Paleo Day 7- Eating Out!

Paleo day 7- Well, this weekend, I am sure there are a lot of you who may travel, go out of town, or just try to get away from reality for a little while. So I wanted to write today about my experience on the road. I am currently on the coast of California enjoying some time away from the heat of Fresno (YES) and staying in Lompoc of all places.

Unfortunately that mean NOT being able to plan or pre-pack meals for a few days since I was running behind this morning. SO here is what ended up happening today:

Breakfast was handled at home:

In n Out Protein style burgers no sauce, (2) With iced tea for lunch.

And for dinner: I was at Red Zone, a sports bar and grill. So here is what happened in the ordering process:

First, realize I am not the msot shy individual. So I am in the restaurant wearing my vibram five fingers. Whis of course already is drawing attention to me. So then, I proceed to text Ryan to figure out what alcoholic beverage I could drink.. since I was with friends, I wanted to ensure I was able to expend a little bit of cheatness on the table. (It keeps you SANE to allow yourself to cheat a little)

I asked first if they had any fresh veggies I could eat as an appetizer. The waitress suggested the veggies as above and below blanched in olive oil. I immediately jumped on that. I was starving and needed to fill my belly before having my "Paleo Cheat Drink" of Gin and diet tonic water. (and let me tell you... it tasted HEAVENLY after a full week. I was ready to pummel the veggies by the time they got there, which I quickly proceeded to do.

Then, when I was ordering the 5 oz chicken breast (Which was HUGE) i asked if I could replace the potato with a sweet potato. They didn't have any so I asked for extra salad and a vinagerette to use on my salad. They were more than accommodating which you can see from the picture above. Well here I thought it was going to be a little more salad and they came out with the plate which was awesome.

Now by this time, the waitress is probably looking at me like I'm a nut ball, because every time I opened my mouth, it was for something... healthy. and all the while, the rest of the restaurant is ordering... well... off the menu.. and I was ordering.. OFF the menu. It refers back to that video I posted around day 3 of why people ask the way I eat. Although.. I still think I get LESS CRAP when I am with my friends than when I am at the fire station with my eating style. :) For some reason, us fire guys just LOVE to pick on each other..... and I just happen to eat like a caveman... no, not food, but... actually eat like on.... creating messes etc. So this has earned me the name.. captain caveman on top of powder and squirell and Hammy and many of the other names I have been called.

Anyway.. back to restaurants...

Here are some tips when going out to eat at restaurants during the next three weeks:

Take a look at the menu and look at the minimalist portion of the menu- salads, chicken/meat plates.

If the dinner comes with rice, potatoes or some other type of starch, ask if they have fresh or steamed veggies you can sub out.

With salads, ask for olive oil and vinegar on the side

With meat, ask for a cut that is not over eating. Remember you are only eating to fuel, not to STUFF yourself.

Don't be afraid to take some home!

Eat until you feel satisfied, but not much more.

Split the plate with someone.

Ask for things to be grilled or sauteed in olive oil.

These are all things that of course will get you the look in the restaurant, but let me tell you.. it is so worth it!

Also- if dessert becomes an issue, try a bowl of fresh fruit.

These are the croutons I removed from the salad to remain paleo!

CHICKEN!!! I ordered spicy sauce on the side... and then used some to flavor the meat if needed.

What are some things you do when eating out to make sure you are staying within the realms of paleo?