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Todays show on Healthy Vegan Eating Out Tips is dedicated to #plantstrong deliciousness in those situations you previously might not have felt you’re in total control of.

Healthy, Delicious, Abundant… vegan meals out? It’s certainly NOT an oxymoron! Having said that I’m going to cover both the actionable strategies so far as vegan eating out tips and also I want to focus on some of the mindset strategies or perhaps reframes too. Oh, and heads up: I’m getting my acronym on again today for the E.A.T.I.N.G. O.U.T part. Let’s get rolling…

One: Embrace / Enjoy Whole Foods.

Also, don’t fear carbs! For any new’er friends who haven’t heard me bang on about whole foods, these are simple one ingredient foods that haven’t been processed. I’ll go a little further and clarify a whole food has nothing bad added and nothing good taken away.

So orange juice isn’t a whole food as the fibre has been removed. It’s not “bad” it’s just not exactly how nature intended it.

I’m going to give a variety of eating out scenarios throughout todays show and first up, is the after “Cube of Truth” dinner I didn’t make it to on the weekend! Cube of Truth is an awesome form of animal rights activism geared towards showing the public “the truth” of what animal agriculture really looks like today, in whatever country you’re in. I made it to the cube and sadly not to dinner. However, if I had been at The Green Lion – Sydneys first vegan pub this is what I would have eaten… and why. The “brown rice, quinoa and black bean burger” which conveniently is also available as a bun free salad. 

Yes, I’m starting easy with a vegan restaurant however don’t worry – we will move on to more challenging eating out options!

If I was after a “blow out” type treat meal I might choose any number of other options like chicken schnitty or spinach and mushroom cannelloni however generally I try to choose the meal I feel happy with before, during and AFTER eating it. A couple of takeaways:

• If it’s not naturally an option, you can always ask for your burger to come as a burger bowl. Or even your sandwich to come as a bowl.
• My “don’t fear carbs” suggestion refers to whole food carbs. Like fruit, beans, potato etc.I tend to avoid burger buns because they tend to be really disappointing and relatively nutritionally void. If the bun looks amazing, or chocka full of whole grains and seeds I’ll gladly enjoy it.

Two: Ask for Adjustments To The Menu.

This isn’t rude or fussy or being inconvenient. It’s actually really important because you’re laying the groundwork for future fabulous vegan meals out. Every time you ask for extra roast pumpkin, nuts and a side of avo in your “lamb salad without the lamb” you’re making it more likely there will naturally be a vegan option made available. So, thank you!

Alternatively, when you make do with that light weight side salad and fries you’re disappointing yourself, showing your dining companions “vegans eat boring meals” and demanding more mediocre meals for vegans at that venue. I really do feel strong about this.

Consumer demand drives change. We must demand decent meals. Of course it’s important to be polite and flexible. Lets up the difficulty anti with the currently trendy restaurant attached to my local pub in Bondi as the next eating out example. Totti’s is not the type of place I would choose to support as a vegan. It doesn’t cater to me. However, I often meet friends at the pub and I imagine the occasion might arise where it’d just be rude to say “I don’t want to eat there!” The style at Totti’s is antipasto or big hunks of flesh to share. Here are a couple of simple suggestions:

• Look at what is already on the menu to make an easy switch or addition to your meal. Perhaps ask for avo instead of the animal based mayo, nuts instead of cheese in a salad or a side of mushrooms to bulk up a light weight salad (I do always check they are not cooked in butter).
• If there are some decent looking side dishes but no main options it’s worth asking some along the lines of: “I’m vegan and I notice you don’t have a vegan main however the broccolini side and the eggplant side look amazing. Are they vegan? And could you maybe combine them to form a main that I could have when my companions are having their mains?”

Three: Teach Others How To Treat You.

Only you are in control of how you fuel your body. The less judgemental you are of your dining companions the less judgement you’ll cope reflected back at you. I know that’s hard. My line is, if I choose to eat out with carnivores then the time for discussing the appalling cruelty in animal agriculture is NOT while they are eating!

If it causes you too much pain to sit at a table where products of cruelty are consumed that’s utterly understandable. Sadly, in our non-vegan world my best advice here is to not put yourself in that position.

Let’s say you’re like me and the majority of your friends and family are not vegan. It causes you much pain and frustration and yet you acknowledge you likely have a greater positive impact still interacting with these people – even at meals times – and so you choose to put yourself in positions where others are consuming animal flesh and excretions. Here are a few ways I make it work:

• In shared meals out, it’s totally cool to say: “I’m just going to order my own vegan option and then you guys can share all the other dishes.” 
• So far as those other dishes, direct the waiter to place that big hunk of dead animal at the other end of the table. You don’t have to have it sitting right next to you. If it gets passed around and lands back next to you, ask for it to be moved again. I’m unapologetic about that.
• If food sharing is involved, speak up and say: “Can we please keep these serving utensils only for the veggie dishes.” Be polite yet firm.

People learn from your cues. If you’re wishy washy about what you’ll tolerate they’ll expect you to tolerate more. It you’re certain they’ll learn that there’s no point in insisting: “But surely just a bit of cheesecake won’t hurt?” or “But you used to love roast chicken, surely you feel like you’re missing out?” or even: “Can you pass meat please?”

Four: Incorporate Intermittent Fasting If Necessary.

This can be particularly applicable when traveling. Personally I store intermittent fasting in my tool kit of “I’ll use it if I have to” rather than as a part of my current routine. I’ve heard enough people I respect rave about the benefits. Not so much for weight loss, more-so for clarity of thought and to give your body the time it needs away from constantly metabolising food, to focus instead on repair. And yet personally I just found it made with moody with zero noticeable positive impact.

However, if I were stuck on a long haul flight with dubious food options consciously deciding to give my body a rest from food makes sense.

This could be particularly relevant for the regular traveler who likes to indulge in the #plantstrong cuisine of each new destination and yet also wants to maintain their weight. Generally, the food you miss on a flight is fairly worth missing the “even out” the total consumption over a set period of time.

Volition is key. Planning to intermittent fast is a whole different ball game to forgetting to eat and arriving at an eating out opportunity starving. That’s just inviting an outta control demolish session! A couple of considerations if you do dabble with fasting:

• As always focus on the benefits to your body rather than restriction.You’re giving your body a well-deserved break from metabolising food ALL THE TIME (!) and perhaps also you’re getting to avoid low nutrient value processed crap-o-la.
• Be mindful of the high quality fuel you choose to feed your body after fasting.If you’re cutting calorie intake that leaves even less room for low value rubbish. Focus on refuelling with a diverse range of whole plant foods like: veggies, fruit, wholegrain and legumes.

Five: Never Be Swayed By Peer Pressure.

That’s not how social change happens. Think of the reason why you are committed to a vegan lifestyle? Or a plant based lifestyle… whatever it is for you? It might be for ethical reasons. For environmental reasons. For your health. For food equality… you know I could go on and on!

Whatever your reason/s now ask yourself: Is a tiny little bit of discomfort or inconvenience felt by someone else more important than that big why? Equally: Is a tad of awkwardness or social anxiety on your behalf bigger than the why you’ve adopted this lifestyle?

I’m not looking to downplay social anxiety. As it happens I’m a naturally super awkward person! Just not when it comes to living aligned with my values and beliefs. I guess my message is, this skill can be built. You’ll get better at sticking to the choices aligned with your values and beliefs the more you do it. It’ll feel less awkward and you’ll feel more congruent. 

I’m digging back in the memory banks here for a time I had a big day out with a dear group of friends at their local RSL out of my area. It was Anzac Day. There was a lot of drinking involved over many hours and A) I knew that was too many hours to go without food plus B) I’d eaten there before and gotten the most abysmal excuse for a meal. I think it was a plate of steamed yet still rock hard veggies – you know the type that come straight from a bag of frozen mixed veg? I really wasn’t up for paying for that NON-pleasure again.

So I bought my own meal, likely salad, seeds and falafel as it’s easy and ok cold and I ate it at the table with everyone else in front of all the staff and patrons while my friends were devouring their burgers or fish and chips. I strongly advocate bringing your own meal if a venue is too backward to provide a decent vegan option. It’s 2020. It’s 100% not ok to expect me to eat animals or survive on frozen veg or chips just because I want to spend time with my non-vegan friends.

Six: Get Extra Sides. 

Especially focus on high nutrient value and filling fibrous veg. The sides are generally going to be a better option than filling up on bread or chips… or even those delicious and more’ishly high caloric density little numbers like: fried spring rolls, spinach triangles and tempura veg.

I guess this is a great time to reiterate, just because it’s vegan does not mean it’s healthy! 

Gleefully we can get anything vegan now, however that does mean if your intention is to be a healthy vegan, you’re going to need to exercise restraint a lot of the time given the abundance of junk food options now available. In E527 I cover: 6 Keys To Escape The Junk Food Vegan Epidemic.

Of course it’s tempting to resort to: “Wow, but it’s vegan – I’ve got to try it!”

That’s fine on occasion. However what if it’s happening all the time?

I genuinely believe that in the same way it’s vital to request vegan meals at non-vegan restaurants to signify the demand it’s also important to request healthier upgrades at vegan restaurants to signify the demand. As long as you’re polite, respectful and appreciative I’ve never had an issue with this.

Seven: One Slip Up Is Never Failure – just refuse to spiral! 

The thing that sets apart those who appear to stay in great shape easily and sustainably is not that they never make a poor eating decision. It’s that they avoid one decision turning into a spiral.

So what if you devoured the sweet potato wedges when your salad was a little light? Or maybe you indulged because – wow – there was a actually a vegan dessert on the menu!

One choice never equals failure. As previous podcast guest and author of Atomic Habits, James Clear advises in E592: Never miss twice.

When eating out its particularly valuable to learn from those decisions you later regret. So if you devoured sweet potato wedges at that burger joint that does them so well last time and the time before, how about choosing a different restaurant next time? Rather than setting yourself up to lose the discipline game. Or at the very least, commit to ordering extra – salad and veg – sides instead so you’ll be less tempted.

Eight: Unlimited Fibrous Veg.

Whether you’re eating out or at home it’s helpful to know there are foods to be enjoyed without ANY limitations.

I guess I’m speaking to my fellow emotional eaters here. Those of us who sometimes just love to demolish. This is where your fibrous friends come in again. If you have a weight loss goal, I especially recommend you front load your meals your meals with fibrous love. These are the foods you don’t want to “run out of room for” better to be “too full” for desert.

If the sides look pretty unappealing, most restaurants respond ok to a polite request for “whatever fibrous veg you have” on the side. I used to ask for this all the time in my brief fish eating phase 5 or so years ago. The standard serve was often a disappointing serve of fish with a light weight lettuce salad and hot chips.

Again, the stronger our demand for healthy vegan meals out, the more likely these meals are to be provided as menu staples.

Nine: Take The To Write Positive Reviews, Share Online, Spread The Vegan Love.

I’ve been advocating for menu adjusting requests and even bringing your own options to unaccommodating restaurants.

It’s also important to reward the food and the service you what to see more of. Be the vegan you wish you met!

That’s the friendly, polite, appreciative and referral giving vegan! It’s also hugely helpful for your fellow #plantstrong friends to know exactly where we can get Healthy, Delicious, Abundant… vegan meals out!

In closing I have surprising view point or maybe better Reframe that I hope is of value to you: 

I’m finding it much easier to make the best food choices as a vegan than it was as a vego. It’s the case at home and most often when eating out too. I’d even go so far as saying it’s easier to make the best food choices as a vegan than it was way back when I ate animals.

I guess it’s a combo of:

1. Zero low quality dairy to contend with.

I used to regularly devour the full weeks supply of (low fat SUPER HIGH sugar) delicious mango yoghurt in one mindless and guilt inducing sitting when visiting my parents.

2. Needing to check foods / menus more thoroughly before demolishing.

It gives you time to think and actually decide before you suddenly find yourself half way through that freshly baked giant (healthy yet not!) muffin or scone.

3. Getting to eat larger quantities of foods with less caloric density.

Every time I visit the family I get to enjoy massive plates of food that earn me a bemused comment along the lines of “you got enough there?!”

I then, without fail get to enjoy a second massive serving.

To get actionable today, does one of these Healthy Vegan Eating Out Tips sound like something worth working into your eating out approach? To rapidly recap:

One: Embrace / Enjoy Whole Foods.

Two: Ask for Adjustments To The Menu.

Three: Teach Others How To Treat You.

Four: Incorporate Intermittent Fasting If Necessary.

Five: Never Be Swayed By Peer Pressure.

Six: Get Extra Sides. 

Seven: One Slip Up Is Never Failure – just refuse to spiral! 

Eight: Unlimited Fibrous Veg.

Nine: Take The To Write Positive Reviews, Share Online, Spread The Vegan Love.

That’s it for today in Healthification. If you’re enjoying these solo show and longer form chats I’d really super appreciate it if you’d please share this podcast with someone you think would find value in it or rate and review it in iTunes. It takes a couple of minutes and it means so much to me. It 100% makes my day.

Huge thanks to YOU for sharing this week with me. You rock and I appreciate your support!

The Healthification podcast is proudly bought to you by my FREE ‘Easy Vegan’ plan. It took me 25 years to transition from a meat eater to a happy, healthy Vegan! You can do it in just 3 days with my simplified ‘easy vegan’ plan!  Get the fit, strong, and healthy plant based body you deserve… while avoiding ALL the mistakes I made along the way!

Till next time, remember Creating a body and life you love is Freedom. (If this ex-carb queen, non genetically gifted, naturally uncoordinated vegan chick can do it – so can YOU!!!)

If you liked “Healthy Vegan Eating Out Tips” you’ll also like 6 Keys To Escape The Junk Food Vegan Epidemic.

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