mayo.
5. Don’t be Afraid to Customize
Many restaurants are happy to customize their dishes according to customer preferences. Suppose there’s an entree that looks appealing but contains something you don’t want to eat (like cheese or meat). In that case, it never hurts to ask if the restaurant can replace it with another ingredient or leave it off altogether.
6. Choose Sides Wisely
Most restaurants offer sides such as fries or onion rings alongside their meals; however, these options are often high in calories and unhealthy fats. Instead of fries, opt for steamed veggies or a side salad with light dressing.
Sweet potato fries are becoming increasingly popular as a healthier alternative to traditional French fries – if available at the restaurant you’re dining in- go for them!
7. Skip Desserts (or Share)
Desserts at restaurants are often loaded with sugar and unhealthy ingredients; therefore skipping dessert entirely is always the best option when trying to maintain healthy eating habits while dining out.
However, suppose you must indulge in something sweet after dinner – sharing dessert with someone else is an excellent way of satisfying your cravings without overindulging on sweets alone!
In conclusion:
Eating out doesn’t have to mean compromising on taste while sticking true to your flexitarian diet! By doing some research ahead of time about menu options offered by different eateries- asking questions about ingredients where necessary, customizing dishes to your preferences, and being mindful of sides and condiments used- you can enjoy delicious meals that are healthy for you too!
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