I hear it time and time again…”I can’t eat well because I eat out all of the time.”

HA!

That is simply another excuse people use to allow themselves to continue to eat food they know is bad for them!

You can in fact eat very healthily even while eating out.

While it isn’t ideal, it is most definitely doable! There are always healthy options…they just aren’t always the options you WANT to eat. But if you make an effort and really look at the menu instead of just ordering the first thing that looks good because you are hungry, you may find that there are even more healthy options out there than you realized!

Restaurants are starting to listen to make menu options for the health conscious individuals.

I was super excited when Ryan showed me Panera’s new healthy menu options!

I don’t ever eat Panera anymore. I had it recently when I made a car trip to Indiana with my Mom to visit my sister and we got Panera bagels and mochas for old-time sake. But before then I literally hadn’t visited Panera in years.

For one, I didn’t feel their food was as good as it used to be and two, it had become too sodium laden and un-primal eater friendly.

But now there are actually Primal and healthy options there! And while they aren’t actually on the menu, they are available.

Why Panera chose to make a “hidden menu” for these healthy options is beyond me. Hey…at least they are providing some great breakfast and lunch options though!

Anyway, check it out! A little research can turn up some really great options. Eating out doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your healthy lifestyle (unless of course it is a cheat day!).

What are your favorite and healthiest restaurant meals?

P.S. While I do believe you can eat well at restaurants, I don’t think they really substitute for home cooked meals. But it is good to know that if you are in need of a meal that there are places out there you can easily go to!