This is a part of my 30 Day Clean Eating Challenge Article Series! Read about the challenge and see all of my posts HERE!

Although homecooked meals are far preferable to going to restaurants when it comes to maintaining a clean diet, you can still eat clean when dining out. Here’s how:

Tips for Dining Out

• Order Dressing on the Side. Most restaurant dressing has added sugar. If possible, try and order balsamic and vinegar dressings, which are the least processed. Otherwise, order dressing on the side and use sparingly.
• Make the most out of your sides. You can make a whole meal out of side dishes! Steamed veggies,
• Forgo the bread basket. Ask your waiter to not give your table a bread basket if that’s fine by the other members at your table.
• Pick the wheatiest wheat. Most “whole wheat” breads at restaurants are actually a blend of whole wheat and white flour. Although still a better choice than 100% white flour, try and forgo bread when you can. Also, pick “whole grain” over “honey wheat” and other wheat varieties that drop the “whole” from the name.

Best Clean Eateries

There are good places to eat out… and places you should avoid at all costs. Essentially, anywhere that falls under the “fast food” category should prompt you to run like hell, far far away.

But here are some of the best clean eating places I’ve encountered!

• Bakeries like Panera Bread and Paradise Bakery. These are great because they offer the option to do a half sandwich/half salad or soup, and you can get dressing on the side really easily. They also have whole wheat options available for their sandwiches.
• Vegan/vegetarian specialty restaurants. Restaurants that specialize in vegetarian food (or even better, VEGAN food!) are usually great places to get clean, plant-based foods. Stay away from the imitation meat, however. These are often processed and not quite healthy, depending on the kind.
• True Foods. Nearly everything on their menu is clean-eating approved, and they are a delicious, healthy place to eat!
• Subway. Subway’s 9-grain wheat bread is far from healthy and contains weird ingredients and is mostly white flour, but other than that you can whip up a relatively healthy veggie delite sandwich with ALLLL the veggies, cheese, and a dressing of your choice, like sweet onion sauce. Subway’s one of the better choices in the sandwich game, and preferable to fast food, but nothing beats making your own sandwich!

See you guys tomorrow! 🙂