Try to schedule social events away from food.
Avoid trigger foods. Avoid putting anything sweet in your mouth, especially if you are a sugar or carb addict.
If your social situation is around food and it is appropriate:
- Eat before you go – eat fully to satiety.
- Bring something everyone can enjoy that you know you can eat.
- If you are comfortable enough and it is possible, discuss options with the host ahead of time.
At a restaurant
- If possible, call ahead to discuss options with the manager or cook.
- Order meat (steak, burger, chicken, fish etc.)
- Ask meal to be cooked on a clean grill or pan with only butter, ghee, tallow, or water, or do the best you can with what they have.
- If you can tolerate spices or herbs, fine but many seasonings have added problematic ingredients. Otherwise ask for salt only
- Instead of non-carnivore sides see if they have add-on menu items or ala cart animal items. You can sometimes order two ala cart steak or burger patties as an example, sometimes cheaper than a whole entre. You can add bacon and / or cheese /sour cream / butter. If you can’t get them to swap your sides for something else, have them leave them off or put in separate dishes to share with the other diners.
- If you know a non-carnivore food will not be a trigger and will not give you problems, it is okay to indulge. What you don’t want is to derail yourself. Just choose wisely.
- Remember, your diet is your choice. People will have opinions both positive and negative.
- If discussing your diet choices makes you uncomfortable or puts you on the defensive, avoid the topic.
- Depending on your level of comfort discussing the topic, if asked, you can share as little or as much as you want. A good option if asked is to share you are eliminating certain foods right now for health reasons.
