When you travel it can be difficult to keep on track with your healthy eating habits. To keep you feeling great even while you’re traveling and eating at restaurants for every meal, celebrity yoga instructor and health coach Claire Grieve shared some of her favorite tips for staying healthy while eating out. Now you can enjoy convivial meals without having to sacrifice your hard work.

Start with a Salad

Before eating anything else, eat a salad that contains a wide variety of colorful fruits and vegetables. This will fill you up with nutrient rich foods and fiber to help you avoid overindulging on inflammatory foods.

Switch to Water

Social time can still be enjoyable without alcohol (I promise). When you’re dining out, swap out alcohol for sparkling water or tea or drink a non-alcoholic beverage after each alcoholic beverage. Be careful with juices and mocktails as they may still contain a lot of sugar. If you do have a drink stick to clear spirits as they tend to be the cleanest alcohols.

Focus on your company

Connecting with your loved ones is the best part of eating out. Try to focus on the joy that your company brings you rather than thinking too much about the food.

Just Say No

Don't be afraid to ask the kitchen to omit unhealthy ingredients from your dish. The best way to fight a craving is to keep it off the table. If they bring a bread basket to the table, just say no.

Fill Your Plate with Veggies

Fill your plate with mostly veggies and if you eat it, a bit of fish or lean meat. You can even ask the chef to make you a veggie plate comprised of a few side dishes. Steamed or dressed with olive oil and lemon are the best options. Avoid heavy sides, sauces and anything fried.

Eat Slowly

Take time to really chew your food. It will help you savor the experience more and will also help you to monitor your hunger signals as it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to realize that you are full.