Eating out can often be the undoing of a good UnDiet day. It doesn’t have to be that way though. Once you understand the principles of The UnDiet you can eat anywhere and make choices that will support your weight loss and health goals.
Appetizers
Before ordering an appetizer or drink peruse the menu and decide whether you’ll be having a Protein, Starch or Neutral (veggies, nuts, tofu) meal, then order your appetizer and drinks accordingly.
When the waiter comes to the table, ask if there are any whole grain breads which can be substituted for some or all (depending on who you’re eating with) of the bread in the bread basket. If not, or if you’re having a Protein Meal, don’t eat from the bread basket.
If you don’t think you can survive watching everyone else eat from the bread basket, order Fruit juice, vegetable juice drink or UnDiet favorable appetizer (small salad, veggie plate, Fruit …). If you really feel you need a treat, order a glass of wine and a bottle of sparkling water and mix the two.
Choosing a Meal
Since few restaurants use whole grains, you’ll find that it’s usually easier to choose a Protein or Neutral Meal when eating out.
A burger is fine, just ask the waiter to bring it without the bun (it’s easier to not eat something that’s you never even see).
A tuna or chicken salad alone or on greens is a good choice, just don’t order it as a sandwich filling.
And of course there’s steak, shrimp, chicken, etc. dishes. Just make sure they don’t contain any breading. Don’t worry about the fat in these dishes.
A baked potato topped with butter, salsa, tomato pasta sauce, bruschetta or veggies makes a good Starch Meal, especially with a side salad or all vegetable dish from the a-la-carte menu. Even a little sour cream or cheese is okay.
It is next to impossible to find a soup in a restaurant that perfectly conforms to the UnDiet guidelines, so I suggest that you make your best choice and don’t worry about things like the fact that your bean soup is made with chicken broth. Many soups are hearty enough to make a meal, especially if you add a salad, or a sandwich (if you can get it on whole grain bread and the soup is Neutral or Starch).
If rice, potatoes or pasta comes with your meal ask the waiter to replace them with vegetables, preferably grilled or steamed but take whatever you can get.
