Eating out

[PennyP]

What do you do about eating out when you keep a TF diet? Do you only eat out at people or restaurants who serve only TF? Do you just not go out to eat? Do you make some exceptions when out but have some non negotiables? If so, what are your exceptions but what is non negotiable? Just looking for ideas here...

[HappyTomato]

Coming from someone that isn't hardcore TF with every meal but strives to eat more TF everyday....I definitely avoid anything fried and stick with fresh items. For example I ate at a Tex-Mex place last week for lunch and had a scratch made chicken soup that had veggies in it and cheese on top that I didn't feel too terribly bad about. I also had a taco salad and just ate the greens, chicken and guacamole. Seafood (especially shrimp, my favorite) with veggies is another meal that I'll eat out and not feel guilt over. I would like to know what other people do too.

[PennyP]

How do you know when a soup is a from scratch chicken soup?
I did go to a restaurant recently and asked them if they specifically add msg as a spice to a certain dish. They said they did, so I asked them to leave it out. But that's it...

[HappyTomato]

Originally Posted by PennyP

How do you know when a soup is a from scratch chicken soup?

The waitress offered that info up when I asked about it. She said they made everything including the stock from scratch everyday. I was going to eat it either way but that eased my mind for sure.

[Magelet]

I pretty much only go to restaurants with a focus on local organic ingrediants. I figure they're less likely to throw in processed crap (though plenty of white flour) if they're touting produce from down the road. Occasionally, I say the heck with TF when eating out. I love fried chicken from this one restaurant. I'm sure it's fried in veggie oil. The worst we do is sometimes we split a double burger at the pub we go dancing at. Its 8 bucks and enough for two people, and it's horrible. cafo beef, mushrooms probably sauted in soy oil, crappy veggies full of pesticides, on a white sandwhich roll which is clearly full of dough conditioners and crap, etc. But it's also surprisingly tasty, cheap, and if we forgot to bring dinner to work to eat before we go dancing, it's cheap and filling and pretty tasty.

I do my best to eat well, but I also really don't worry about it. We eat out very rarely because we don't have the money, so I just focus on really yummy food, and eat healthy at home (and other's houses.)

[JMJ]

Besides trying to eat at restaurants that serve real food, I try to choose the "most real" foods I can find on the menu. I'll eat conventional meat if it's all that's available, but I'll choose eggs or fish before beef or chicken. I'll choose a baked potato or sourdough bread before whole grain before processed grains. I try to get my veggies without any sauce besides butter. If I get a salad, I dress it with olive oil and fresh lemon juice (just ask for lemon wedges on the side). To drink, I just get water, sometimes wine, and on occasion, I order thai coconut juice (coconut water with a small amount of added sugar) at our favorite thai restaurant. If I have dessert, I'll sometimes let myself go a bit, but I'd still prefer to avoid HFCS. I find that after a wholesome meal, my body can handle a bit of sugar. I like the desserts at the thai restaurant, because they tend to be coconut milk based.

[witchygrrl]

and thai iced tea is often made with coconut milk. yum yum yum.

I love Thai, Indian, and Mexican restaurants if I can't find an organic place. And I never order soda unless I know there's no HFCS. For fast food, we have Chipotle's and a Boloco, which is all burritos, and similar to Chipotle's, they use sustainable ingredients. Boloco is just Boston-area, though.

[Holiztic]

I just think about all the fabulously fresh, healthy, TF food I've eaten all day/week/month and then I order whatever I want and I enjoy.

This is coming from a woman that has suffered her whole life with anxiety, perfectionism, and the driving need to commit 110% to everything. I am really proud of myself for finding my way to this kind of flexibility!

I should say I don't worry about long-term health when I order out, but I do think about short-term feeling. Like if I am just getting over a cold I don't order mucous-forming food. I also happen to not like a plate full of fried food or super sugary treats, so that helps.