I’ve been on the road a lot lately and it got me thinking of how impossible it can be to eat out AND stay sugar-free.
Almost ALL restaurants… even the healthy ones… are using white flour and other forms of sugar in their recipes.
So I wanted to share a few great tips with you today. Use these 5 tips next time you’ll be eating out of the house!
- Instead of asking if a dish has sugar in it, ask what “sweetener” it has. 90% of the population has NO IDEA what sugar really is. So when you ask about just sugar, they are only thinking of the white table sugar. Asking about sweeteners will give you a more trustworthy answer to what’s really hiding in your food. Then from there, you can make your own decision.
- Look ahead at menus online or call ahead. Most restaurants have menus up online and can help you make decisions about what to eat BEFORE you get there. This takes away all of the pressure of asking a ton of questions at the restaurant.
- If you are choosing to have sweetener, ask if it’s possible for them to put it on the side. For example, if you’ve ordered a chai tea, you can ask them to put the honey on the side so you’ll be able to add your own tiny amount.
- Ask your friends. If you happen to be going to a friend’s house for dinner, it’s easy to call ahead and ask for a little information about what they are making. It’s helpful if you tell them what you’re trying to accomplish – ie. no sugar/less sugar. And then you can plan your own things accordingly.
- Pack a meal and snacks whenever you can. One of the biggest things that have helped me on my health journey was planning and packing meals ahead whenever I could. If I know I’m going to be on the road for lunch or dinner, I’ll just bring leftovers for myself. This way I don’t have to stop somewhere that may not have the type of food I want.
I hope you keep these tips top of mind next time you’re going to be eating out of the house.
The bottom line is that YES it is almost impossible to avoid sugar at restaurants and cafes.
This is why the real solution is to be preparing and enjoying your own food at home.
But, let’s face it, going out sometimes is just far too fun.
Love & Light,
Dani