Understanding Why and How to Use this Guide
The best way to adhere to a nutrition plan is by preparing your own food and hitting your macros closely. It's a best practice to limit eating out. Based on how restaurants typically prepare food and their average size of meals, the meals will typically be higher in calories than if you ate your normal meal at home. However, it's not realistic to think you'll never eat out again. There will be social events or special occasions that are important to you. This guide explains how to still eat away from home on occasion but stay on track with your goals.
The Need to Apply These Tips Varies Based on your Nutrition Phase and Goals
If on a Recompose (muscle gain) Phase
Your goal is to eat in a surplus, gain weight, and gain muscle. While you don't want to overdo that and gain more fat along with the muscle, this phase has the most flexibility. You may still end up higher calories than target if you eat out, but it won't hinder your goals. You can follow some of the tips below, but no need to overly focus on it.
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If on a Reset or Retain Phase (Weight Maintenance)
Your goal is to maintain your current weight and eat about the same calories you're burning. You still have some flexibility and eating out every now and then likely won't cause a significant shift in weight. However, you don't want to get into a regular habit of eating out, or else you'll likely see an increase in weight. You will want to follow some of the tips below.
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If on a Recompose (fat loss) Phase
Your goal is to eat in a deficit and lose fat. This phase has the least amount of flexibility if really wanting to achieve your goals according to your set timeline for the phase. Eating out can lead to extra calories which can wipe out the progress from the previous couple days. You can still hit your goals, it just may take longer. To be serious in this phase, you'll want to really limit eating out. But there may still be times you do, and if so, follow most of the tips below. (Note: A fat loss phase is temporary. It's dedicating a short amount of time for your goals. When you go to a Retain Phase, you can enjoy the extra flexibility.)
â–º Decide when it's worth it
Prioritize the times that it's most important for you to eat out. For example, you may want to enjoy an anniversary dinner or other special occasion. On the other hand, going out to eat on a Friday night just because you don't feel like cooking probably wouldn't be as high of a priority.
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â–º Choose the restaurant carefully
Some restaurants have healthier options than others. Avoid fast food and restaurants that have mostly fried foods. Look at menus online ahead of time to make your choice.
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â–º Look for the healthiest options
Check out the menu of your selected restaurant and look for options that are healthier and would most closely fit within your goals.
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â–º Build your balanced plate
Create your meal just like you would at home. This will help you make the best selections, and it will be easier to estimate macros, compared to pasta dishes, soups, pizza, etc.
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Protein
Pick a lean protein option, such as chicken breast or mahi mahi. Or if you pick a fattier meat (like steak), account for that in your fat.
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Carbs
Select a side for carbs, like rice or a baked potato.
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Fat
If your food is cooked in oil, assume a couple tablespoons. Consider whether your meat choice adds fat.
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Add plenty of veggies for extra volume without much extra calories!
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â–º Understand how it's prepared
If you're not sure how the food is cooked, ask the server. Request for it to be baked or grilled without oil. Get sauces and dressings on the side so you can control the amount.
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â–º Take it easy on the appetizers
Appetizers tend to be empty calories with little micronutrients. You can easily eat a couple hundred calories before your meal even arrives, then you're more likely to overeat.
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â–º Skip desserts and alcohol
This is another easy way to stay away from extra carbs and fats. Opt for water or unsweetened tea for your drink.
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â–º Plan ahead and adjust you day
Look at the menu even the day before you go out to eat. Pick what you are going to get, and ballpark the macros. Then, adjust other meals in the day to account for it by decreasing carb and fat targets.
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â–º Check your macro tracker app
Some popular restaurants may actually publish their nutritional info for their meals, which may be available on your macro tracker app. This still isn't perfect because they don't precisely weigh and measure the food, but it can help you better estimate and account for the meal.
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â–º Don't go to the restaurant super hungry
If you're very hungry, you're more likely to overindulge when eating out. Plan for and eat a small meal a couple hours before going out, which will help prevent you from overeating the less healthy options.
â–º If it's a truly special event that you just want to enjoy, just eat guilt-free and understand the tradeoff!
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If you aren't eating out often, and you just want to enjoy whatever meal you want, that is fine! It is about choices over restrictions! Make the choice that if the meal is worth it to you, then it may just set you back a couple days towards your goal. You can decide to make that tradeoff. But also keep in mind this is not something you can do weekly and expect to hit your goals.
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The key takeaway here is that you can still enjoy yourself at a restaurant and stay on track with your nutrition plan and goals! There are "middle ground" options that can help you find balance. It's about choices over restriction! Lose the all-or-nothing mentality!