Social gatherings are finally possible to at least some extent in 2022 and that is certainly a blessing in more ways than one. However, they do tend to cause a major disruption if you are on a diet (keto, Mediterranean, etc.), or if you practice a healthy lifestyle overall. After all, no social gathering is complete without a healthy dose of liquor and salty food!
Does that mean you will need to either break your diet and break out of your healthy lifestyle, or avoid social gatherings altogether? No such drastic measures are necessary, fortunately, because we are about to share five tips with you, which will go a long way towards putting your mind and health at ease.
Pay Short Visits
If you can help it, keep your visits short and sweet. This will let you avoid eating or drinking too much at a social gathering. Arrive late and leave early if the gathering in question isn’t one that necessitates a longer stay.
Be the Host
It may seem counterintuitive for a health-conscious individual to throw the party, but that’s the best way to eat and drink healthy even in a large social gathering. You can eat and drink as you wish because it’s your own home! Stick to these keto friendly wines and follow your diet just as you
would do at home, because you will be at home! There is no better way to gain social popularity points and stick to your healthy lifestyle than this neat little trick.
Less Consumption, More Mingling
Parties are not just about drinking and eating what you know you should not, unless you are a teenager throwing his/her life’s first party! It’s more about chats, discussions, meeting new people, making new connections, and enjoying the whole experience of being around other people after such a long time. Ensure that you don’t forget what the focus of the gathering is. Eat and drink only when you must and that too, in small quantities.
Be Picky
Be a bit picky about what’s on the menu and you might be pleasantly surprised. For example, if the gathering goes to a lounge or restaurant, you should be able to find at least a few healthy and relatively high food value items on just about any menu these days. Also, talk to the waiter and preferably the chef afterwards to let them know you are looking for a healthier version of whatever it is that you have picked from the menu. Given that healthy food is
always easier to cook than their commercial versions, there is no reason why they won’t be happy to oblige a paying customer.
Know the Common Healthy Dishes by Heart
If you are serious about leading a healthy lifestyle, then you should at the very least know how to cook simple and healthy dishes at home. That knowledge will come in handy when you are trying to pick a dish at just about any restaurant in the country. For example, the following are some of the healthiest and most common menu items found in most American restaurants:
- Grilled chicken/fish/shrimp variants with brown rice and veggies
- Stir-fried seafood/fish/chicken with mashed potatoes and assorted vegetables
- Grilled salmon with broccoli
- Vegetarian salads containing cilantro, avocado, cucumber, tomato, strawberries, carrot,
beet, quinoa, kale, bean sprouts, lettuce, sesame seeds, nuts, peppers, etc. - Non-vegetarian salads containing grilled chicken/seafood/fish, along with the plant food
already mentioned above
Not that this is a comprehensive list, but you should be able to find items very similar to these in most American restaurants. They will likely have their own fancy names and personal touches added to them, but grilled lemon salmon with broccoli is just that, whatever they may decide to name it.
