Let's taco bout eating out!

What tips should you keep in mind to stay on track with your weight-loss goals maintain an overall healthful lifestyle while eating out? We've got the tips along with a couple of our fave spots to dine in Los Angeles, Dallas, and Boston in this part-one of "Reboot On The Road!"

Some of these tips may seem familiar so we've sprinkled in some studies that reinforce why as your tele-Dietitian,
this is the info you need to know!

Reboot on the Road:
7 Tips for Eating Out
+ Staying Healthy

1. Choose whole grains.

Stick to foods made with whole and low-processed grains to get a great dose of dietary fiber! Fiber can help you feel full and in turn eat fewer calories! Whole grains (composed of the bran, germ and endosperm) are a good source of B vitamins, folate, iron (which carries oxygen to the blood), magnesium (assists with hundreds of processes in the body), and selenium (which has some awesome benefits for your skin)!

Likewise, replacing white rice with brown rice has been shown to result in decreasing weight, waist/hip circumference, BMI, Blood Pressure, and inflammation. Improvement in artery function and blood sugar lowering capabilities was also observed.

2. Slide the salt to the side.

Yes, just skipping the salt can make a huge impact on your health, it’s that easy! In the United States, 1/3 of people add salt to their food before they even taste it! According to this article on the assessment of disease burden caused by varying risks, the two most prominent dietary risks for death and disability in the world are not eating enough fruit and eating too much salt.

What to do if you love that salty flavor? Well, research shows that 2-4 weeks after leaving out the salt, the sensitivity of our salt taste receptors in our mouth will "reset" and become acclimated to salt in the usual concentrations. You may actually start to prefer the food with less salt!

RD TIP: To replace your usual salt-shaker try replacing the flavor with some of these healthful herbs or spices: pepper, onion, garlic, tomato, basil, parsley, lime, lemon, chili, rosemary, or curry in its place!

3. Slow your roll.

It takes approximately 20 minutes for your brain to get the message from your stomach that you are full. Mindful eating, defined by The Center for Mindful Eating as "the act of using all your senses in choosing to eat food that is both satisfying to you and nourishing to your body." By acknowledging your responses to food and becoming aware of physical hunger and satiety cues to guide your decisions" can result in significant changes in weight, eating behavior, and psychological distress. Further, fast eaters usually overeat, while slow eaters eat less and are usually more satisfied at the end of a meal.

4. Leftovers for the win.

From birth you follow your internal hunger and fullness cues until they are skewed by outside factors. Well, say goodbye to the pressure being apart of the clean plate club! Going out can sometimes mean you feel pressure to finish everything you bought, but saving that leftover food for later is better than overeating at the table. Having multiple small meals through the day has been shown to reduce the risk for obesity and give you a more steady source of energy to avoid that 2pm workday "crash." I keep this thermal bag in my car to keep my food at a good temperature from the restaurant until I can get home and put it in the refrigerator!

5. Plan and be assertive!

When making plans, find the prospective restaurant online (or on your favorite foodie app) to take a look at the menu and applicable nutrition information beforehand to find a dish that will be both delicious and healthy! Once you're there, don't be afraid to ask menu questions and make special requests to meet your nutritional needs!

6. Menu Modification.

If entrees don't fit your serving size needs you can split them with a friend or order straight from the appetizer menu to keep portions small and give yourself a variety! Also splitting desserts is a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth without committing to a lot of calories.

Ordering with your food groups in mind will help keep your plate balanced. Try to keep at least half of your meal fruits and veggies along with having a variety of colors since the varying colors indicate different nutrient availability.

7. Don't get lost in the sauce.

Keep your dressings and sauces in mind when you order since creamy versions are usually higher in calories! Go for the vinegar based dressings and plant-based sauces like tahini, pesto, marinara or even better- cauliflower, cashew, and almond based sauces.

ASK THE RD: Is it healthy for me to just eat
out at Chipotle?

Here's the deal. In 2015, the data on about 3,000 meals (1,800 Grubhub orders from July to December 2012), mostly from two Chipotle restaurants in DC and Michigan, were analyzed and 50% of the orders had over 1,000 calories while 25% had 850 calories or lower. Therefore, it is less about whether or not Chipotle is healthy but more about what you order once you get there! You are in control of what fuels you.

Burrito

A chicken burrito with white rice, black beans, roasted chili corn salsa, and guacamole will give you around 2,000 calories, that is almost 100% of your recommended daily caloric intake!

the Reboot >

Burrito Bowl

A burrito bowl with brown rice, black beans, chicken, fresh tomato salsa, sour cream and lettuce, comes to about 625 calories. Passing on the sour cream cuts out more fat and brings it down to 510 calories! In addition, leaving out the "fresh tomato salsa" will decrease your sodium intake by 200 mg.

Need Calorie Information

There's an app for that.

Here's a list of the mobile applications and websites we’ve found extremely helpful with our clients when navigating menus and ingredients so you're never guessing about what's on your plate!

My Fitness Pal

Available for iOS +Android (Free)

The bar-code scanner and community involvement makes this my favorite app! This app is super easy for keeping a food diary when you're constantly on the go!
Sync's w/ fitness trackers and scales like our own Roots Reboot tele-nutrition portal!
Includes variations of an array of food items from your favorite restaurants.
It can give you the calorie information whether you purchased a salad with or without the dressing, croutons and shredded cheese
Perfect for individuals with specific food restrictions like "citrus free," "dairy free," and "nut free."

Lose It!

Available for iOS +Android (Free)

Bar-code scanner for easily looking-up your food.
Syncs with fitness trackers (FitBit, RunKeeper, and Nike Fuelband).
Start one of their challenges to take your weight loss goals to the next level!

Calorie King

Available for iOS Only (Free)

Has information for hundred's of fast-food restaurants.
A simple design for the person who does not want something too busy.
Displays only calorie information so this works for someone who likes a hand-written food-diary.
Great for tracking carbohydrate intake for diabetics.

Roots Reboot Tele-Nutrition Portal

Available for iOS +Android (Free)

Last but not least is the app for your very own Roots Reboot RD access! SIGN UP HERE and after becoming our client you'll get access to direct messaging with Taylor and I anytime, anywhere it is most convenient to you!
It's like an RD in your pocket! Have answers to all of your eating out questions and concerns right at your fingertips!
Take pictures of your food to directly send them to your personal RD with our HIPPA compliant direct messaging ! Get your nutrition guidance from a credible and qualified source in real time
We pride ourselves i on being a part of the newest wave in tele-nutrition for providing consulting practices that will give you around the clock nutrition access, support, and the flexibility needed to achieve successful outcomes.

Stay on track of your healthful lifestyle by keeping these three tips in mind when you're evaluating nutrition information.

If the sodium (mg) amount is higher than the calories per serving, it's got too much salt! Since most processed foods are high in sodium, keeping your foods whole and fresh is a good way to avoid an intake of salt that is too high.
Keep your saturated fat levels low by steering clear of fats that are solid at room temperature (with the exception of coconut and avocado oil) and that are also not derived from plant sources like olive, canola, corn, soybean, safflower and sesame oils.
With most American adults getting only half of the recommended amount of fiber, try to get around 10 grams of fiber every meal to reach the recommended 30 grams a day! Vegetables are a great source of dietary fiber (supplements do not do the trick) so by keeping your plate halfway filled with vegetables you'll reach your recommended dietary intake for fiber in no time!

Let's take a trip.

Here's a look at a few places I've visited in the last 6 months that had restaurants I could not pass up.
Their locally sourced and ethical menu's were just what your girl ordered.

Dallas-Flower Child

A quick and random weekend in the Texas metroplex.

In the name of the all things Spring, I had to stop by the new Flower Child restaurant that just opened in Dallas! The "howdy" at their front door put me right at home as a fellow Texan... and I KNEW I was in love when I saw the menu. All the poultry, fish & meat is raised naturally, without additives, and the produce is locally sourced. I had the dish "Mother Earth" which had ancient grains, sweet potato, portobello mushroom, avocado, cucumber, broccoli pesto, arugula, red pepper miso vinaigrette,and hemp seed with chicken,talk about healthy and absolutely delish! Their menu discerns all of your vegetarian, vegan, & gluten-free options but are easy to mix and match so you end up with a plate that will satisfy your every craving. My favorite part of the meal however was the drink! Flower Child boasts 6 teas and lemonades that are sure to quench your palette. I tried the Pomegranate, Ginger and Rosewater lemonades and loved them both! They also have some great GF desserts like this chocolate pudding - it's heaven. Flower Child also has locations in Phoenix, Del Mar, and Santa Monica so the next time you're in one of these cities check it out!

Los Angeles-Tocaya Organica

Coachella shenanigans and visiting my best friend!

I love eating in beautiful settings and Tocaya Organica did not disappoint. Originating in Venice, its sustainable, organic, and chef-inspired menu is so simple but the sophisticated yet rustic ambiance was perfect. We ordered quick and easy from the i-pad menus when we walked in and took our numbers before finding our seats on the patio and started sipping our cucumber mint water. I got the Barrio Style Tacos with tomatillo salsa, avocado, diced red onion & cilantro! Every bite was savory and satisfying. The serving sizes were just right but knowing that their ingredients are sustainable and organic made it even better. You also can't pass on their roasted cauliflower because it's life-changing. I ordered the veggie side since I felt that the veggies in the taco themselves were not enough for my meal to be nutrient dense. I can't wait to go back to California just for more Tocaya! West Hollywood should definitely keep this gem.

Boston-Dig Inn

Food and Nutrition Conference with Taylor!

During our visit in Boston, Tay and I were itching to try this place since their market bowls seemed to be super popular. It was just our luck that the kitchen was closed due to some outages so we had to wait but, we didn't mind at all! We perused the menu and people-watched from the patio until they re-opened about 45 min later and let me tell you, it was worth the wait. Tay and I both got our market bowls and and individualized them which was easy since all the goods they offered were in-season produce amongst some lean protein options. It was also reassuring to know that their "Dig isms" include working closely with farmers, eating at the table, and eating more vegetables, definitely our kind of place! If you're in Boston or New York you should stop in one of their locations. We hope you Dig them as much as we did!

XO - ROOTS REBOOT

P.S. NEED TO RECHARGE + REFOCUS + RESET YOUR HEALTH?

Reboot your health with a personal Roots Reboot Dietitian, your source for nutrition answers! Work one-on-one with a Roots Reboot Dietitian and start feeling amazing by achieving the whole-living lifestyle you've always desired! Creating your own personalized nutrition plan and seeing lasting results has never been easier. Skip the waiting room and speak to a Dietitian 24/7, with daily support anytime, anywhere it is most convenient for you!