It’s summertime, and the livin’ continues to be easy. The days are longer, and we can be outside for meals. It’s hot, and we don’t want to cook. Let’s enjoy this wonderful weather! Let’s go out to eat! I’m right there with you!

The Rogue Nutritionist, and one of my favorites, Dr. Jonny Bowden, recently profiled a study which taught people how to make healthful choices in restaurants. Here are some of my suggestions, based on what Dr. Jonny advocates, for eating healthfully when away from home.

• Make simple choices. Eat plain food. This doesn’t mean boring food though. Look for entrees without sauces, coatings, etc. Try to choose food as close to its natural state as possible.
• Skip the breadbasket. Oh, the temptation! That bread basket just calls to you! So, ask your server to simply not bring it. If your dining partners insist on having the bread basket, ask them to take one piece and then ask your server to remove the rest. Or, place the basket as far from you as possible. I often ask myself, “would I have ordered this?”  If the answer is no, I try to get it off the table…or at least out of my mouth!
• Get raw! Olives, raw vegetables with salsa, and even a cheese plate make great appetizer choices. A small salad will do the trick, too. Ask for dressing on the side (ALWAYS ask for dressing on the side) so you can control he amount. Studies show that individuals who ate a small, green salad ate less food during their meal. Keep in mind this is a small salad, not one loaded with dried fruit and topped with a gooey dressing. As for that gooey dressing, a little goes a l-o-n-g way. Taste the greens, not the dressing.
• Choose lean protein instead of pasta. A big plate of fettuccini Alfredo will spike and crash your blood sugar and help you store fat. Choose a lean protein instead, like salmon, poultry, lamb, or steak. And avoid any meat with the words “breaded” or “battered” beside it. Baked, grilled, steamed, and even blackened are words your body likes.
• Swap the starch for another vegetable. Rather than rice pilaf or a baked potato, think green with something like sautéed spinach or roasted zucchini with garlic. Choose whatever vegetables sound good to you, as long as they aren’t too starchy. If you do choose a baked potato, for instance, ask if the restaurant serves good, yummy butter. You heard me – butter! If it’s organic, that’s a big plus! Adding a healthy fat to your starch helps nullify the effects of the starch on our blood sugar.
• Swap the sugary dessert for fresh fruit. The easiest way to undo a healthy meal is a big, sugar-laden dessert. Ask instead for fresh berries or the fruit-and-cheese plate along with a cup of green or herbal tea. If you must have dessert – and dessert can be okay sometimes - try to get your other tablemates to share it with you so you can have a bite or two. That can often be enough to satisfy your desire for sweetness!

To read more great ideas from Dr. Jonny, visit www.jonnybowden.com.
To Your Vitality!