If I Change My Diet, Should I Cancel My Social Life?

A gentleman came into the store yesterday and we talked about a couple of health issues he was having. I suggested he cut down or eliminate his consumption of meat foods, dairy products and oils.

His next response was like that of a lot of people.

He said “What am I going to eat?” It seems that once you suggest not eating meat or dairy people draw a blank as to what is left.

So if you change your diet does that mean you should cancel your social life and never eat out again? Absolutely not!

We eat at home a lot for a number of reasons.

1. It is better food and cheaper.
2. In my kitchen I know exactly what I am putting on our plates and how it is prepared. At a restaurant you really have no idea where that food came from or what was added into it.
3. The food and restaurant industry have learned that anything with salt, sugar and fat tastes good. So that is exactly what they put in your food.
4. On top of that, what if the restaurant chef had a bad day and he is now taking it out on my dinner. That can’t be good!

But when we go out I have never had a hard time finding things to eat, whether we go to a vegetarian restaurant or not. There are so many options now days for any kind of diet you follow, especially a vegetarian or vegan diet.

We went out last night and I took a picture of what I had.

2 Large Plates of Salad (with a non-oil, non-fat dressing)
Rice (They had white rice so that is what I ate)
Baked Potato (instead of the butter and sour cream I used hot sauce and green onions)
Vegan Vegetable Soup
Wheatberry Salad  and …oh yeah a few Chinese Crunchy things thrown in for fun!

About 1/2 of the meal was Raw and 1/2 cooked. No meat! No Dairy! 100% Vegan!

And do not tell me you would not get full eating like this!

If you came over to my house for dinner it would look pretty much the same. Typically we would have a starch (rice, pasta, potatoes, sweet potatoes, quinoa, or beans etc ) plus some vegetable, usually steamed, (broccoli, zucchini, brussel sprouts, cauliflower, or kale etc…there are a ton of them to choose from) and a big salad. This is my basic formula (1 Part Heavy Food (Starch) and 2 parts Light Foods (Vegetables and Salad). Super simple and perfectly combined. And when I go out to eat I try and follow the same basic formula.

Yes folks there is life after a diet change!

Try it for a day, week or forever. See what happens!