Eating out can be very tough! You don't always know how your food is being prepared. It seems like 90% of the options come with some sort of bread/tortilla/French fry, etc. Sauces are almost always thickened with flour or corn starch. One of my favorite ways to keep things in check is to sub out items on the menu for healthier options!! While this isn't always possible, you never know if you don't ask!
Top 5 restaurant substitutions I have managed to get- just by asking!
- Veggies instead of Tortilla Chips at a Mexican restaurant (Changarro in West Chicago did this for me!) I didn't think they'd do this for me, but I asked if there was something else besides chips to dip in the delicious salsa, and they brought me some veggies!
- Veggies instead of fries (occasionally there will be a small up charge, but well worth it!)
- A Stir Fry with extra vegetables instead of rice or noodles
- A lettuce wrap or bed of greens instead of a bun or bread. This could be with a burger, chicken, fish, heck I've even eaten an "italian beef salad"
- Oil and Vinegar instead of other salad dressing. This one I recommend because salad dressings are notorious for having all sorts of weird added ingredients and sugar. My best bet if I'm eating out is always Oil and Vinegar, because at least that way I have a better idea of what I'm eating. Sometimes if there are enough delicious ingredients in the salad, I just leave off the dressing all together.
If you are being very strict or have food allergies, you can ask your waiter about what types of oils they use for cooking and where the meat/produce came from. Depending on the restaurant, they may or may not know the answers to those questions.
If there is an option of cooking oil, my top choice would be coconut oil, or a form of animal fat (butter, lard, duckfat, etc) They have more saturated fats, and can go to high temperatures better. I would stay away from highly processed cooking oils like vegetable oil, canola oil, etc. Here is a guide for which fats to cook with, which to eat raw, and which to avoid all together!
Since I don't go out to eat very often, I typically just try to do the best I can, knowing that it is a treat, and I can't control everything about the way my food is prepared all the time.
Dr. Jamie
Tis the season for pumpkin everything! However, before you pick up that can of pumpkin puree, maybe it’s the year to make your own! I know that the canned stuff may seem simpler, but making your own is not hard. Plus you get way more bang for your buck and it tastes WAY better! So how do you do it?
Homemade Pumpkin Puree
Ingredients: 1 Pie Pumpkin (That’s it!)
Directions: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Stab the pumpkin 7-8 times with a sharp knife all over the surface of the skin. Place the whole pumpkin on a glass dish in the oven and let cook for an hour. Once cooked, cut in half and let cool. Once cooled, remove seeds (reserve for roasting), and scoop flesh into a bowl. Puree using an immersion blender, food processor, or basic blender. Store in a mason jar until ready to use. Pumpkin puree also freezes and thaws well for later use.
Amazing Pumpkin Bars
Once you have that delicious homemade pumpkin puree, I always make these delicious pumpkin bars. The thing about this recipe is that it only seems to work with the real homemade stuff; canned pumpkin does not result in nearly the same delicious flavor and texture.
Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup of coconut flour (available at most health food stores)
- ½ tsp Sea Salt
- 1 tsp Baking soda
- 1 tsp Cinnamon
- 8 Eggs
- 2 cups Fresh Pureed Pumpkin
- 2/3 cup of Honey (raw) or Maple Syrup (Grade B) -or a combination of the two
- ½ cup Coconut Oil, melted
- 1 cups Chocolate Chips
Directions: Mix together coconut flour, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Add eggs, pumpkin, honey/maple syrup, and melted coconut oil and mix until well blended (I use my immersion blender for this). Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a 9x13 greased baking dish. Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes until cooked through. Cool, serve, enjoy! This is a crowd favorite but also freezes well and can be made into muffins instead of bars (just lessen cooking time to 15-20 minutes).
*Adapted from this recipe: http://elanaspantry.com/paleo-pumpkin-bars/
Author: Joelle Kurczodyna, NTP
This fall, soups and chili have been staples for us. They are a great way to sneak in tons of extra veggies and are a super nourishing, comfort food that everyone loves. Plus they make great leftovers! This recipe is especially convenient because if using grass fed beef, you can just throw it right into the crock pot thawed or frozen and it cooks beautifully. The vegetables and spices are very flexible in this recipe. Mushrooms, squash, or sweet potatoes are great additions. If you like it spicy, add more spices or jalapeno. If you are serving a crowd or want more leftovers, doubling this recipe is the way to go!
Beef and Veggie Crockpot Chili
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 pound grass fed ground beef
1-15 oz can of tomato sauce
1-15 oz can of diced tomatoes
1-2 Green Peppers, chopped
1-2 Onions, Chopped
1-2 diced, zucchini
4 Carrots
1 Tbsp Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Cumin
1 Tbsp Unsweetened Cocoa
½ tsp Oregano
½ tsp Cinnamon
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Directions
Mix beef, tomatoes, tomato sauce, veggies, and spices in crock pot. Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 4. Top with optional cheese and avocado.
Author: Joelle Kurczodyna, NTP
Need more motivation to begin eating real food and get healthy? This is what one of the participants from the last class had to say about her experience!
With Restart, I have lost almost 13 pounds. I really don't miss all the sugary foods that I was eating. I can't believe how much I enjoy eating my salads and veggies. I took away from this program, how important it is to forgive yourself if you do eat something, not on the program. Eat it, enjoy it and move on. I am motivated to stick with this way of eating since the program.Yes, Bacon is allowed on RESTART! Eating Real Food can taste so good and we will give you some great tips and recipes!
This 5 week program to RESTART® your health begins this Monday from 7-8:30.
What is The RESTART® Program?
RESTART® is a 5-week program with a 3-week sugar detox built into it. Part nutritional class, part sugar detox, and part support group, it is a powerful and empowering combination for success!
Are You Ready?
Just like this recent RESTART® participant, you too will experience the side effects of the The RESTART® Program, which include (but are not limited to):
- Weight loss
- Better sleep
- More energy
- Boosted Immunity
- Reduced cravings for sugar and starchy carbs
- Mental clarity, calmness and even temperament
- Reduced PMS and menopausal symptoms
- An appreciation for the taste of REAL FOOD!
Click HERE to learn more or sign up!
"I never thought I could do this, but with all the information and support, it went by really fast and I feel great! You have changed my life and I thank you for that!"
"Since I did The RESTART® Program I'm off of two medications; one for asthma and the other for acid reflux. I can't tell you how excited I am about this!"
These are just a few things people are saying about the RESTART® Program.
What is The RESTART® Program?
RESTART® is a 5-week program with a 3-week sugar detox built into it. Part nutritional class, part sugar detox, and part support group, it is a powerful and empowering combination for success!
Are You Ready?
Side effects of the The RESTART® Program may include (but are not limited to):
- Weight loss
- Better sleep
- More energy
- Boosted Immunity
- Reduced cravings for sugar and starchy carbs
- Mental clarity, calmness and even temperament
- Reduced PMS and menopausal symptoms
- An appreciation for the taste of REAL FOOD!
You will also learn:
- How to prepare mentally, physically, and emotionally to make successful changes to your diet.
- How Digestion is supposed to work and simple ways to enhance yours.
- What sugar really does in your body, the stages of dysglycemia (Hypoglycemia, Hyperglycemia, Insulin Resistance, Type 2 Diabetes), and effective ways to reduce your risk of these conditions.
- The truth about FATS and why healthy fats are essential for healthy Blood Sugar Regulation, as well as your general good health. You will learn which fats to eat, which fats to avoid, and why!
- How to move forward from the sugar detox and re-introduce foods in a healthful way back into your daily diet.
The next 5-week class begins Monday, October 26th from 7-8:30! Click HERE to learn more and sign up. Want to take RESTART® but can't do Monday nights? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. today as more class times are pending.