Tips to Making Healthy Decisions When Dining Out!
Mastering Dining Out: Smart Nutrition Choices for Health-Conscious Diners Nutrition: Mastering Dining Out Let’s face it, dining out is a big part of life. At Fitness Retreat, we believe that maintaining a healthy diet while dining out is not only possible but also essential for your overall wellness. Here are some smart tips to keep in mind next time you’re dining out: Don’t Skip Meals: Avoid the temptation to skip meals earlier in the day to “save up” for the evening. This can lead to overeating when you’re famished. Instead, stick to your regular eating schedule to avoid overindulging. Look for Key Words : Scan the menu for terms like “roasted”, “grilled”, “poached”, or “steamed”. These indicate healthier cooking methods with less added fat and calories. Don’t hesitate to ask your server for details on how the food is prepared and make substitutions as needed. Avoid Unhealthy Options: Steer clear of items that are “fried”, “smothered”, “sautéed”, or “covered”, as these are usually higher in calories and less nutritious. Enjoy the Experience: Take your time, eat slowly, and savor the social aspect of dining out. Eating slowly allows your brain to register fullness, helping you consume fewer calories and aiding digestion. Balance Your Plate: Aim for a mix of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in your meal. Opt for dishes that include lean proteins, whole grains, and plenty of vegetables to create a balanced and satisfying meal. Dressings and Sauces on the Side: Ask for dressings and sauces to be served on the side so you can control the amount you use. A little goes a long way, and this simple adjustment can save you unnecessary calories. Practice Portion Control: Restaurant portions are often larger than necessary. Consider taking home half of your meal or ask for a takeout box when your food arrives to avoid overeating. Portion control is key to managing calorie intake. Moderation is Key: If you dine out regularly, allow yourself one indulgence, such as a glass of wine or a small dessert. Remember, moderation is key to enjoying treats without derailing your progress. On average, Americans eat over 200 meals away from home each year. By following these smart tips, you can make healthier choices while dining out and enjoy restaurant food without compromising your nutrition goals. Making small changes over time can lead to significant improvements in your overall health and well-being. Karen Sherwood, NC, HHP Enhance your wellness journey with the Fit Culture App! Access personalized fitness plans, track your progress, and stay motivated on the go with the Fit Culture App.
Mastering Pizza Cravings: Satisfy Your Taste Buds and Stay Fit with Healthy Choices
Mastering Pizza Cravings: Satisfy Your Taste Buds and Stay Fit with Healthy Choices Healthy Pizza Choices: Savoring Pizza Without the Guilt After years of working at our Fitness Retreat, it’s hard to say we haven’t heard it all. Healthy pizza choices are very important to most people, and rightfully so. Pizza is a delicious, sinful little treat that we need to have. This is one of the many scenarios that happen all too often… It’s Friday afternoon, you are leaving your office after a long hard week, and you are looking forward to a much-needed break. As you begin your drive home, you are thinking about being home, relaxing, and maybe even rewarding yourself for all of the hard work you have done. Maybe it even occurs to you that you are feeling as if you have earned it. Surely everyone deserves a reward now and then, you think. As this thought crosses your mind, you pass by a Pizza Hut that seems to be calling your name. With your eyes fixated on the big red and white sign, your car appears to be steering itself into the driveway. Before you realize it, you have devoured several slices of the delicious deep-dish pizza, and as a feeling of guilt washes over you, it occurs to you that this does not feel like a reward. That is what many pizza lovers struggle with, which is why we are here to help with healthy pizza choices. As with most rewards, the tendency to go overboard with pizza, or any food for that matter, is ever-present. While we have all used food either consciously or unconsciously as a reward at some point, we have all probably also abused it as well. As you can see from the example given above, without conscious awareness of what we are doing, this tendency becomes magnified. Much of the reason for this is due to the fact that when we are not aware of what we are doing, we are at a loss to change it. As you can see from above, the reality of our actions does not occur to us until after we have already done them. Clearly, at that point, it is much too late. It is usually then that we feel overwhelmed with guilt. The difference between using something, food or anything else as a reward, and abusing it, is being consciously aware of what we are doing. With this awareness, we are armed with the power of choice about what we do. This, of course, enables us to evaluate our decisions, negotiate for what we want, and leave the situation feeling satisfied. This sense of choice applies to everything we do, and in the area of weight loss, it becomes invaluable. Applying a sense of choice to foods, we are able to evaluate every decision we make, weighing the impact of what we want to eat, against where we want to be. If we want to eat a hot fudge sundae, yet we want to fit into that pair of pants currently collecting dust in our closet, we are going to have to make some serious choices. The reason this choice becomes so important is that without evaluating it clearly, one of two things will inevitably happen: we will either avoid the sundae, telling ourselves we can never have it, feel deprived, and end up overdoing it later, or we will avoid thinking anything, just have it anyway without thinking about it, and end up overdoing it and feeling guilty. Avoiding both of these negative situations then becomes dependent on our ability to think clearly through the decision-making process. Obviously, we can neither avoid the sundae totally nor have all of it right now, as neither one of these choices satisfies both of our wants and goals. So, we are going to have to be able to negotiate with ourselves for both these wants and goals and look for a third option. When it comes to pizza, healthy pizza choices come in many slices, pardon the pun. We can either have less of the dangerous deep-dish version, reducing the total caloric impact of it, or we can come up with a healthier version. That is just what Fitness Retreat has done. Offering tasty, yet surprisingly healthy versions of the foods we love is what this company specializes in. Imagine pizza that is fresh, healthy, and guilt-free! Cauliflower Pizza Crust Recipe Ingredients: 2 pounds cauliflower florets, riced 1 egg, beaten ⅓ cup soft goat cheese (chevre) 1 teaspoon dried oregano Pinch of salt Method: Preheat your oven to 400°F. To make the cauliflower rice, pulse batches of raw cauliflower florets in a food processor until a rice-like texture is achieved. Fill a large pot with about an inch of water and bring it to a boil. Add the “rice” and cover; let it cook for about 4-5 minutes. Drain into a fine-mesh strainer. This is the secret: Once you’ve strained the rice, transfer it to a clean, thin dishtowel. Wrap up the steamed rice in the dishtowel, twist it up, then squeeze all the excess moisture out! It’s amazing how much extra liquid will be released, which will leave you with a nice and dry pizza crust. In a large bowl, mix your strained rice, beaten egg, goat cheese, and spices. (Don’t be afraid to use your hands! You want it very well mixed.) It won’t be like any pizza dough you’ve ever worked with, but don’t worry– it’ll hold together! Press the dough out onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (It’s important that it’s lined with parchment paper, or it will stick.) Keep the dough about ⅓” thick, and make the edges a little higher for a “crust” effect, if you like. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 400°F. The crust should be firm and golden brown when finished. Now’s the time to add all your favorites–sauce, cheese, and any other toppings you like. Return the pizza to the 400°F