Here’s how to eat healthy while visiting with those who don’t:

Be clear and up front before you visit: Everyone is happier when they know what to expect. Give your hosts the opportunity to be gracious, by speaking up for what you need in advance. There’s nothing worse than spending all day cooking – only to find out that your guests don’t eat anything that you made.

Believe in who you are and who you choose to be in the world: Ultimately, you are not here to change anyone’s mind or convert anybody to your way of eating. By the same token, you do not need to abandon your beliefs or your health goals when you’re eating with family or friends. If you’re asked about your ‘weird food’, by all means explain! Otherwise, do what you need to do to take care of yourself – and don’t let yourself be lured away from your food plan.

Bring your own food: When in doubt, bring a few ‘emergency’ items so that you’re guaranteed to have food available that is part of your plan. Pack healthy snack bars, easy breakfast items, nuts, etc and you’ll never wind up so hungry that you end up making an unwanted food choice. It’s all about making sure you have options!

Offer to cook a meal: This is the ultimate way to guarantee a healthy meal, while also giving your hosts a break from meal planning! You’ll come off as a gracious guest – and you’ll also get to take control of the food preparation. Plus – you may even be able to show everyone that healthy, nutritious food can be incredibly satisfying and delicious! It’s a total win-win.

Nicole Burley, M.Ed is a certified Life Coach and Health Coach in NYC. Her motto is, “Health is fun. Diets are not”. Nicole helps frustrated dieters find a happy, healthy weight – no dieting or deprivation allowed! Nicole holds a masters degree in education from DePaul and a certificate in Plant-Based Nutrition from Cornell. She is a graduate of Coach U and a certified member of the International Coach Federation. Contact Nicole via www.NicoleBurley.com or at www.Facebook.com/NicoleBurleyCoaching and Twitter: @YourCoachNicole