eat out + eat well

Every thing and every food is at our fingertips in New York City, whether we identify as vegan or paleo or fruitarian. Whereas eating out might have once been saved for a special occasion, nowadays it is considered a normal, habitual, daily practice.

Thanks to my upbringing, especially amongst my mother's Italian family gathering around the table for shared meals, I have always had a decent balance of eating out and cooking at home. Having lived in a city of every sweet and savory temptation for the past six years, one of the most interesting ongoing experiments for me has been to figure out a way to eat as well as I do at home when I eat out.

Dining out is a weekly occurrence in my entrepreneurial-yoga-teacher life, but also feels like a special gift because it is not always a daily requirement.

I take pride in eating food prepared by myself because I know exactly what ingredients are going into my meals [energetic vibes included], increasingly so after diving deep into the wellness world throughout the past couple of years. It does take time to figure out how to purchase and prep fresh produce, but to me it is worth it, and like anything - the more I do it, the easier it gets.

My friend Paige and I were discussing this topic recently, and she mentioned that in her native Australia people generally cook at home most of the time. Restaurants and cafés were not always a place people frequented daily, and although it is sweet to have a local coffee shop or favorite pizza joint, it is an invaluable tool to cook at home and learn what it means to nourish ourselves in this way.

This does not mean we have to break up with our most beloved bakeries or restaurants. Our relationship with food is strong - when we eat somewhere we adore and with people we love, we are appropriately fueled, be it via a burger or salad. Aside from food allergies or fat content or health-related issues, each of us has some form of bond with or memory of a meaningful experience around food.

Click here to read my top 10 tips on how to eat well when we eat out. Experiment with whatever resonates with you, or allow these insights to inspire you to find your own ways of keeping the food as clean and the experience as enjoyable as possible.

For extra guidance on making food for yourself at home, refer to my post on healthy meal hacks. 

How do you eat well when you eat out?

Read on for my favorite homemade summer salad, wellness happenings, good music and more.

Photo by Renee Choi at the Bedford Avenue subway stop in Brooklyn, home to many of my favorite eateries.