Healthy eating while out of town!??!?!?

dawnemjh

Help! I am going away for the weekend with my family to NYC and will be eating out all weekend! I am so worried about eating all my meals out. I hardly ever eat out so I am worried....
Thoughts?? I have looked at alot of websites and even salads can go over 1000 calories. Yikes!!!
Thanks!

Saffyra

Bring your own snacks. Stick with grilled chicken wherever possible. Don't eat pizza. Bring along a water bottle and drink lots of water.

I'm not sure what you are planning on doing but if you are walking a lot while sightseeing, you could splurge carefully.

And of course, have fun!

jenfactor

just eat half of the entree! It's a horrible waste especially if you're traveling and can't take it home, but I find that only eating half actually brings it down to a reasonable calorie level, pretty much no matter what you order (within reason). Or another tactic is to order a non-fried appetizer instead of an entree, since it's usually a smaller portion. good luck!!

tattooedtwiin

Appetizers rather then entrees...Smaller portions but still lots of good stuff to choose from :-)

dad106

Honestly, it's a weekend one that needs to be enjoyed.. so eat what you like and get back on track come monday would be my advice.

If you gain anything, it's prob. water weight and not actual fat.. so don't freak out about that. Just drink extra water and you'll be A-OK!

Jennical

Hmmm... I'll be in New York for 2 weeks from Monday... I am also worried about eating there...but it's going to be a mini family vacation so I am not going to stress over it too much... Hope you do well yourself....

idcatiej22

i go out of town a lot because i'm in a long distance relationship with my boyfriend and i'm still in touch with my college roommate, so i visit both of them a lot. i am all about kicking my *kitten* during the week and giving the weekends to me. however, i have found that you can still stick fairly close to your diet, even if it may be easier to stray.

you're lucky because you're in nyc! you have tons of options for food (i'm less fortunate when i visit my boyfriend. he lives in a small town in central pa). fruit and whole wheat toast is ALWAYS an option for breakfast just about anywhere. i'm assuming you'll be doing a lot of walking since it is new york - lots to see, lots to do. however, it's also new york. it's not like you're going to be limited on food options. soup and salad combos are pretty common. you could also have just an appetizer as your meal. a lot of places nowadays offer a lower calorie menu or have a section of the menu with entrees that are below 500 calories. a lot of places also offer half or smaller portions, which are also often cheaper than the full entree (yay!). you can also go for sushi (i don't know your personal preferences, but i love sushi). if you control your portion size and you order something that's not fried (ie tempora is a bad sign and usually most eel is cooked ahead of time), you can have a meal that's easily under 400 calories and feel completely satisfied. worst comes to worst, you order a meal and you don't eat the entire thing. it's a shame. there are starving children all over the world, and we have ridiculously huge portions. also sticking to lean proteins and veggies tends to help. nothing fried!!

i'm all about bringing snacks. my sister has dietary issues, so she is constantly bringing snacks and even whole meals with her when we go on family trips. the only safe place is ruby tuesdays because of their extensive salad bar. there are tons of great things that keep well, my personal favorite being nuts. if your hotel offers a continental breakfast, you can probably snag a piece or two of fruit to snack on through out the day. if you stop to get a snack throughout the day, you can probably find a place to get a smoothie. there are starbucks on every corner - stop in and grab a vivano smoothie.

you're in a big city, so you have your options. but don't let your diet a weekend run your weekend away! you're in nyc! have a slice of pizza! have a bagel! go to china town! if you were visiting philly, i'd be advocating some crazy reasons for you to have a cheesesteak. good luck and enjoy your trip!

Huskeryogi

Almost any hotel will add a microwave and refrigerator to your room if you ask (and it's not a crazy busy weekend). If you can eat just one of your meals in the room it can help a lot.

krissypea79

Whole Foods! If you're going to be there for an extended period of time (as Jennical mentioned), stop in there for snacks, lunch, etc. They even have tons of pre-made salads, sandwiches etc. When I lived there I'd always run into WF for a quick snack or lunch...but in terms of going out to eat, I like the ordering an appetizer as your entree idea, as well as drinking a BIG glass of water before and after! Don't be afraid to treat yourself to one meal - maybe just skip the bread basket. Salads don't have to be so bad, just be cautious of the dressings. Even most entrees can be modified, or order the sauce on the side so you can monitor how much you're having - often times the calories come from the dressings & sauces! Eating half is also a GREAT idea...sometimes they will even split it and put 1/2 in a to-go box, which will only work if you have someplace to keep it!

NYC is definitely a place filled with temptations, but you will get plenty of exercise walking around, so splurge a little!!! Little tip: If you like rice pudding and are in the neighborhood, Rice to Riches is TO DIE FOR - they have tons of different flavors and different portion sizes to choose from. Spring St. between Mulberry & Mott St. (right on the edge of Little Italy). HAVE FUN!