Confession - I’ve been eating baby food for years!

A big part of FLO Living is learning to embrace cooking simple, tasty, healthy meals at home and to have fun experimenting with recipes using your cycle-synched food plan.But I know that it’s also fun to have someone else cook for you sometimes.I also know how important it is for you to be able to enjoy birthday dinners and date nights at restaurants without having anxiety about what you should eat.More than that, eating out done properly does not have to set you back in terms of your hormonal health goals. You can use each dining experience to help you continue your work to restore your period health, improve your fertility, and boost your sex drive, energy and mood.

Tweet: I no longer look at eating out as an opportunity to “indulge” in unhealthy ways, but instead support my FLO when I’m out. @Floliving

I wanted to share my best strategies with you - this is exactly what I do when I go out to eat to stay on protocol and in the FLO!

Eating out Strategy 1: My Magic Menu Formula

I love this! I build my meal from the appetizers and side dishes (this is where all the good grains and veggies tend to be). What I love about this is that I can get a few of each thing, share with whoever I’m eating with and I get to experience more of the menu. A bunch of small dishes will make the meal more enjoyable, entertaining and more filling.

Eating out Strategy 2: Enlist the Support of your Server

I find that just being transparent with the server at the beginning BEFORE ordering always makes my experience so much better. Don’t wait until your food comes out to tell the server that you wanted specific healthy changes made. Let him or her know you are a sensitive eater and ask for low sodium, low fat, dairy free prep.

Eating out Strategy 3: Pick the Right Cuisines

Let’s face it, some cuisines are healthier in nature. You’ve gotta pick the right restaurant to make it easier on yourself. So for example, even though my heritage is Italian, I almost NEVER eat out at Italian restaurants. Why? Because it’s a GLUTEN and DAIRY nightmare for someone who can’t eat those things. I don’t like to feel limited. So I’ve learned to find cuisines that are much easier to work with and give me TONS of options on the menu - I love to feel abundant when I eat out!My favorite go to’s are French, Japanese, and Greek.French - they have the lock down on the fluffiest omelettes and I love eggs as a meal ANY time of day ;)Japanese - I opt for the yakitori (grilled small plates) style and unusual veggies like lotus root and seaweed.Greek - Try the horta - I am obsessed with these! They are some magical greek leafy green kind of like kale and swiss chard had a baby with kick. This and grilled fish and hummus - done!

Eating out Strategy 4: Don’t distinguish between Lunch and Dinner

It goes against tradition - but just don’t have the sandwich. It’s very unlikely you’ll find somewhere that uses organic grain for the bread, which means you’ll be eating grain soaked in RoundUp pesticide, which is an endocrine disrupting chemical. A salad for lunch is not my favorite as it typically doesn’t give you the hormone stabilizing nutrition you need. If you do take the salad, of course leave out those creamy dressings, the bacon and the blue cheese. I am just looking for my lunch to be as nourishing as my dinner. So I want protein, grains, greens. If I’m eating out, and there’s nothing suitable on the lunch menu, I’ll order more dinner style again from the appetizers and side dish sections.

Eating out Strategy 5: Eat Baby Food

Here’s the deal...Tweet: I pack smart to snack smart.I KNOW for certain that when I’m out and about, when my blood sugar needs a boost, I will not be anywhere near food that’s good for my FLO - so I just don’t leave it up to chance.I keep 3 things in my day bag at all times.1 - My own organic caffeine free teas - I am a tea afficionado, so I find the choices at most coffee shops and restaurants are really boring - I mean can we have other choices besides mint and chamomile?

2 - Pure Organic Bars - the BEST organic fruit nut bar on the market - any flavor - any time!3 - BABY FOOD!!! - I know this seems crazy, but you MUST try this - it’s going to change your life! Several years ago, Happy Family Baby Food came out with these ingenious BPA free squeeze pouches full of their delicious organic baby food blends. Pumpkin, Apple, Peach, Cinnamon and Apple, Beet, Banana are two of my favorites. There’s nothing in there that’s bad, it’s portion controlled AND if it’s good for baby, it’s totally good for you!Bonus - When I fly, I also pack some travel size bags of Purely Elizabeth granola, a satisfying mix of chia, ancient grains and seeds with no refined sugars. I mix some of this with a Happy Baby pouch and I’m all set!

Now, I want to hear from you!

First: Tell me which strategy you’re going to try from my list and why. Second: Tell me YOUR best eating out strategy! #FLOonthego The best tips will be featured here. Third: You know every one you know is hormonal – spread a little good ovary karma and share this article on social by clicking the buttons below :)

Need more Hormone Help?

If you’re needing some health upgrading, it’s time you started you looking into what’s going on with your hormones.I’ve designed a quiz to help you understand exactly what’s out of whack and how you can start getting back to balance so that your hormones no longer have to suffer.Sign up here to get your quiz![gravityform id="1" name="Sign up here to get your quiz!" title="false" description="false"]