Being healthy is important. What you put in your body to fuel it is important. Being happy is important.

Don’t let your pursuit of health hinder your social life – there’s simply no need.
You can be social and eat out and still maintain a healthy diet without feeling guilty. Being healthy is about more than just your waistline; it’s also about your mental wellbeing and building a good relationship with food.

HOWEVER, there is equally the other side to consider. Just because you’re eating out there’s no reason to suddenly turn into the Cookie Monster and eat everything in site.

Be mindful, eat foods that will fuel your body and once again don’t feel guilty – contrary to popular belief it is possible to eat nutritious food at a restaurant and here are a few tips to help you do so!

1. Be prepared
   Plan ahead, research the restaurants menu so you can make an informed decision on your meal and aren’t bombarded by seductive sounding foods at the last minute. By doing this your willpower will remain intact as you will ‘be prepared’!
2. DON’T turn up starving!
   You remember how you’d never trust yourself to go food shopping on an empty stomach? Well this is a similar principle. Don’t starve yourself throughout the day, and as a result you’ll more than likely be able to make a reasonably controlled choice when ordering.
3. Don’t be scared to ask the waiter…
   If there’s something on the menu that’s 99% there, then don’t be nervous about asking them to make slight modifications such as poaching your eggs as opposed to frying them OR asking for the creamy sauce to be separate in a side dish.
4. Drink water throughout
   Studies show that drinking a glass of water before ordering can trick the body into thinking it’s fuller and as a result not overindulging and eating a good sized portion.
5. Order extra vegetables
   Don’t be shy, order an extra serving of vegetables. Some restaurants don’t even charge for this. Not only will you be fuller and therefore won’t be filling up on less nutrient dense foods, but you will also actually be appropriately fuelling your body.

Eating out is fun, don’t punish yourself and avoid social situations, as that’s an unmaintanable way to live your life! Intead take a deep breath and use these 5 great restaurant hacks.

Oh and on the off chance you throw caution to the wind and completely ignore all of the above – it’s ok!
Health is the main focus so just treat tomorrow as a new day, have a great workout and get back on track. No biggie!