Naomi & I
One of the questions I hear often is how do you stay raw when you eat out at restaurants? There are a pieces to this puzzle, so tag along with me as I explain my rationale.
I was inspired to answer this particular question today, because I had a great time meeting up with fellow bloggers and twitter friends last night.
With great company like Naomi & Jamie Dunford, Lynn, Mark, Jon, and Russell & Maggie food was the last thing on my mind. Yet the question still lingers…
How to Pick the Right Restaurant
Picking the right type of restaurant is important, especially if you are going with people who aren’t all raw or who don’t know you’re raw.
The idea is to go for a type of restaurant that has salads. Or at least some sort of non-cooked vegetable options. This usually rules out some of the Indian, and Asian restaurants. Those tend to have vegetarian or vegan options (great if you’re not 100% raw) but not so many raw options.
I recommend you check out Italian restaurants, steak joints (really!), mexican restaurants (for guacamole), and other restaurants that happen to serve salads.
How to Order a Raw Plate Without Stressing Yourself Out
Now the tough part when it comes to ordering at a regular restaurant is not getting caught up in your mind games.
What do I mean by that?
It’s something that I’ve noticed happening in my own mind quite a few times, and that other people seem to pick up on.
When you look at the menu, you’ll be tempted to say:
“Screw it, I don’t have to eat raw tonight!” and just order something else to fit in or reward yourself. (Rewarding yourself with food is a whole ‘nother blog post!)
If you do order a salad and other people ask you questions like:
“Don’t you feel like having something else? Aren’t you sick of eating salads?”
You’ll start feeling left out, kind of down, or just plain jipped.
I seriously encourage you not to fall into that trap. The truth is that every time I order a salad at a decent restaurant, I’m really happy with it.
I tend not to enjoy restaurant salads if they are “cheaper restaurants” because then you get a few pieces of iceberg lettuce and two non-ripe tomato slices on top. (Think truck stop restaurants here.)
But with higher end restaurants or steak houses you’re going to be getting some quality veggies.
Making a Special Request
What I’ve had success with is asking the waiter for something special with my salad. Here are a few examples of orders I’ve made at restaurants that have made my experience much better.
Double Your Salad Order
I ordered two “house salads” and asked them to be put into one big bowl. The waitress asked if I was really sure about that… she probably didn’t get that request very often.
The house salad was about half the price of a regular entree, and to me it made sense to just double it and have a full meal. It turned out great, I felt satisfied, and I got lots of really great tasting greens.
Add Extra Veggies
Another great option is asking for vegetables that you see in other dishes or salads to be added to your green salad.
If you see that they have avocado in a sandwich, and they have red bell peppers as part of another dish, you can just ask them to throw some of these into your basic salad.
That adds bulk and really makes it a fuller meal for you. Sure, it might cost you a bit more but most salads tend to be on the less expensive side of the menu anyways.
Feeling Good About Your Choices
I often worry that I’m going to want to eat what other people have ordered. Honestly, this happened to me even before I went raw.
It’s just my monkey brain trying to convince me that my life isn’t perfect, and that I should be doing things differently.
The truth is that when I focus on the present moment, and commit to enjoying every bite of what it is I have in front of me, I really don’t care what other people order.
Now when people imply that the restaurant doesn’t have any good raw options I can say I’m really happy with my order.
More Importantly, You Should Enjoy Your Company
Remember that most of the time when we meet up with people at a restaurant, we are doing so to connect with people.
To enjoy each other’s company. To get to know each other. To share stories, laugh, and really treasure each other.
It shouldn’t be all about the food, though that can be fun too.
So the next time someone invites you out to eat, do a little research about the type of restaurant that has salads you might like, and go for it!
Enjoy your time together, and make the most of the present moment. It’s the only one you’ve got.
{ 29 comments }
Woah, Naomi has long (for her) hair and it's blonde! And Jamie is a hottie. (:
I've done some of the wacky things you're suggesting here. I've had the double house salad and extra veggies, in particular. It's fun to see the waiters try to understand, and occasionally they're surly, but usually they're happy to help.
*hugs* I sure wish I could'a been there! Looks like a lot of fun!
I know, we were all thrown off by the new Naomi hairdo! ;) They are so adorable together too. Wish you could have been there too! But there's always SXSW… (If all goes to plan, Austin baby here we come!)
Sometimes the waiters raise their eyebrows, but I've found them to be pretty cool in most cases. :)
Woah, Naomi has long (for her) hair and it's blonde! And Jamie is a hottie. (:
I've done some of the wacky things you're suggesting here. I've had the double house salad and extra veggies, in particular. It's fun to see the waiters try to understand, and occasionally they're surly, but usually they're happy to help.
*hugs* I sure wish I could'a been there! Looks like a lot of fun!
I know, we were all thrown off by the new Naomi hairdo! ;) They are so adorable together too. Wish you could have been there too! But there's always SXSW… (If all goes to plan, Austin baby here we come!)
Sometimes the waiters raise their eyebrows, but I've found them to be pretty cool in most cases. :)
I'm going to try this double salad next time I go out to eat. I don't eat exclusively raw, but there are many night that I do.
You are right sometimes I order to just fit in with everyone else. Time to just order what I want.
That's so awesome Karl! I'm glad this inspired you to just go for what it is you want to eat. I know I used to worry so much about ordering when I'm dining out, but I think it's a process you get used to. ;)
That's pretty much what I did when I was raw. Thankfully restaurants in the Bay Area (San Francisco, Berkeley) were pretty understanding when I asked for salad, cut fruit, extra virgin olive oil, raw nuts, etc.
Hehe, that's exactly what makes me miss the Bay Area sometimes! That and all the raw restaurants, of course. ;)
I'm just now learning about some of the places in Portland!
I'm going to try this double salad next time I go out to eat. I don't eat exclusively raw, but there are many night that I do.
You are right sometimes I order to just fit in with everyone else. Time to just order what I want.
That's so awesome Karl! I'm glad this inspired you to just go for what it is you want to eat. I know I used to worry so much about ordering when I'm dining out, but I think it's a process you get used to. ;)
That's pretty much what I did when I was raw. Thankfully restaurants in the Bay Area (San Francisco, Berkeley) were pretty understanding when I asked for salad, cut fruit, extra virgin olive oil, raw nuts, etc.
Hehe, that's exactly what makes me miss the Bay Area sometimes! That and all the raw restaurants, of course. ;)
I'm just now learning about some of the places in Portland!
Don't forget to bring your own additions! Seriously, it makes little difference if you have a thing of sunflower seeds in your purse. Well, okay, people tend to think it's kind of funny. But if you're raw, they may already think you're funny anyway.
Some possibilities: Protein- just a pinch of nuts on a salad can make a world of difference, not to mention a meal, even if it's all just iceberg. I've added almond, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, black sesame seeds, sunflower seeds…
Basically, anything you can manage to take with you can add to the dinner. One problem would be olive oil… most restaraunts probably just have your basic salad oil, as opposed to extra-virgin, cold-pressed… if it's an Italian restaurant, they may have the good kind. Otherwise, I suppose one could cheat, or bring a tiny bottle of it with them. I would worry about something like that being hard to keep clean- it would make a mess pretty easily! Something tightly-sealed, I guess. One could also bring an avocado, which don't bruise too easily and can be disected with your butter knife. :)
And I thought eating vegan at restaurants was tricky! lol
Don't forget to bring your own additions! Seriously, it makes little difference if you have a thing of sunflower seeds in your purse. Well, okay, people tend to think it's kind of funny. But if you're raw, they may already think you're funny anyway.
Some possibilities: Protein- just a pinch of nuts on a salad can make a world of difference, not to mention a meal, even if it's all just iceberg. I've added almond, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, black sesame seeds, sunflower seeds…
Basically, anything you can manage to take with you can add to the dinner. One problem would be olive oil… most restaraunts probably just have your basic salad oil, as opposed to extra-virgin, cold-pressed… if it's an Italian restaurant, they may have the good kind. Otherwise, I suppose one could cheat, or bring a tiny bottle of it with them. I would worry about something like that being hard to keep clean- it would make a mess pretty easily! Something tightly-sealed, I guess. One could also bring an avocado, which don't bruise too easily and can be disected with your butter knife. :)
And I thought eating vegan at restaurants was tricky! lol
Hi Araxie!
Great suggestions! Thanks for sharing your tips with us. I've definitely brought some of my own nuts and salad dressings to restaurants too. A small bottle of raw salad dressing is easy to bring if you're using a tupperware-like mini bottle.
And definitely bringing your own nuts and seeds works great. I've had salads at restaurants with sunflower seeds that tasted so old, and ever since then I either ask them on the side or just bring my own. ;)
Thanks again for sharing, your insights are awesome!
Hi Araxie!
Great suggestions! Thanks for sharing your tips with us. I've definitely brought some of my own nuts and salad dressings to restaurants too. A small bottle of raw salad dressing is easy to bring if you're using a tupperware-like mini bottle.
And definitely bringing your own nuts and seeds works great. I've had salads at restaurants with sunflower seeds that tasted so old, and ever since then I either ask them on the side or just bring my own. ;)
Thanks again for sharing, your insights are awesome!
I”m going to a mexican resturant today with friends. What can I eat. I'm 100% with my raw food dietary lifestyle.
Try some guacamole with fresh veggies or a salad. Just make sure to ask if the guacamole is made fresh or if it comes a can… And enjoy! :)
I”m going to a mexican resturant today with friends. What can I eat. I'm 100% with my raw food dietary lifestyle.
I”m going to a mexican resturant today with friends. What can I eat. I'm 100% with my raw food dietary lifestyle.
Try some guacamole with fresh veggies or a salad. Just make sure to ask if the guacamole is made fresh or if it comes a can… And enjoy! :)
Try some guacamole with fresh veggies or a salad. Just make sure to ask if the guacamole is made fresh or if it comes a can… And enjoy! :)
See, I made it over to this article just like I said! :P And well worth the minor distraction. heehee. And I know this post and all the comments are old, but I'm going to comment anyway! :P
Love the tips in here. I've recently had some success with special ordering myself and am definitely going to try more of it! I'm not 100% raw, so don't have to worry too much about it being ALL raw, just avoiding things like wheat, dairy, sugar, etc. Recently I went for dinner with a couple of friends and we ordered a platter of appetizers to share. I was able to request a bowl of veggies to dip instead of the pita, and they were happy to accommodate me and the veggies were AWESOME – a GREAT variety, fresh, and just plain delicious! Definitely going to try things like that more often. :)
Woohoo! That's the kind of story I looove reading. Way to go on asking for veggies to dip, that's a great idea that I think a lot of people here will benefit from too. :)
And isn't it awesome to be able to participate in a group order/sharing/social thing and not feel deprived, etc? Way to go on taking the wheat, dairy, sugar out. I bet your body is thanking you for it! :D
I usually go out with my girlfriend to have lunch and every time I made fun of her because she never ate something, in my opinion, consistent. Always salad, salad, salad. Untill one day she asked me to taste it. I don't know if all the restaurants New York NY serve that (they probably do, cause was nothing fancy), but that was the tastiest thing I ever ate. Now, I always have raw food when we go out. Guess who's laughing now?
Great Advice! I have to go out next Sunday and was thinking of what I coud do to stay raw.
Thanks!
Hi Chel! I'm so happy this came in handy for you, enjoy your meal next Sunday! :)
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