DINNER PARTY DYNAMICS

At a dinner party or restaurant where I am meeting people for the first time I rarely offer up my profession – usually someone will ask.

Why you ponder? Well, it can be a real buzz kill! People start changing their orders and I usually get ‘Oooh I don’t usually eat this’, people start avoiding me - or I get ogled and ‘Oh you eat dessert!’ Occasionally I get lectured on how I need to be converted to a certain way off eating. The sentence ‘I am a dietician‘ can cascade into a myriad of events !

Don’t get me wrong I am really passionate about what I do and absolutely believe in the positive effect healthy eating can have on a person’s life on so many levels physically and emotionally .If people are interested in a healthy discussion I am very happy to chat, listen and learn from their experiences and views.

A social occasion is about relaxing and having fun; however stats do show that people who eat out often i.e. more than 4 x weeks tend to be more overweight. Why? Portions at restaurants are big (getting your moneys worth) and our psychology of finishing everything on our plates kicks in!

Alcohol usually plays a role too, once we have had one - so easy to have a few. Alcohol is high in calories, with a small glass of wine (120 ml = 1 slice of bread) .It also stimulates appetite – usually the next day, making those fry- ups are ever so tempting!

If you eat out 1 – 2 times a week and follow healthy eating plan and exercise most of the time – relax and enjoy! If you are a social butterfly, being more conscious of making make healthy choices when out will help keep the waistline in check. Opt for starter portions and watch the booze, think of your week ahead and where you can get way with alcohol free days!