The Penny Health Guide to Eating Out

Now that you’ve read Simply Nourished: Return to Real Food, you know how to read labels, why to choose pasture raised meats over conventional, and that seed oils are inflammatory. Most importantly, you have learned how to fill your kitchen with food that truly nourishes your household without the junk.
But let’s be honest here. As much as I have learned to love cooking, sometimes you just want to eat out! There is nothing to be worried about because it is possible to enjoy meals out without compromising on quality and without feeling bloated.
I’m here to tell you that it’s possible to avoid many of the mystery ingredients you’ve worked so hard to avoid. And the beauty of this is the more we as consumers demand restaurants provide us with nourishing foods, the more they are inclined to change.
Here’s how I approach eating out while staying rooted in my core belief that food is meant to be nourishing, tasty, and free from chemicals.

1. Use Tools

My favorite resource is the Seed Oil Scout app. It’s a crowdsourced map of restaurants that largely avoid seed oils and are transparent about what they use. It’s not perfect, but it gives a great head start especially when you’re traveling or trying somewhere new.

Aside from the app, I simply Google terms like:

• “healthy restaurants near me”
• “gluten free restaurants near me”
• “farm-to-table restaurants near me”
  

Even if you’re not gluten free, the spots with GF options often have better ingredient sourcing, more flexibility with substitutions, and a focus on transparency.

2. Look for Ingredient Transparency

I always try to choose restaurants that are up front about their ingredients. If a restaurant is sourcing pasture-raised meats or using local farms, that’s a good sign that they care about the quality of their food.

Look for:

• Menus that highlight sourcing (pasture-raised, local, grass-fed)
• Scratch kitchens (they make everything in-house)
• Seasonal and rotating menus (often means fresh and local ingredients)

3. Ask About the Oils

Most restaurants default to cheap and inflammatory seed oils like canola, soybean, or vegetable oil. These oils are one of the biggest culprits of inflammation in our food these days, but the good news is that they can be simple to avoid. If you feel uncomfortable asking the waiter at the table, call ahead and it only takes a few minutes to find out. 

I usually say something like:

“Do you know what type of oil is used in the kitchen/on the grill/etc?”

OR

“Is it possible to have my steak cooked with butter or olive oil instead?”

Most places are happy to sauté a dish in butter/olive oil. And if not, you can usually choose something steamed, baked, or grilled instead.

4. Keep it Simple

The simpler the order, the easier it is to avoid mystery ingredients.

My go-to in a restaurant where I’m not sure is a grilled or roasted protein, a simple side (like fruit or a baked potato), and a vegetable cooked in butter or olive oil. Build-your-own bowls are also great for customizing your meal exactly how you like it.

5. Watch the Sauces + Dressings + Fryer

Sauces and dressings are often loaded with seed oils, sugar, gums, and preservatives. I usually skip them altogether unless I know the restaurant is making them in house. 

Unless you see that tallow, duck fat, coconut oil, or lard is used in the fryer, avoid it at all costs. 

6. Prioritize Balance over Perfection

Sometimes you’ll do everything “right” and still end up with something your body doesn’t love. That’s okay. The point isn’t to be perfect! It’s to make intentional choices as often as you can, and enjoy your time with family and friends!

Personally, there was a season where my body was so sensitive I wasn’t able to eat out at all. I feel really grateful for the season I’m in now. I’m able to make healthy choices at local restaurants without feeling sick.

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My Favorite Restaurants in Charlotte

Here are some of my personal go-to spots in Charlotte featuring my go-to order. They aren’t all perfect, and that’s ok! I’m pretty close to a perfectionist when it comes to what foods I bring into my home, but when eating out I like to think that the belly laughs with friends cancel out some of the seed oils accidentally consumed!

Casual

Flower Child – Seasonal menu, organic and GF options, always customizable

⭐ My order: steak plate + sweet potato fries + fruit

Kid Cashew – Wood fired grill, happy to make substitutions, GF options

⭐ My order: Big Mac Daddy burger + white beans

Mad Greek – Locally owned authentic Greek food, mostly use olive oil

⭐ My order: Gyro dinner plate, substitute fries for grape leaves + extra tzatziki sauce

Hellenic – Sister restaurant to Mad Greek

⭐ My order: Gyro pita without the pita, substitute fries for grape leaves + extra tzatziki sauce

Felix Empanadas – Locally owned and 100% seed oil free

⭐ My order: 3 empanadas (1 steak, 1 street beef, 1 shepherd’s pie) + fries (fried in coconut oil)

Wheelz Pizza – Sourdough pizza using high quality ingredients and homemade tomato sauce

⭐ My order: 1 supreme pizza with sausage, pepperoni, mushrooms, black olives + 1 pizza of the month

Pizza Baby – Small batch long ferment pizza with clean toppings and no seed oils

⭐ My order: Burrata to start + 1 Sicily pie

Mezeh – Build-your-own bowls, no seed oils, and high quality ingredients

⭐ My order: BYO bowl with basmati rice, steak shawarma, hummus, tzatziki, turkish salad, tabbouleh, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, pickled beets, feta, crunchy chickpeas. Tahini + shug on the side.

Yafo – Locally owned build-your-own bowls, no seed oils, and rotating ingredients

⭐ My order: BYO bowl with basmati rice, shawarma chicken and whatever toppings look fresh!

Johnny Burrito – Lunch burrito spot, mostly free of seed oils that won’t charge you extra for guac

⭐ Ross’ order: Steak burrito + all the fixins

Accidental Baker – Locally owned gluten free bakery

⭐ My order: everything bagels and chocolate chip cookies

True Food Kitchen (Coming soon!) – 100% seed oil free, gluten free options, highest quality ingredients

⭐ My order: Chicken tender plate OR lasagne al pesto

 Fine Dining

Lincoln Street Kitchen + Cocktails – 100% seed oil free tapas, scratch kitchen featuring house made sodas, locally sourced ingredients, rotating menu

⭐ My order (to share): Deviled eggs, House pimento cheese, wagyu tartare, Roasted bone marrow, oysters on the half shell, wagyu plate, black striped seabass, steak frites, beet salad, roasted carrots

Restaurant Constance – Farm to table scratch kitchen serving NA beverages, seasonal menus + Chef Sam is a James Beard semifinalist

⭐ My order: Hamachi sashimi and oysters on the half shell to start, beef short rib entree, and twix bar for dessert

Rooster’s Wood-fired Kitchen – Locally owned scratch kitchen using locally sourced ingredients

⭐ My order: Chicken salad sandwich on sourdough OR tilefish

300 East – Locally owned New American spot in historic home serving locally sourced ingredients

⭐ My order: 6oz filet + side of the day

Copper – Authentic Indian fare featuring scratch made curries

⭐ My order: Murgh tikka masala

Burton’s – Allergy friendly American food made with quality ingredients, GF menu

⭐ My order: GF crab cakes + mashed potatoes + coleslaw

Thai Orchid – Locally owned asian restaurant serving house made curries and authentic dishes

⭐ My order: Curry duck OR GF pad thai

Persuasian Restaurant – Locally owned asian restaurant with homemade broths

⭐ My order: Beef Pho

Aqua E Vino – Largely seed oil free Italian restaurant 

⭐ My order: Carne cruda to start, vitello secondi

Little Mama’s – Locally owned italian restaurant, largely seed oil free with in house mozzarella bar

⭐ My order: Stracciatella with fresh tomatoes and artichoke hearts to start + chicken parm

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You’ve already laid the groundwork by learning how to eat real food at home. Eating out is just an extension of that.

Want to feel more confident navigating ingredient lists? If you haven’t yet, grab a copy of my cookbook Simply Nourished: Return to Real Food ! It includes a full grocery guide, label reading tips, and over 60 clean recipes to ground your real food lifestyle. 

Click here to use code FRESH10 for a discount!