The first thing that I will say about eating out is that it should be your second option. There is no question that your first option should always be eating at home or eating something you prepared from home. The most important factor that a restaurant deals with when it comes to what they serve us is taste. This is why most items on the menu are so high in sodium. Salt can make anything taste good. The problem is that you only need about 2000 milligrams of sodium a day. Most items that you buy will have almost a whole days worth of sodium in it. Another problem with food at restaurants and especially fast food chains is quality. Many food chains buy really cheap meat, vegetables and other ingredients to insure profits are good. So what is good for their bottom line is not always good for your behind. Kidding aside, I just want you to remember that quality matters and eating at home is where you will be able to control quality.

I eat out, we all eat out. If you can try to live by the 80/20 rule. Try and eat at home or eat  foods that you prepare 80% of the time while eating out only 20% of the time. Those who do not follow this rule, really struggle with being healthy. 

Here is a list of places where you can find some healthy items on the menu. If you eat out a lot, you might want to purchase the book Men’s Health put out called “Eat This Not That.” This book is full of good choices at most fast food places.

1. Chipotle - This is my favorite place to eat out. Chipotle does a really good job of partnering with farmers that provide them with high quality meat, rice, and vegetables. Remember quality matters. I usually recommend people eat a bowl or a salad. The tortillas that hold the burrito together are around 250 calories. So, just eliminate the tortilla, get a small amount of sour cream if any and light cheese. Have your bowl or salad with an iced tea or water and you are good. No chips!

2. Lassen’s Deli - The deli and salad bar at Lassen’s is full of high quality organic ingredients. They have great sandwiches and soups. One of my favorite sandwiches is the chicken salad sandwich. All of the ingredients that make up their sandwich are fresh. Unlike Subway. I always think that it’s funny when Subway says eat fresh and every single ingredient in the sandwich is processed and full of preservatives. If you go to Lassen’s for lunch, you can pick up something for dinner in the deli like wild salmon or just grab something in the store for later like a free range chicken.

3. Coconut Joe’s - I like the simplicity at Coconut Joe’s. You can order a 1/4 chicken with rice and beans. The tri-tip is very lean and is also a good option. They have good salads and their chicken soup is a full on meal. They have fresh fish on the menu as well. Be careful with all of the cakes and other temptations though.

4. Sequoia - This is my favorite sandwich spot. The meats are pretty high in quality. The menu is full of healthy options. The portions are pretty big, so if you order a sandwich, you might consider splitting it into two. You could eat the other portion later in the day. Along with all the healthy menu choices you will also have to have some discipline and stay away from the cookies, cakes, chips etc.

5. Flames and Skewer’s - This Mediterranean spot is really good for Bakersfield. Traditionally Mediterraneans food has always been healthy. The quality is decent and there are plenty of healthy choices on the menu. The meats, chicken, beef, and lamb are all prepared healthy and can be put in a salad or you can order a plate. Just be careful with the extra carbs. The pita bread is really good, but is high in carbs.

6. Moo Creamery - I was not expecting to find healthy food choices at Moo Creamery, but to my surprise, they have plenty of healthy choices. The quality of food is much higher than your average restaurant. They make almost everything from scratch. The salads are really good and healthy. My favorite time to go to Moo is at breakfast. The eggs are the best quality that I have had in Bakersfield. They do have ice cream, cookies, brownies etc. So go there with the intent on eating healthy.

7. Carl’s Jr. - Out of all of the fast food restaurant, I think Carl’s Jr. is the best choice. They have a really good barbecue chicken sandwich. The burgers are flame broiled instead of fried, so that makes them a bit healthier. The 6 dollar low carb burger is a good option. No fries, onion rings or anything along those lines.

8. Chick-fil-A - The grilled chicken is really good here. You can again, go with a chicken sandwich or salad. Stay away from the fried chicken. Any chicken that is breaded and fried should be avoided when you are trying toeat healthy. Once again, no fries!

9. Baja Fresh- Baja Fresh is a good choice if you are craving Mexican food. I like the side by side plate with chicken. The fish tacos are also good and healthy. They offer bowls so go with that instead of a burrito to save yourself about 250 calories. The only problem I might have with Baja is the sodium level. Remember, if this is the only meal you eat out, you should be ok. I will never tell you to eat out every meal.

10. Rubio’s- Rubio’s is similar to Baja fresh. Always look for whole pot beans both black and pinto. Try and avoid re fried beans and Tortillas. Just like the other Mexican places try and get a bowl. Rubio’s fish tacos are really good, with rice and beans on the side.

I could list more but I think that you can see a running theme when it comes to eating out and making smart choices. You can go to any restaurant and make decent choices. Places like Cafe Med, Uricchio’s, Mama Tosca’s, Tahoe Joe’s etc. will all be able to make you a good chicken or steak salad. Just try and avoid all the white bread thrown at you. If you lack discipline you might ask for a to go box as soon as your food comes to avoid eating the huge portions that are served at these type of restaurants.

Hopefully this will be helpful in your quest to living the 80/20 rule in order to be healthy. If you are shopping for fresh, high quality foods every 3 days or so, you should not have to eat out so much. When you open the fridge you need to have healthy food in front of you. If not, you will be tempted to go and hunt for food. If you do end up driving around hunting, try to refer to this list.

Good Luck.