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Just because you are transitioning, or have simply made the decision to eat healthier does not mean that you can no longer eat out. It does mean however, that you need to be a lot more mindful of what you are ordering and eating. Whatever you do, just don’t go back to your old eating habits just because you happen to be at your favorite restaurant and they have “the best French fries”!
Cheese-less Margherita Fresca with a Crispy Quinoa & Kale Salad to the rescue!
Discipline is the key to eating out and to staying healthy because temptation is everywhere. Always remember that convenience is not necessarily your friend; especially when it comes to your food. It’s true, the best way is to do it yourself, but sometimes you and your kitchen need a break. Those days do exists and they are very much deserved.
A nice meatless salad and some lettuce wrapped fajitas after some much needed mani & pedi pampering!!
Having a nice sit down meal out with friends and family is still very possible and extremely easy to do and enjoy! Here are a few tips:
- Keep It Fresh. The fresher the better!! Nothing processed or acidic (more on acidic food coming soon).
- Read the Menu Closely & Ask Questions. Feel free to ask questions about ANY THING. How is this cooked? Can you hold this, or add this? Sometimes it is easier to modify an item then to make up your own entire entrée.
- Feel Free to Build Your Own Meal. You are the one paying right?! I like to start with saying something like ” I see that you have quinoa but it’s not listed as one of your sides. Would it be possible to get a little portion of that with my tomato slices and sautéed veggies?”
Hopefully those will help. One final, and most important tip; is to remember to make sure that you eat at home before you ever go any where. Eating before you go eat is a great way to calm any cravings and mood swings associated with the detox process. Plus, this is especially helpful when you did not pick the place, or just aren’t that familiar with the selected restaurant and their menu.
Here’s a quick salad that will have you ready to get out and socialize with the best of them LOL It is light but still super filling and full of nutrients, so its a good one to eat when you aren’t quite certain where the night might lead!
Quinoa Cool Down
Servings: 2- 4
Cook Time: 20- 40 minutes
Ingredients
- ½ cup Quinoa
- 1 Avocado, diced
- 1 can Black Olives, halved
- 1 Cucumber, diced
- 1 Tomato, diced
- 1-2 cups cooked Chickpeas
- ½ Yellow Onion, diced
- ¼ cup Cilantro
Seasoning
- 1-3 Key Limes, juiced
- 1-2 teaspoons Sea Salt
- 1-2 teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
- 1-2 teaspoons Oregano
- 1-2 teaspoons Onion Powder
- 1-2 teaspoons Ginger
- Olive Oil (enough to drizzle)
Directions
- Cook Quinoa according to package and let cool.
- While the quinoa is cooking, feel free to dice your vegetables if they haven’t already been diced.
- In a medium to large bowl, mix half of the olives, and all of the quinoa, chickpeas, tomatoes, cucumbers, and onions.
- Drizzle with Olive Oil and season to taste. Start with 1 teaspoon of each seasoning and half of the lime juice. Mix and then re-taste. Adjust and add more seasoning if needed.
- Chill and serve, or eat immediately and enjoy!
Remember to garnish with avocado and cilantro for that extra pop of flavor and color, and your meal is complete #mmmgood
Note: Less seasoning is required if you choose to chill before you eat. Of course you will re-taste the salad after chilling and before serving to adjust seasoning if necessary. It’s super simple and made with love… I hope that you love it!!
Happie Food™ 