Steps to Success for Restaurants/Friends/Travel

[thegoldengrahamgirl]

Hello Whole30-ers!

 

I think we all know (or have discovered) that planning and preparation are keys to success with the Whole30 (as well as pretty much any dietary/nutrition/lifestyle overhaul). Outside of meal planning and preparation (a topic in and of itself), what are other little tricks you've learned to use to help stick with and maintain (for those post-Whole30) good habits? I feel like it's easiest in my own home, where I have the most control over the ingredients and preparation methods. I feel like it's a bit harder at my office, where terrible packaged/processed snack foods abound (see "Steps to Success at the Office"), and hardest of all out at restaurants and friends' homes where the ingredients and food preparation are out of my hands and temptations abound:

 

- ASK QUESTIONS: how have foods been prepared and with what ingredients?  Be specific and be detailed.  Of course, I wouldn't expect very good answers at say, McDonald's, but higher-end restaurants should be able (and happy) to give you this information and often will be delighted to accommodate your requests.  They will know the difference between clarified butter and non.  The same goes for friends and family members if you have entrusted them to cook for you.  With the latter, you might even have the benefit of standing in the kitchen with them, to check labels, ingredients and cooking methods as they go.

 

- BRING YOUR OWN: if you can't get answers as per the above, or you don't like the answers you get ("why yes, there IS soybean oil and added sugar in the pasta sauce"): bring your own.  Small travel-size bottles or containers of oilve oil and balsamic vinegar for salads if you can't trust the house-provided options to be compliant; compliant salsa and baked sweet potato or plaintain chips for the next "game day" party; a compliant main dish to share for the next potluck, etc.

 

- PLAN EMERGENCY OPTIONS: (see the Whole30 download on travel) - I am already thinking ahead to my upcoming trip to Europe and the 14-hr flight might NOT have compliant options on board (but even then, it never hurts to ask!).  I won't realistically get a suitcase full of produce or meat through security (I can't even ship Epic bars because of import regulations on meat products), but I can (and will bring): packets of coconut butter, packets of nuts & dried fruit, and compliant Larabars.  I might even do a few cans of tuna, carefully wrapped and packed in my suitcase.  I've decided that it's possible but not realistic to be 100% compliant on my trip (all the more reason why I am only doing an "unofficial" Whole30 leading up to the trip), but there's no reason to abandon the good habits I've started. 

 

What do YOU do? Let me know if any of the tips above help you out!

 

Cheers,

 

-Lauren (GGG)

[kirkor]

Water, water, and more water. I bring my empty Nalgene when I fly, and as soon as I clear security I fill it up. When I drive I usually bring 2 and have at least one emptied between gas stops.

Staying hydrated is good for it's own sake, of course, but I also find it helps me tolerate waiting a bit longer when travel issues postpone my planned mealtimes.