Hey friends!

TIS THE SEASON for vacations, weekend-long ball games, and just…not being home. I had a great question sent to me this week –

How can I eat for blood sugar balance and weight loss on a day where I’m eating out every meal? – Lindsay

I have a cheat sheet ready to go just for you!

Here’s a quick checklist to run through:

• Where is my protein? (eggs, meat, chicken, fish, Greek yogurt, protein powder, or if plant-based – beans, lentils, nuts, seeds).
• What’s the starchy carb situation? Find the “starchy carbs” in the meal and narrow it down to only choosing 1. This will include potatoes, bread, rice, pasta, tortillas – you know the drill.
• Check to make sure fat is on deck. Fat is usually easy (not a lot of meals out that don’t include it) but always good to check. Avocado, olives, nuts, seeds, cheese, and coconut are my fav. Dressing, butter, and oils from cooking are always prevalent too. Pick 1 or 2 fats and leave the rest.
• Is fiber an option? Fiber = veggies when dining out, so load up as much as you can.
  Now let’s put this into practice.

I’m going to give you a breakdown of a day, recently, that I ate out every single meal, still felt 100, no bloating, no going overboard, just feeling full, satisfied, cool, calm, and collected.

Breakfast:

Kale Me Crazy’s Powerhouse Smoothie

Avocado (fat), blueberries + strawberries + cherries (fiber/carbs), cashews (fat), flax (fiber), almond milk, vegan protein powder (protein)

Tip: you can ALWAYS micromanage your smoothie! Make sure there’s at least 1 fat and 1 fiber source in there and it’s not overloaded on fruit/sugar. I like to keep it under 40g carbs if I can look the nutritional info up.

Tip: no smoothie spots around? Starbucks egg bites or a protein box or eggs, bacon, and fruit at a local diner work, too!

Lunch:

Chipotle’s Carnitas Burrito Bowl

Carnitas (protein), “half rice” (starchy carbs), lettuce + pico + salsa verde (fiber), “half cheese” + guac (fats!).

Tip: bowls are great for lunch! Just be careful with grain or rice bowls that are 80% starchy carbs. I usually ask for half.

Tip: as for fat – if you’re doing starchy carbs, try not to overdo the fat to avoid feeling too overstuffed. Plus, an overload of fat and carbs in the bloodstream at the same time isn’t great for fat burning. Keep both on the moderate end like I did here with 1 ½ fats!

Dinner:

Longhorn’s Cheeseburger

Bunless cheeseburger (fat and protein) with all the toppings + fries and broccoli

Tip: pick 1 starchy carb! I like fries over a bun

Eat your protein and fiber first instead of going for the fries immediately. You’ll fill up on the satiating stuff first.

Want more cheat sheets for going out to eat? You can snag my FREE Dining Out Guide here.

Enjoy!