Day 5 - Eating Out

Mmm... I love eating out. As a family, we probably do it once a week, popping out for lunch somewhere other than home, introducing S to a few new foods, as well as eating out etiquette... we don't go anywhere Michelin-starred or particularly 'haute' (it has been 3 years now since I last went to the Ivy, sob), generally chain eateries attached to attractions or shopping centres, and generally during the daylight hours. But with two children under 4 that'll do for now.

I love the whole experience - being seated at a table I haven't had to clear laundry off; someone asking my opinion on what I want to eat and drink; (increasingly) not having to eat something just because my eldest will eat some; not slaving to have my food rejected, even by the cats; not having to wash up...

... and of course the darker side of eating out - people-watching and deciding what they do when they're not in the restaurant, muttering complaints about service, other guests, or the food (my husband and I make a hobby of seething quietly at the world), checking the bill and daring it to be wrong... it's all fun.

So the thought of not eating out while on this diet never crossed my mind. However I found that in order to keep on the right side of the 'treatment effects' I felt more comfortable picking a menu that included some things I could be sure of eating below my fat allowance, and for this I needed information.

The internet was my friend, and I searched the websites of various high-street chain restaurants to find out if they published their nutritional info, so I could make a choice and plan before I set off.

If we start with the basics, McDonald's do. I could have 4 nuggets, or a normal burger from them. No fries or anything else, and I don't particularly like the look of their salads anyway. But it's good to know that if the salivary glands call, I can eat there.

KFC do. I could have a single drumstick, or breast of chicken, but not a thigh. This information could come in useful one day.

I wouldn't eat Burger King if it was fat-free, so we'll gloss over that.

Pizza Hut do. Unsurprisingly, there's little I would normally eat that I'm now allowed. The chances of me going into a restaurant and eating only a slice, or maybe two slices of their pizza is so small as to be insignificant. Sigh.

Pizza Express don't yet. They offer calorie info, and their website states they will offer a full nutritional breakdown by the end of the year. So that's out then. Goodbye, cheese and pickle bread. Farewell quattro formaggi with ham and a soft egg...

La Tasca don't seem to, but if they do I couldn't find it...

Nando's do. It's a bit cumbersome, like the McDonald's one, but it's there.

I couldn't find anything from GBK. Shame, as we enjoy going there, it's always relaxed enough for the children too. Plus anywhere where you pay in advance is a good place for us, avoiding the 'you catch his eye' 'no, you' 'flash your boob, that'll get us the bill' epilogue to a meal.

I couldn't find anything in Wagamama's either. Not that my husband will mind, as he is phobic about rice... don't ask.

Ultimately, at some point I will need to re-educate myself, as well as my palate, about choosing combinations of ingredients and cooking methods that will enable me to maintain a (hopefully) lower weight. I'm not expecting to live my life on portion-controlled ready meals or restaurant food. But for now, and certainly during the 6-week challenge, I need this information, and those establishments who either don't publish or make it too damn hard to find? Well, they just lost my business. Big mistake. Huge.

Where did we end up? Nando's. It was fab. My review is below. My eldest played with the chicken table marker to her utter delight. My youngest watched the people go by. For a family lunch, that'll do.

What did I eat today?

No night wakings for me, so a single breakfast of Shreddies and milk.

Another Shapers bar for a snack.

Chicken fillet pitta with a mixed side salad and a 1/4 portion of fries, with diet coke.

A Light Choices hot cross bun.

A piece of toast spread with extra-light Philly.

Exercise of the day:

Shopping

Product of the day:

Chicken Fillet Pitta (see photo above) with mixed side salad. The 'side' salad was pretty large, dinner plate sized in fact. It was basic mixed leaves, cherry tomatoes and slices of pepper if you looked hard enough. Still, by taking the chicken out of the pitta and eating it and the salad with a knife and fork it lasted ages, and the strong taste of the chicken meant I didn't feel like I was eating bland food. I am not sure I actually needed the 1/4 portion of fries, but I ate them anyway.