Umm, how is it nearly 5:00 PM already? I must have time-traveled from breakfast until now!?! 
It’s been quite the day.
Breakfast
I woke up bright and early this morning to work on my book edits. I plowed through 15 pages in less than 2 hours, which was pretty awesome. I felt sooooo productive!
For breakfast, I enjoyed a wonderful bowl of overnight oats with rolled oats, vanilla soy milk, sweet potato, walnuts, chia seeds, and Barney Butter. I also drank an iced coffee with a splash of almond milk.
Lunch
After breakfast, I headed straight to NuVal where I worked my little tail off! I’m traveling for the next two weeks, so I’m trying to get a head start on my Trading Up Downtown posts.
While working away, I ate some cheese tortellini, plain Oikos, and a peach.
I also had a little bit of my coworker’s Tex Mex Tabouli, which tasted amazing. Mmm! She’s going to email me the recipe, so I’ll be sure to share it on Carrots ‘N’ Cake.
Snack
When I got home from NuVal, I snacked on a Sandwich Thin with Barney Butter smeared on top. Best snack ever.
Mal and I are meeting my buddy, Blain, for dinner tonight. I think Buffalo Chicken Pizza is on the agenda. I hope I can behave! 
Feel Great Weight
Speaking of dining out, check out this week’s post: 3 Diet-Friendly Ways to Navigate the Dinner Menu.
Eggland’s Best at BlogHer ’10
Are you going to BlogHer in New York City next week? Well, I will see you there! 
Eggland’s Best is one of my sponsors for the event and they’re hosting a Meet & Greet event for bloggers on Friday, August 6th. If you’re available, we’d love to have you! Feel free to email me for more details.
Question of the Day
Do you struggle to find healthy meals when you dine out? Do you let yourself splurge at restaurants? What are your favorite healthy meals to order?
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I love this question because I decided on a personal strategy when it comes to eating out!
Most menus are available online and you can check out the dishes nutritional information so I can make informed decisions. Naturally, if the restaurant is upscale and the food fresh, I do not worry and try to enjoy my meal!
I decided never to go to Chain Restaurants. The main reasons is that I can make whatever they serve me. So I cook a lot. And never have to worry!
Wow tex-mex tabbouleh sounds really delicious! Can’t wait for the recipe.
I soooo wish I could be at the BlogHer convention next week. Maybe next year??
I remind myself how much I love leftovers and depending on the restaurant, always take half home. Friendly for my waistline and my budget! That said, I don’t eat out very often so splurging is totally allowed.
I don’t eat out that often so when I go there, I get whatever I want. If I want something more veggie-ful, I’ll get it. If I want something creamy and rich, I’ll get that. depends on what I want
I read your Health article earlier today. I love, love, love the idea of ordering a veggie side during appetizer time…I never would have thought of that! Thanks for the tip!!!!
I try to make sure the restaurant has at least some good veggie/fish options before I go, but I almost never order “off the menu” (i.e. a steamed vegetable plate or something) because I love eating out and experiencing the food the restaurant has to offer!
That said, if the restaurant itself is nothing special and I’m stuck eating there, I’ll ask for a salad with as many “adjustments” as it takes to get it considerably “health” (dressing on the side, no meat, light cheese, whatever) plus a filling side or shrimp/fish on top.
I tend to go overboard when dining out due to huge portion sizes and menu limitations. Unless it’s specifically a restaurant with a healthy slant, the menu options are pretty heavy on calories and fat. I try to make substitutions here and there (dressing on the side, grilled meats, whole wheat breads when available) and save half of my order for leftovers the next day.
Also, how did you incorporate the sweet potatoes in your overnight oats? That sounds like a delicious addition flavor wise, but did you add them in the night before or use a puree? I’d love to try that!
@Chelsea (Chelsea’s Chew and Run Fun): I cooked a sweet potato the night before and just mixed it into my oats.
I tend to plan my dining out nights so I can allow myself to splurge at a night out.
I’ll look at the menu online if I can
I’ll make substitutions
I actually sometimes sort of panick when eating out and end up either overeating or undereating. Ah well, I make up for it with healthy home-cooked meals later
Wei-Wei
I like to order seafood, such as the Yellow Jack Tuna fish tacos I had yesterday….very fresh and healthy
Eating at restaurants is DEFINITELY when I feel my weakest when it comes to healthy eating. I just love trying new foods and dishes so much that I really don’t care if it’s healthy or not. I do love a good main-dish salad though! That’s probably one of my favorite restaurant healthy meals.
I normally eat out once or twice a week and whether it’s a splurge or not depends on where I’m going or what the occasion is. If it’s a new, buzzed-about place I’ve never been, or someplace with a certain “specialty” item, then it would probably be a splurge occasion. But if it’s just someplace ordinary, like Red Lobster with the family, then it’s going to be a piece of grilled fish, steamed veggies, and a salad for me. I don’t usually have a hard time finding healthy things to eat. Even if I’m dining at a bar, there’s usually a grilled chicken sandwich on the menu. At breakfast, I’ll have a bowl of oatmeal with fruit and nuts or an over-easy egg, dry toast, and fruit if I don’t want to splurge.
I try to pick places that I know have healthier options. Pizza though… that or juicy nachos are my Saturday splurges
I can’t really splurge when I’m out – it’s sad actually. I am dairy, gluten, and corn intolerant so eating out is quite a pain unless it’s a veggie or vegan restaurant. A lot of places are now carrying gluten free products, but unfortunately a lot of them contain corn. When I do go out, I play ahead of time and bring things with me such as my salad dressing, ketchup, and anything else I may need. It is quite a hassle, but I honestly love going out just for the company.
I sometimes stress about eating out (even though I rarely actually go out to eat!) because I think I’ll eat too much but I try to keep in mind it’s about spending time with friends or family and not the food. I can usually find healthy options like a salad with vinegar instead of full fat dressing, steamed veggies, and grilled fish. Skipping appetizers, dessert, and drinks saves money and calories – but once in awhile a splurge is necessary!
I love getting huge salads at restaurants because there are so many yummy components and they are pretty healthy….although I have seen some salads are over 1000 cals?! Wha?!
I go to a restaurant at least once a week on the wknd and I always look at the menu online before. But 9 times out of time 10 I eat what I would if I were at home. Even though I have one day to “splurge”, since its summer time and there is always pool parties, I rather splurge on chips and salsa or a few beers. That’s my kind of “splurge”!
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