Socialising when on FastTrack

FastTrack is a lifestyle, and not a diet. FastTrack is a way of living, with an underlying philosophy, rather than a way of eating. With that in mind, being social and hanging out with people that make your heart smile is super important in life. It is part of our culture here in Aotearoa that often when we get together with loved ones, it is usually around a meal or a drink. Being on a FastTrack journey shouldn’t be something that stops you, or makes you feel anxious, about connecting with good people in your life.

We’ve compiled a list of tips to help you, so that you make the most of enjoying other peoples company without compromising your eating philosophy.

Choose to take your own kai to work related functions or eat before you go

• This might work for you and it might not. At a meeting it can be easy to have your own food if the meeting is at your workplace. Not so easy if its at a cafe or at a venue where you cant store your food in a fridge
• Filling up, or even just having a good meal before your work event will help you to not feel like eating any kai that isn’t on the FastTrack list

Choose the plant based option if you get an opportunity to declare food related preferences for formal gatherings

• When you attend formal events like awards ceremonies or work functions it is becoming more common to be asked what your dietary preferences are
• Choose the plant-based option if they have it, or vegetarian or vegan

Choose to have your ‘off day’ or ‘off meal’ at the event you are attending

• Plan your week in advance when you know you have an event coming up
• Then you can eat whatever you like without having to think about anything

At restaurants choose the vegan or vegetarian meal choices

• Lots and lots of places have these choices now, it won’t be 100% FastTrack but it will be fairly close

Avoid sauces, or ask for them on the side

• Most sauces are high in sugar, preservatives and often high in saturated fats.
• If you get the sauce on the side you can choose how much of it to have as opposed to having to eat it all because it is smothering your kai

Eat until you are satisfied, not until you are full

• Often when there is an abundance of yummy food around, our eyes get bigger then our bellies and we over-eat. Eat slowly, and when you feel satisfied stop. A good trick is to have a glass of water at this stage because it often fills you up so you wont feel like eating more. This one takes a bit of practice and discipline

Pick and choose foods so that you are mostly eating FastTrack

• If there is meat, cheese, pastries and pasta on offer (all foods not on the FastTrack programme), perhaps just choose one of those to have instead of all of them

All in all, make small modifications where you can when you are in a social situation where there is kai. And if you end up eating too much of non FastTrack kai while you are there, oh well, start again tomorrow and make sure you enjoy your time with your friends and whānau.