In a world of curbside, take out only, and home delivery, how can we continue to support local businesses and make healthy choices with the increase of “eating out”? This is a picture of me on a date with my handsome husband at a restaurant that has an awesome outdoor set up.
Being that not everywhere has that option, here are my top 3 tips for making healthy choices when you’re ordering in:
1. Check out where the ingredients are from
Look for descriptions that will say something like, “we source local ingredients”, “farm to table”, or “only quality ingredients”.
Declaration of ingredient sourcing = higher chance of healthier food.
These restaurants are few and far between, but it is something I usually look for first when I’m deciding where I want to order from. These restaurants are usually a healthier option, & they are supporting farms with good practices.
2. Prioritize nutrients
One of the ways to get the best “bang for your buck”, so to speak is to look at how much meat & vegetables are in a meal.
Let’s compare a pasta dish to a grilled chicken & vegetable dish - let’s say the pasta is $12 and the chicken dish is $14. Even though it's more expensive, I’m getting WAY more nutritional value by having chicken & vegetables.
It’s important to look at the COST. Cost includes more than dollars. If I consistently order cheap, less nutritious food, while I’ll be saving money, I’ll be losing ground in my health that often ends up requiring a LOT more dollars than I’m saving on food.
3. Make your favorites healthier
Ask questions about the options you have for customization and make adjustments based on what will provide you with a meal more closely aligned with your health goals. Some swaps that I’ll make:
- Salad or veggies instead of fries - Bunless burgers - Double salad or veggies instead of rice - Salad dressing on the side (then use my own since most restaurants use canola oil based dressings) - On dishes that have minimal veggies, I ask them to double or triple the veggies - On salads or dishes that don’t have meat, I add it
I’m curious! What are your favorite take out orders? Share below or shoot me a message and let’s brainstorm how to healthify it!