secretly eating healthy at restaurants?

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Ginerrva
Ginerrva Posts: 226
in Food and Nutrition
My friends often bug me for trying to order healthy at restaurants >.> Any ways I can do it in secret?
Are there some meals at chain restaurants that, despite not being listed under the 'fit' list, are healthy?
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Replies

  • rduhlir
    rduhlir Posts: 3,550 Member
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    Honestly...just order what you want and forget what they think. Your success in living a more healthy lifestyle just pisses them off becuase it makes them realize how lazy they are themselves so they take it out on you.
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
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    They're making fun of you for making healthy choices? Just poke them in the stomach, or pinch some fat on their body, I'm sure that will shut them up.
  • jd5351
    jd5351 Posts: 116 Member
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    Just let them order first and then razz them on what their ordering. "French fries? Seriously?"

    Order what you LIKE. If it tastes good to you, and happens to be healthy, even better. If your friends don't like it, they don't have to eat it.

    Applebees and Texas Roadhouse have "healthy" menus. Texas Roadhouse has a steak with mashed potatoes on their under 500 calorie menu and it's pretty yummy.
  • rm33064
    rm33064 Posts: 270 Member
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    Friends that don't support you aren't really your friends. It's tough when you're young, you don't realize a lot of your "friends" aren't really. Not in the true sense of the word.
  • rm33064
    rm33064 Posts: 270 Member
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    Surround yourself with better people.
  • PennyVonDread
    PennyVonDread Posts: 432 Member
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    No secrets. Set boundaries with your friends involving diet policing. If they respect you, they don't need to be die-hard diet supporters, but they should at least have the decency to avoid commentary on YOUR food.
  • Trad_Barbie
    Trad_Barbie Posts: 166 Member
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    My friends often bug me for trying to order healthy at restaurants >.> Any ways I can do it in secret?
    Are there some meals at chain restaurants that, despite not being listed under the 'fit' list, are healthy?

    I get razzed for ordering healthier options sometimes, too. I just shrug and tell them the truth: heavily processed foods upset my stomach- and that I don't like the way soda tastes (also true), or spinach/artichoke dip, or cheese curds. That usually shuts them up. I don't know if that would work for you or not, though. ;/
  • thelovelyLIZ
    thelovelyLIZ Posts: 1,227 Member
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    Why don't you just tell your friends to shove off and let you eat whatever you please? Not really their business, now is it?

    I do agree having a "lite and fit" menu is annoying. I feel like I'm being judged every time I order off of it. I wish everyone would just list the nutritional information and call it a day.
  • rockmama72
    rockmama72 Posts: 815 Member
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    Make your choice without saying anything like, "I can't have THAT, it's too many calories" or, "I have to pick the healthiest thing on the menu." It makes people feel self-conscious about their own selections. Just choose, order, and say nothing. It's nobody's business.
  • Myhaloslipped
    Myhaloslipped Posts: 4,317 Member
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    I am wondering why you even pay attention to your friends' opinions on your food choices or how this is any of their business.
  • Trad_Barbie
    Trad_Barbie Posts: 166 Member
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    No secrets. Set boundaries with your friends involving diet policing. If they respect you, they don't need to be die-hard diet supporters, but they should at least have the decency to avoid commentary on YOUR food.

    This works :D

    I got mad at someone the other day that gave me h*&l about eating a freaking potato chip in front of him because "WTH that's not healthy food!"
    I told him the #1 way to tick a woman off was to make a comment about what she was eating. It's also really disrespectful, rude, and arrogant. At least it was coming from him.
  • Macstraw
    Macstraw Posts: 896 Member
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    All you need to say is that you're ordering what you want to eat. No more than that & you take any power or control they think they have away, if that's what they're trying to do. If they're razzing you because they feel guilty about their choices you will be taking the high road & teaching them 2 lessons - how to eat properly & how to not react to what people think. If they're doing it just to get a rise out of you then you won't be giving them the satisfaction.........
  • Trad_Barbie
    Trad_Barbie Posts: 166 Member
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    Why don't you just tell your friends to shove off and let you eat whatever you please? Not really their business, now is it?

    I do agree having a "lite and fit" menu is annoying. I feel like I'm being judged every time I order off of it. I wish everyone would just list the nutritional information and call it a day.

    The problem with that is that there is literally nothing that's below 1,000 calories on most chain restaurant menus. Unless it's otherwise stated or obvious (small dinner salad, ect.) Places like Applebee's? Chili's? Good luck. And overhauling their menu's all at once would be really costly and inefficient.

    Edited for typo correction.
  • PennyVonDread
    PennyVonDread Posts: 432 Member
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    If this is all relatively new behaviour from your friends or from your sudden(recent?) lifestyle change, it might be worth noting that many people are adverse to change. They might think they're losing you or losing a part of you, or that you'll expect them to change, too. I would call them out on it next time they do it, have a short discussion about respecting others life choices, and setting boundaries. Diet-sabotaging is not unheard of in these situations, but it's important to note that both parties here have some feelings that they are trying to keep a secret from each other instead of just saying what's really going on in their mind.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    No one has ever remarked on my order at a restaurant and I have never given any thought to anyone else's order other than to ask if someone is enjoying the meal.

    Who are these people? Where do they live? Why is this a thing???
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,725 Member
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    Why don't you just tell your friends to shove off and let you eat whatever you please? Not really their business, now is it?

    I do agree having a "lite and fit" menu is annoying. I feel like I'm being judged every time I order off of it. I wish everyone would just list the nutritional information and call it a day.

    The problem with that is that there is literally nothing that's below 1,000 calories on most chain restaurant menus. Unless it's otherwise stated or obvious (small dinner salad, ect.) Places like Applebee's? Chili's? Good luck. And overhauling their menu's all at once would be really costly and inefficient.

    Edited for typo correction.

    But Adding calorie information seems like it would be a small modification. The overhaul shouldn't be that expensive when they have to do it several times a year to advertise their specials. I don't think a bit of extra ink costs that much more , personally.
  • 12skipafew99100
    12skipafew99100 Posts: 1,669 Member
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    Make your choice without saying anything like, "I can't have THAT, it's too many calories" or, "I have to pick the healthiest thing on the menu." It makes people feel self-conscious about their own selections. Just choose, order, and say nothing. It's nobody's business.

    THIS ^
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
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    Why are they commenting on your food order at all?

    The only time we (as a group of friends) would do that would be if we went to a fast food joint and then someone complained and whinged that there were no healthy options out long and loud. The answer would be well...we are at xxxxx what did you expect??? and then we would all search to find the healthiest option because we support each other. We are friends!
  • msbunnie68
    msbunnie68 Posts: 1,894 Member
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    Why don't you just tell your friends to shove off and let you eat whatever you please? Not really their business, now is it?

    I do agree having a "lite and fit" menu is annoying. I feel like I'm being judged every time I order off of it. I wish everyone would just list the nutritional information and call it a day.

    The problem with that is that there is literally nothing that's below 1,000 calories on most chain restaurant menus. Unless it's otherwise stated or obvious (small dinner salad, ect.) Places like Applebee's? Chili's? Good luck. And overhauling their menu's all at once would be really costly and inefficient.

    Edited for typo correction.

    But Adding calorie information seems like it would be a small modification. The overhaul shouldn't be that expensive when they have to do it several times a year to advertise their specials. I don't think a bit of extra ink costs that much more , personally.

    Here in Western Australia the fast food chains have been regulated so they HAVE to by law show the kilojoules per meal and have a nutritional fact sheet or panel on the packaging for take away or nearby on the wall for eat in. Makes choosing a lot easier.
  • Trad_Barbie
    Trad_Barbie Posts: 166 Member
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    Why don't you just tell your friends to shove off and let you eat whatever you please? Not really their business, now is it?

    I do agree having a "lite and fit" menu is annoying. I feel like I'm being judged every time I order off of it. I wish everyone would just list the nutritional information and call it a day.

    The problem with that is that there is literally nothing that's below 1,000 calories on most chain restaurant menus. Unless it's otherwise stated or obvious (small dinner salad, ect.) Places like Applebee's? Chili's? Good luck. And overhauling their menu's all at once would be really costly and inefficient.

    Edited for typo correction.

    But Adding calorie information seems like it would be a small modification. The overhaul shouldn't be that expensive when they have to do it several times a year to advertise their specials. I don't think a bit of extra ink costs that much more , personally.

    I was referring to the cost of making everything less caloric/healthier/whatever. If everything on the menu is over 1,000 calories and everyone can see it, then people are going to start whining about how there's nothing on their menu's that supports a low-calorie diet, or how everything is deep fried, or this or that. You give them the nutritional facts, they want lower calorie options, you give them that and suddenly why not ban deep fat fried food altogether? Why not just go to a different restaurant? People wanted low calorie options at chains so they could go out and eat with their families and friends, and they were given that.
    Putting the calorie content of their menu items is a bucket of worms no one really wants or needs to open.
    The labeled 'lower-calorie options were an attempt at giving people what they wanted without exposing them to the high caloric content of the food they serve. it would hurt business and could generate bad press, which in turn hurts profit.

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