Day Thirty-Six: The Dreaded Dinner Party

You're doing great on your quest to eat healthy. Then, you get an invitation to go over to a friend's house for dinner. You feel anxiety start to well up when you wonder if there's going to be anything there that you can eat.

Most people in America eat in an unhealthy manner. This is multiplied when we're in a social environment. When we dine socially, we tend to consume 2-3 times more calories than when we dine alone or with our immediate family. So, it's good to be on the lookout when you know you're going to be in a social situation involving food.

Some tips to help you stay on track include:

• Never go to a dinner party on an empty stomach. Always eat nutritious food before you go.
• When you pick up your plate at the party, put fruit, veggies, salad, and cheese on it. Don't put on your plate something that you wouldn't eat.
• Drink water, dry wine, or 80-proof alcohol without juices or sugary mix

If the menu includes something that you really don't want to pass up, or if you've been waiting for this dinner party for a long time, you may want to switch out one of your cheat meals so that you don't feel deprived.

Do: Consider which of these options you'd like to explore the next time you're invited to dine socially.