The majority of us will enjoy a meal out, whether it's to catch up with friends and family or take a break from cooking. However, regardless of whether you're struggling with your gut or not, our diets are changing at the moment and that can have an impact on your gut health.  

Here's how you can look after your gut whilst enjoying things like eating out!  

  • Eating out doesn’t mean you have to compromise on food diversity. Try having a side dish like vegetables or a side salad alongside your main meal. This will help introduce some more diversity into your diet whilst also helping increase the fibre content!  
  • Try and stick to your regular mealtimes. Regular mealtimes can help support the function of your gut and maybe help reduce digestive complaints.  
  • Take time eating your meal and chew your food slowly, this will make it easier for your body to digest your meal and you’re less likely to suffer from bloating or indigestion. Aim to chew your food until it has the consistency of apple sauce before swallowing!  
  • Staying hydrated can support your digestive system by helping to prevent constipation. So don’t forget to ask for tap water alongside your meal.  
  • Be adventurous with your meals and try something you haven’t had before! Your gut loves diversity so it will be happy if you try something new.  Plus you might discover something new that you never thought you liked before.  

 If you’re struggling with your gut health or have food allergies or intolerances, you might find eating out tricky at times. But eating out doesn’t mean you have to compromise on any of these things, it's all about understanding what triggers your gut and how to get the most out of your food.  

  • If you’re suffering from food allergies or intolerances don’t be afraid to call ahead and ask for the allergy list, you can never be too over prepared! This will help you know what dishes you should be avoiding and making sure you know what you can have. 
  • If you can’t or don’t want to avoid your food trigger when eating out, just be mindful of what you’re eating the day of and the day after you eat out. This will make it that little bit easier on your digestive system!  
  • To help manage your symptoms you could try having 5-6 smaller meals during the day so instead of buying one large main meal why not buy a couple of starters instead? It’ll still fill you up but will be easier for your body to digest. 

Most importantly, enjoy yourself! There are plenty of ways to enjoy eating out, whilst looking after your gut.  

If you'd like to learn more about supporting your gut health, why not book a free 1:1 consultation with our nutrition team? We can recommend diet and lifestyle changes that can make a big difference. To book, simply click here.