Slow weekends, good food, good friends. Brunch is so good for so many reasons.
What brunch is usually NOT is the healthiest meal of the day.
Sometimes things come with a salad and that’s nice of them. But mostly brunch comes with bottomless cocktails, bread baskets and biscuits, fried chicken, fried fish and french fries. It’s delicious food, but not exactly health food. A good brunch – I mean the kind where everyone leaves like they’re coming back from the club – can be the undoing of a really healthy week.
But there are ways to do brunch better. Ways that won’t ruin everything you love about brunch. Ready to do brunch better? Keep reading.
SO, HOW DO WE MAKE THIS HAPPEN?
One word: share
SHARE, SHARE, SHARE
This is where we talk about the buddy system. Because sharing is caring. Caring about your body and caring about your health.
By now we probably know what’s not the healthiest thing on the menu. If you’re a little unsure, check out this post on how to tell what a sometimes food looks like.
But just because we KNOW it isn’t the healthiest choice, doesn’t mean we don’t want to inhale that plate of homemade cheese fries we just saw the waiter parade through the spot. When everything looks too good how do you choose?
Building deliciousness into our entire lifestyle is probably the healthiest and smartest way to stay on track, but it shouldn’t be a free for all. And brunch can definitely be a free for all.
That’s where sharing comes in. Don’t order for yourself – order for the table.
Got a friend who’s down for the fries but doesn’t want the cheese sauce? Get it on the side so you’re not left with a whole plate of cheese fries on your own.
Do you really REALLY want the burger, but the kale and quinoa salad bowl is where you think you should live? Split both with your girl. Half the burger, half the salad. Full win for both of you.
Sometimes no one is willing to share. Then share becomes split.
Tell the waiter to split your meal before it even comes to you. Half in a to-go box and half on your plate. It’s an odd request, but it works. If it’s not in front of you, you’re less likely to eat it.
DON’T FORGET THE DRINKS
If you’re one of those wonderful and interesting people who don’t drink alcohol, DON’T SKIP THIS SECTION! The only people who get a pass are the ones that drink water – exclusively.
Getting one drink with your meal while also using the buddy system from above, and you’re probably not going to tip the scales too badly.
BUT! If you’re at a bottomless brunch and your goal is to drink your weight in mimosas for the next 2 hours, you’re going to undo any healthy decisions you made this week. Period.
Everything at brunch adds up. That includes the cocktails, the juices and sodas, the lemonades and sweet teas. Just because it’s not filling you up, doesn’t mean it doesn’t count.
Set a drink limit for yourself before you go, and then adjust your meal choice, as needed. Just because you tell yourself you’ll only have 2 drinks doesn’t mean you were prepared for the deliciousness that is their special lemonade.
Having more drinks with brunch means aiming for more proteins, fruits and veggies from the rest of your meal; and choosing less sugars and carbs.
Negotiate with yourself. Do you want the chicken and waffles, or another drink? Do you want the bread basket, or order another drink? Do you want to share that dessert, or have another drink?
And then build a special order into your meal. Don’t only have the salad, share a dessert too.
It’s never about deprivation. It’s always about balance.
We’re all grown-ups here. Telling yourself no can be hard, but so are making changes and breaking habits. Remind yourself this is one moment in time. Every day, every meal, every brunch is a chance to keep reinforcing a good habit you’ve already started nurturing.
And then enjoy every bite and every sip of brunch knowing you didn’t over do it, and you stayed right on track for the rest of the week.