Your healthy eating guide to socialising

culled from:.tescohealthandwellbeing.com

Socialising with friends and family is one of the greatest pleasures in life. Unfortunately, most of these social rituals and occasions involve food and drink and it can be difficult to avoid overindulging. If healthy eating and maintaining a healthy weight is important to you, then fear not. You don’t have to give up your social life. By following your healthy eating guide to socialising, you can enjoy yourself without regretting it later on.
All through the year, there will be family celebrations, weddings, birthdays, nights out with friends and more. This time of year will soon see us gearing up for the festive season so it’s important to realize that as long as you select healthy things to eat when you go out and enjoy everything in moderation, you can still have a good time.

To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art. Francois De La Rochefoucauld

General tips

There are some catch-all tips that can help you to keep to a healthy balanced diet such as:
Tracking – by tracking what you eat in your Food Diary, you can ensure you are getting the right amount of nutrition.
Portion control – knowing what constitutes a proper portion will help you to avoid overeating. You can get a quick and easy guide to portion control here.
Know your nutrition – knowing a healthy choice from an unhealthy choice is key. Eat less of the unhealthy foods and fill up on healthy ones. Again, track these in your Food Diary so you can get a full breakdown of what you are consuming.
Drink water – water helps to boost your metabolism, will keep you hydrated and feeling fuller so you won’t be tempted to overeat.

Parties

Most parties will have a buffet of some sort and plenty of nibbles. Here are a few healthy eating ideas specifically for parties:
Choose wisely – check out the buffet in full before serving yourself. If it’s fried, breaded or battered, pass it by. Choose healthy party food like cold meats, fresh salads, chicken portions and brown bread.
Be wary of finger food – finger food is tasty, but not always healthy. Sausage rolls, pizza and fried battered foods are normally offered. Choose cocktail sausages over sausage rolls, chicken wings or drumsticks over pastry-covered foods and vegetable crudités instead of crisps if available.
Keep your distance – if you’re not sitting beside the food, you’re less likely to keep eating. Sit further away from the food to avoid mindless grazing.
Pop a mint – had your fill? In that case, pop a mint or chew some gum. You will be less likely to return for more and it will get those digestive juices going. You’ll also be minty-fresh when chatting to people. Essential after garlic bread!
Dance – The more you are on the dance floor, the less you are near the food or drink, right? Strut your stuff and burn some calories. Don’t forget to include it in your Fitness Diary as a workout!

Restaurants

Everyone loves to eat out and there are plenty of healthy things to eat and enjoy if you choose wisely. Check out your healthy eating guide to restaurants:
Small portions/big taste – If you are choosing the restaurant, why not try somewhere that has a tapas or tasting menu? It’s lovely to sit with a glass of wine, chat and just pick at a few small dishes. You get plenty of variety and taste but without the huge portions. This is a big favourite for foodies.
Choose your meal in advance – most restaurants have online menus, so you can take a look before you go and pick a healthy meal to enjoy. You are less likely to make a bad choice when you actually get there and are choosing a meal on the fly.
Watch words – When browsing the menu, watch out for words like ‘crispy, sticky, creamy, etc.’ These are dishes to be avoided as they usually mean high in sugar, fat or fried. Look out for words like ‘grilled, steamed or ‘fresh’ instead, which usually indicate healthier choices.
Skip the sauces – ask for your sauce on the side or skip it altogether to save unnecessary fats, sugars and salt.
Hold the salt – this applies to all meals, not just restaurants. Taste your food before adding salt. Most foods have salt added to them in the cooking process so there is no need to add it if it’s not needed.
Choose a starter or dessert – not both. Remember – three course meals aren’t compulsory, and choosing both a starter and a desert can often leave you feeling bloated. Depending on whether you have a savoury or sweet tooth, have a starter OR dessert with your main meal. That approach will save you money too.
Share – sharing is caring and this can work in your favour. If you fancy a dessert but reckon that a full portion will ruin your healthy eating plan, order one between two or more of you and ask for extra spoons. Or share a bottle of wine with friends!
Eat mindfully – Take the time to enjoy your food. Put down your knife and fork between bites. Talk and linger over your meal while enjoying the company of your friends or family. Don’t let the waiting staff rush you through your meal: food is to be savoured when you eat out, not to be gobbled up in a hurry.

Food is our common ground. A universal experience. James Beard

All day events

Occasions like weddings and some family events are often a day-long affair. With this in mind, it’s usually a good idea to plan ahead.
Eat a good breakfast – It may be a long while until your next meal so eat well in the morning before heading off. This way, you won’t be tempted to overeat if lunch or dinner is late.
Pack a healthy lunch: If you are going to a wedding, there is often a long delay between the service and the meal. Pack a fresh salad or some kind of healthy snack to keep you going.
Pace yourself – alcohol is usually part and parcel of the day so don’t start too early. You could start with tea/coffee/soft drinks or water and wait until the evening to have alcoholic drinks, or vice-versa. Alternatively, make every second drink non-alcoholic.
As with parties, skipping sauces, choosing a starter or dessert and hitting the dance floor will help you to avoid overeating too. If there is an evening buffet, avoid it unless you are really hungry.

Big nights out

Hen’s party? Girl’s night out? This normally means cocktails, shots and all kinds of naughtiness! You can keep from being TOO naughty by using the restaurant tips above (if you’re eating first) and PLENTY of dancing. If you are drinking, pace yourself and also have plenty of water throughout the night. Nobody will think any less of you for doing so. In fact, they may even follow your example. Go on, give that halo a little more polish! Tip: Like cocktails? Read our article on Low Calorie Cocktails for ideas.

Day to day

Are you a ‘lady who lunches’? Is the local coffee shop your favourite place to meet friends? This is a great way to catch up with people but if you do this frequently, it can make a difference to your food and caffeine intake. Here’s our healthy eating guide to day to day socialising.
Make sensible choices – tea, black coffee or skinny lattes are a good choice. If you want to cut back on your caffeine, most coffee shops and cafés also stock herbal and fruit teas which are tasty, refreshing and a nice alternative to caffeine. Plus, many of these teas have great health benefits. Check out our tea article for more details.
Avoid the cake – yes, that chocolate gateau that’s staring at you from the counter may look delicious but if you stop for a moment and ask yourself how healthy it is, you may think twice. That said, there’s no harm in a treat now and then. Just make it an occasional indulgence and track it in your Food Diary.
Change the venue – you could change things up and skip the coffee shop in favour of a walk in the park with your friend. If there is a group of you, why not organise a bowling night, swimming or a salsa class? It can still be a social event AND you are getting exercise which you can track in your Fitness Diary.
With small changes, you can achieve big goals. You don’t have to wave goodbye to your social life in order to take care of your health. Make good choices, stay active, track your food and keep our tips in mind. Above all, enjoy life!

Laughter is brightest where food is best. Irish proverb

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