Keys to success when eating out:
- Eat mindfully: slow down and take time to enjoy your food and enjoy the company you’re in, don’t rush, don’t watch TV or use electronics while eating
- Reduce meat, processed food, salty, sugary, and deep fried foods
- No matter what else you order, make sure to get some vegetables, beans, and/or fruits too (i.e. keep your meal well-balanced by ordering AT LEAST an equal amount of vegetables/fruits/beans as meat/fish/carbs)
- For sandwiches add toppings like peppers, spinach, avocado, tomatoes, olives, onions; opt for mustard and light or no mayo; use whole grain/multigrain bread
- For salads add toppings like nuts, seeds, fruits (apples, oranges, berries), and non-leafy vegetables (carrots, cucumber, radish); opt for oil/vinegar/mustard-based dressings rather than ranch/thousand island
- Side dishes: opt for brown rice if available, and get veggies like (with Korean food) bean sprouts, cabbage, kabocha, kim chee, seaweed, watercress or (with Japanese food) edamame, miso soup, pickled vegetables, and tofu; and so on…
- Be aware: not every menu item at these restaurants is necessarily healthy, however, we’ve selected these places because they have a reasonable number of healthy options. The choice is yours.
