When eating as lean and clean as possible, how do you manage eating out?

[ThewrathofBethDutton]

I’m on it. I have to be and I’m doing bloody brilliant! So focussed, super determined and feel so much better already.

Going for a pub lunch with a big group of close friends in a couple of weeks.

I don’t eat meat.

The menu is just awful. Burgers, steak sandwiches etc
It looks like I can probably have the soup on the starter menu, not have the bread that comes with it. (Hoping it’s not a cream soup).
On the main menu there’s a plate of roasted vegetables…cost of £17. I will absolutely not pay that for a plate of vegetables.

How do you navigate this when trying to eat healthy and cleanly?

I give myself that meal off.

Although I suspect this is why I am so fat 😂

Have a side dish and a side salad

Have a few vegetable side dishes rather than a main meal if you want to be super strict

Most burger type places will have a salad on the menu of some description or a baked potato which can be kept clean

Side dish is chips/fries/onion rings that kind of stuff. I really don’t want anything like that.
The side salad is “mixed leaves “ pffffft crap.

It’s one meal. I just eat what I want for that one meal

It's one meal, just eat what you fancy for that one meal.

I think it's harder if you don't eat meat but also don't for to somewhere with a shit menu.

this. It’s important to have balance. If you restrict your self too much you’re likely to end up miserable or binge eating. One “bad” meal won’t undo all your progress so enjoy it and then go back to your plan

I didn't do lean and clean but have recently lost 5stones. On the very odd occasion I went for food out, I ate what I fancied (generally a slightly healthier option than some others, but still I ate what I wanted.) Only had a pudding even more occasionally.

There aren't great options tbh! Fully with you on not wanting to pay £17 for vegetables, cheeky gits. Can you eat before you go, then have the soup as a main?

I quite often don't eat out when dieting as I just don't have the necessary self control.

There’s nothing ‘unclean’ about bread and meat.
just have the soup and bread.
i don’t eat things like burgers, often with a pub menu there are some basic meat and veg meals.

I agree with others that the occasional not so healthy meal is fine. It won't affect your weight and you'll enjoy it.

Can you have two starters if that's a better option?

Think I will eat before I go, have a substantial breakfast then just the soup.

Im looking forward to seeing my lively friends rather than the food. 😃

Have a couple of starter dishes or fish.

I eat really clean and have done so for several years now. Perfection is a unicorn and it’s very very hard to maintain all of the time. Aim for 80% great and 20% reasonable. I wouldn’t probably go for onion rings or similar as I managed to wean myself off greasy stuff, maybe go for sandwiches?

I would have the soup plus a starter portion of the roasted vegetables - I often ask for starter portions and they're normally ok with it.

Just eat and enjoy. Not being able to enjoy a single sandwich while eating out is not sustainable. If you want to be in healthy habits for life you need to feel like you can treat yourself sometimes. Try and see it as a lifelong thing and be realistic.

I have an 18.7 bmi and eat extremely healthily (think raw vegetable smoothie every morning, vegan, no alcohol for nearly a decade) yet if we have a rare dominoes night I will relax and eat! I also make sure I treat myself to a bit of chocolate every Sunday which is much better than the daily bingeing I used to do. I refuse to give up chocolate completely

If I was really in the zone I’d get the £17 veg if I was only semi in the zone I’d get something with the most protein. I often ask to swap the chips for salads or mushrooms etc and it’s not normally a problem.

Thanks everyone.

It’s going to be soup just to be sociable.
Eat before I go.

I prefer to look at it across the week. 3 meals a day times 7 days in the week = 21 meals. If one of those is not the greatest, then that’s a small percentage. Plus it’s not usually every week. Enjoy the food and don’t punish yourself for it.

Is there no fish or salad on the menu? Is it possible to go elsewhere?

I eat meat so find it really easy- steak and salad, chicken and veg etc. Do you eat fish? Do they have something like salmon you could have with veggies or salad?

If you had a burger with no bun and extra salad no chips that's reasonably clean.

I often have a starter and a side dish when I go out. I wouldn’t eat a big meal just to be sociable. Order what you actually want!