No Menu-- Thanks Anyway!

I find it quite interesting when I go to a restaurant and am handed a menu. Yep... just that... probably doesn't sound like anything out of the ordinary, huh? Well, what I find interesting about it is that, in my opinion, people tend to think they are confined to the 'guidelines' of the menu. This is why eating out on a continual basis can become a problem. You are constantly allowing someone else to dictate what is going to your body... simply because it is printed (usually with captivating wording) on an elegantly laminated piece of paper. Of course, it depends what type of restaurant you are going to, but the truth of the matter happens to be that most restaurants carry many items that are not necessarily listed on the menu! Not only that, but most chefs will accommodate specific requests you may have. Many restaurant meals contain way too many sauces, sodium levels, and other unhealthy ingredients... even the 'healthy' options tend to have hidden danger zones.

I began experimenting with this process at a Chinese restaurant about three years ago. I used to love mixed veggies and rice. I wondered what the healthiest sauce was, and apparently it was 'brown sauce'. What exactly is brown sauce, you ask? Well, probably a mixture of salt, corn syrup, MSG, and some other stuff... don't quote me on that, but all in all probably not the healthiest condiment. Not only are most condiments unhealthy, but I feel as if most of the time, the food you are eating is practically drowning in the heaping portion of that sauce. Even if you order a salad at a restaurant in an effort to have a lighter/healthier meal, notice how soggy the lettuce is when you receive it or how oily and weighted down the veggies are by the dressing. Do you really need ALL that dressing? Can you even taste the vegetables in the salad? If not, that's sad. A salad can actually end up being a much unhealthier option than you may think. Okay, so back to the Chinese restaurant... so one day, something 'clicked', and I decided, first of all, to inquire about brown rice. There was no brown rice listed on the menu, but they were very delighted to inform me that they did, in fact, carry brown rice and I could substitute my white for brown at no extra cost. Score! Then I asked for my veggies to be steamed, rather than stir-fried. There was a steamed veggie option on the menu, but I still wanted my sauce. Hmmm... how to manage this? I asked for my sauce on the SIDE, and from that day on, I have been a DIPPER. Experiment with ordering sauces on the side and dipping your food into them. Not only will you experience the same satisfying flavor you would have if the food were drenched, but you will be consuming way less than you would have been otherwise. Eventually, I started bringing my own sauces, such as Bragg's Liquid Aminos or Nama Shoyu. If the restaurant doesn't have what you want, bring it! Why not? As long as you order something, there should be NO problem bringing some of your own 'goods'. I have been bringing my own food to restaurants for years and have never once been scolded. In fact, many people seem to find great interest in it.

Another point I'd like to express is... before opening a menu at a restaurant, ask the waiter/waitress what is fresh. What vegetables do they have? Keep in mind... there is an entire kitchen back there! I remember a few years back I was travelling to Miami with a friend. He took me to a very fancy Italian restaurant, and I automatically knew I was going to have to pull one of my clever 'non-menu ordering' tricks out of the bag. I ended up creating my own HUGE salad with greens, spinach, arugula, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, onions, avocado, olive oil, and fresh lemon. It was UNBELIEVABLE, and the chef was pleased to prepare it.

It all boils down to this: Think outside of the box, and perhaps eating out doesn't have to throw you off the wagon.