Photo by CC user sdbaywinefoodfest on Flickr
One of the best things about summertime is a lot of stores and restaurants like to run specials to get more customers in the door. As exciting as it may sound for you to go and visit every one of those places so you can take advantage of every complimentary treat and new dish they offer, you need to think about your waistline and health before you do so. If you find it hard to stay away from these establishments completely, here are some things you can do so you won’t feel so guilty if you give in to temptation at summer food tasting events.
Make a Schedule
In order for you to take full advantage of this trend, you need to know when all of your favorite restaurants and stores are going to be doing promotions and offering free foods for everyone to try. This may require you to spend a good hour or two on the computer so you can find all of the information you need for upcoming events that are mere days away and for the ones that are a month or two away. Once you have information on all of the dates, add them to your calendar. Next, depending on how many events you have on certain days, you may want to create a schedule so you can visit more than one place and avoid missing out on any opportunities.
Get the Reason
Although many stores use sampling events as a means to get more people interested in particular products, some stores may have other reasons for doing so. Even if it seems like the reason any particular establishment is offering free food is obvious, it doesn’t hurt for you to ask for more information so you can be sure. After all, you don’t want to participate in any organization’s activities if they engage in practices that you don’t support or believe in.
Know the Ingredients
Everything that sounds and smells good isn’t necessarily good for you. Even though you may be tempted to take a tiny taste, restrain yourself by exercising self-control until you find out what those dishes contain. Depending on where you are, you may need to ask the chef or wait staff for additional information or you may be able to just look at the labels directly.
Don’t Get Greedy
The goal of many sampling events is for you to try out a small portion of a particular food item so you can become more aware of it and interested in purchasing it. No matter how well you like some of the products you are trying, don’t forget to jot down what they are so you can purchase them later. All too often people sample products, walk away and leave the store, only to come back several days later. Upon their return they have trouble finding out the name of the products they tried several days before. You can avoid this by taking notes.
Share and Support
You are living in the digital age where practically everyone interacts through social media. If you happen to try something new like some of the products that are made by Hampton Creek, don’t be afraid to let your friends, family, and everyone else in the world know. This kind of promotion not only supports many new businesses in the health food industry, but it also enables them to grow their customer base so they can create more highly-anticipated products.
Stock Up
Once you have tried a few new healthy foods that you really like, stock up on them. Chances are, you are not the only person who enjoys them. Stocking up on your favorite healthy food items serves two purposes. First, you don’t have to worry about running out of them anytime soon. Secondly, it encourages the store that you purchased your health food from to increase the size of their next order to accommodate growing demand. Don’t think of stocking up as being greedy. Just look at it as stocking your cupboards so you can better plan your grocery bill and meal plans.
As you spend the rest of your summer visiting your favorite establishments to try out new foods, don’t neglect your exercise routine because your overall health is important. If you end up eating something that doesn’t mesh well with your diet, try to do a little extra daily activity, such as taking a brisk walk for 15 to 20 minutes so you can work off any extra calories you have consumed.
