21 day fix Eating Out but Eating Right!

I love going out to eat! I love everything about it.  I don't have to do dishes, I don't have to prepare my meal, I get to chat with my family and I just enjoy being out on the town.  So I decided that maybe it would be a good idea to let you in on my favorite places to eat and why.  I also occasionally go to fast food restaurants but I choose the right things for myself and my kids.

My absolute favorite fast food chain in Utah is Zupas they have a fun family atmosphere and quick food prep line.  They offer great salads and their soups are good too! When I take my family here, I always feel good about what everyone is eating.  My kids pick from the kids menu which includes grilled chicken and fresh fruit cups along with other healthy choices and I get a different salad every time I go.  I also love their chicken taco soup. http://cafezupas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Catering_Menu_2page_R1.pdf 
One thing to remember when eating out, is to always get your dressing on the side that way you know how much is going on your salad.  I generally skip on the bread that comes with these salads unless I haven't had any grains for the day.  I also just love the chocolate covered strawberry for my little treat that comes with every meal.

We also eat at Costa Vida about 1 time a month.  My favorite part of this cafe is that I can go online ahead of time and see how many calories my meal is going to be.  Check out the link below and it will show you based on what you choose how your meal will effect your daily intake.http://www.costavida.net/healthy-living/  I never eat a full burrito from here I generally split one 4 ways with my kids and then pair it with a salad.  Or if I am on a date I choose something from the menu that goes along with my goals.

So we live in a place that has a lot of Mc. Donalds restaurants and they have really cool play places. I generally don't choose to eat at Mc. Donalds but when I let my kids choose they almost always say lets go to Mc. D's and so we go.  Now many people don't know this but when you order here you can get your kids cutie oranges, apples, yogurt or a side salad.  Pair one of these sides with chicken nuggets and a water, milk or juice and your kid gets a fairly balanced meal. I still wish they had grilled chicken for kids but they are slowly making improvements and I like that.  As for me I always get the Southwest Salad with grilled chicken and no dressing.  I have water with every meal so overall my Mc. Donalds calorie count is at 290 calories. I really do like the nutrition information available online and at the restaurant.  So keep it up fast food chains your on the upswing.
 http://www.mcdonalds.com/content/us/en/food/product_nutrition.salads.3642.premium-southwest-salad-with-grilled-chicken.html

Another place my kids love is Chick Fil-A and I sorta love that place too.  Thier salads are very good and they offer great sides for the kids as well.

When we eat out at a nice restaurant my favorite place to go is Teppanyaki. I get the salmon with veggies and rice. I end up either sharing this meal with my husband or I put half of it in a  to go box.  Fresh veggies cooked right in front of you along with delicious salmon what not to love.