What's on the Menu?

After making the transition to a healthy plant-based diet, you may find it difficult to find a restaurant that serves plant-based meals. Upon arriving at the restaurant, the menu features many choices, yet in your mind, you're seeing...."heart attack, stroke, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, autoimmune, and gout" for the main course. As you're desperately trying to find what to order, you notice everyone else has ordered and they're waiting on you. Oh, the pressure!

In the two minute video below, Dr. John McDougall offers a few tips on choosing healthier options when dining out. Many times you can go to the restaurant's website to see what your options are beforehand.

Restaurants may also have vegan entrees that they don't include on the menu or side dishes of vegetables which would be a good choice. Tell your waiter to leave off any oils, sauces, and butters. A hearty meal can be made by combining several a la carte items, such as grains, beans, pasta, a potato, salad and vegetables. Don't be afraid to ask your waiter to leave off the oils, dressings, dairy, or the meat item on your green salad. You could even bring your own salad dressing in a small container.

Of course, preparing your meals at home is always the healthiest choice. However, on those occasions when you are asked to eat out, it can be an enjoyable experience, it just takes a little extra planning ahead. For those with heart disease, and other serious conditions, please be very cautious when dining out.