Have you recently resolved to eat a primarily vegan or raw-vegan food-based diet and are now wondering how you are going to dine out at regular food restaurants? This can definitely be a challenge following this sort of diet and lifestyle, especially if you want to maintain and hopefully grow your social life! Dining out at restaurants and in other peoples homes is definitely going to happen to. In fact-dining out is the most popular social activity of our culture.
You can absolutely eat a delicious, nutritious, vegan, and even raw meal at any restaurant, whether it caters to your particular diet or not. The most important tip for maintaining this type of diet is thinking ahead and bringing type of supplemental snack with you!
Most likely you're going to be ordering a salad at the restaurant. Perhaps it will be a chicken salad without the chicken, a shrimp salad without the shrimp, or an order or two of the simple house garden salad. If the restaurant offers an organic or local salad--even better for you!
Options for customized salads are almost limitless. It's easy to create your very own salad simply by scanning the restaurant menu for the salad ingredients and entree side vegetables. Now that you know what you have to work with, don't be afraid to ask your server for a salad to be put together for you. Start with the greens of your choice and then for a variety of vegetables. If you usually have avocado on your salad, scan the menu for guacamole or extra avocado as a side. Even if you have to pay the extra money, if avocado on your salad is going to make your meal more pleasant, go for it.
It's always a good idea to be as kind as you can when asking your server for special requests. They will most likely be more than happy to make sure you're happy with the food. When your salad comes out, you might have your company turning their heads in your directions complimenting you on your choice and wondering where your dish was on the menu. For your salad dressing, healthy vegan options are olive oil and vinegar, the house vinaigrette, or some plain extra slices of lemon squeezed all over it.
Now, you may not get enough protein, fat, carbohydrates, or calories from this salad and this is where a bit of planning comes in handy. In your purse or pocket, you might want to bring along a handful or two of nuts or seeds, dried fruit (can be your dessert!), a raw food bar, or a whole grain bar, in a small plastic baggie. You'll be glad that you did.
One of the worst things when eating out with friends and family is to still be hungry and thinking about eating while there is great conversation being made all around you. You want to feel comfortable and happy enough with your meal that you can be in the present moment and not give a second thought to what you just ate. This is probably the most important social aspects of succeeding with a special diet--to do whatever it takes to be happy and satiated with our meals out!
Superfoods are another option to add to your customized salads. Of course, you would have to bring these with you from home. Hemp seeds, sea vegetables, and goji berries are easy to pack superfoods. This could raise the nutrition of the food from 10 fold, especially if eating out at a non-organic restaurant, which is usually the case. Just be sure to prepare yourself for some extra attention when putting these foods on your salad. It will definitely depend on how you're with if you do this or not.
More tips for dining out at a regular restaurant on a vegan or raw-food diet:
Candied nuts and seeds often are added to salads and are coated with sugar so beware if you're avoiding sugar or excess oil. Watch for cheese or dairy-based salad dressings that come automatically on the salad if you don't ask for them to be held. A date or some dried fruit and a small piece of chocolate is a great idea to bring with you for your own personal after meal dessert, especially if everyone in your party will be ordering dessert after the meal. Plain steamed vegetables make a great side or entree to your salad if you're not on a 100% raw food diet.
Others in your party may or may not notice what you're doing. If you're comfortable, confident, and nonchalant about what you're doing, they probably wont notice. They're more likely to notice and focus on you if you feel uncomfortable and embarrassed about it yourself. Others may be a bit interested in what you're eating and will even comment on how good your food looks!
Try to have a simple definition planned and rehearsed about your diet that you can give others if and when they ask. The easiest line to give is "I'm just trying something new out right now," or "This is just how I prefer to eat right now and I'm feeling the results already." Whatever you say, try to say it in the most positive and confident way possible.
If you're not comfortable dining out with others on the vegan or raw-vegan food diet and lifestyle, you can always eat beforehand and let others know you had a late lunch or breakfast. Just make sure to bring a snack in your purse or pocket just in case you'll be out for a while.
No matter what type of diet you adhere to, hopefully you will now to able to comfortably eat out at any sort of restaurant. Eating out may not be as enjoyable as it used to be when it comes to the food--because you are now eating much more nutritious meals at home but maintaining that social component is very important for your long term success of your diet. Maybe next time you're friends want to meet up for a meal you could propose a new vegan or raw food restaurant that you've never been to before. They might have a change of heart on how delicious and beautiful these meals can be! - 15343
You can absolutely eat a delicious, nutritious, vegan, and even raw meal at any restaurant, whether it caters to your particular diet or not. The most important tip for maintaining this type of diet is thinking ahead and bringing type of supplemental snack with you!
Most likely you're going to be ordering a salad at the restaurant. Perhaps it will be a chicken salad without the chicken, a shrimp salad without the shrimp, or an order or two of the simple house garden salad. If the restaurant offers an organic or local salad--even better for you!
Options for customized salads are almost limitless. It's easy to create your very own salad simply by scanning the restaurant menu for the salad ingredients and entree side vegetables. Now that you know what you have to work with, don't be afraid to ask your server for a salad to be put together for you. Start with the greens of your choice and then for a variety of vegetables. If you usually have avocado on your salad, scan the menu for guacamole or extra avocado as a side. Even if you have to pay the extra money, if avocado on your salad is going to make your meal more pleasant, go for it.
It's always a good idea to be as kind as you can when asking your server for special requests. They will most likely be more than happy to make sure you're happy with the food. When your salad comes out, you might have your company turning their heads in your directions complimenting you on your choice and wondering where your dish was on the menu. For your salad dressing, healthy vegan options are olive oil and vinegar, the house vinaigrette, or some plain extra slices of lemon squeezed all over it.
Now, you may not get enough protein, fat, carbohydrates, or calories from this salad and this is where a bit of planning comes in handy. In your purse or pocket, you might want to bring along a handful or two of nuts or seeds, dried fruit (can be your dessert!), a raw food bar, or a whole grain bar, in a small plastic baggie. You'll be glad that you did.
One of the worst things when eating out with friends and family is to still be hungry and thinking about eating while there is great conversation being made all around you. You want to feel comfortable and happy enough with your meal that you can be in the present moment and not give a second thought to what you just ate. This is probably the most important social aspects of succeeding with a special diet--to do whatever it takes to be happy and satiated with our meals out!
Superfoods are another option to add to your customized salads. Of course, you would have to bring these with you from home. Hemp seeds, sea vegetables, and goji berries are easy to pack superfoods. This could raise the nutrition of the food from 10 fold, especially if eating out at a non-organic restaurant, which is usually the case. Just be sure to prepare yourself for some extra attention when putting these foods on your salad. It will definitely depend on how you're with if you do this or not.
More tips for dining out at a regular restaurant on a vegan or raw-food diet:
Candied nuts and seeds often are added to salads and are coated with sugar so beware if you're avoiding sugar or excess oil. Watch for cheese or dairy-based salad dressings that come automatically on the salad if you don't ask for them to be held. A date or some dried fruit and a small piece of chocolate is a great idea to bring with you for your own personal after meal dessert, especially if everyone in your party will be ordering dessert after the meal. Plain steamed vegetables make a great side or entree to your salad if you're not on a 100% raw food diet.
Others in your party may or may not notice what you're doing. If you're comfortable, confident, and nonchalant about what you're doing, they probably wont notice. They're more likely to notice and focus on you if you feel uncomfortable and embarrassed about it yourself. Others may be a bit interested in what you're eating and will even comment on how good your food looks!
Try to have a simple definition planned and rehearsed about your diet that you can give others if and when they ask. The easiest line to give is "I'm just trying something new out right now," or "This is just how I prefer to eat right now and I'm feeling the results already." Whatever you say, try to say it in the most positive and confident way possible.
If you're not comfortable dining out with others on the vegan or raw-vegan food diet and lifestyle, you can always eat beforehand and let others know you had a late lunch or breakfast. Just make sure to bring a snack in your purse or pocket just in case you'll be out for a while.
No matter what type of diet you adhere to, hopefully you will now to able to comfortably eat out at any sort of restaurant. Eating out may not be as enjoyable as it used to be when it comes to the food--because you are now eating much more nutritious meals at home but maintaining that social component is very important for your long term success of your diet. Maybe next time you're friends want to meet up for a meal you could propose a new vegan or raw food restaurant that you've never been to before. They might have a change of heart on how delicious and beautiful these meals can be! - 15343
About the Author:
Lenette Nakauchi is a raw superfoodist living in Chicago who is passionate about teaching, coaching and demonstrating to others how to go and stay raw in a fun, healthy, sustainable way. Learn more about the raw food lifestyle and about superfoods by visiting her informational websites www.gorawhavefun.com and www.eatsuperfoods.com.
