Hello @barefoothorseman -- This is a great discussion and question. It can be a challenge to eat healthy and sometimes when you think you are eating healthy you can be wrong. Eating out is always a challenge for me. I try to stay away from anything fried or processed. When I do eat out, a lot of times I will try and order grilled chicken breast or other meat and steamed vegetables if they have them. Then I try to avoid all of the condiments. I do order a lot of salads and don't worry about the e-coli unless there is a specific known outbreak in the region. I always get the dressing on the side so I control how much is used.

I have small fiber peripheral neuropathy and polymyalgia rheumatica which started me thinking that I need to do something. About the time I found Mayo Connect I was researching diet changes and ran across the Wahls Protocol book written by Dr. Terry Wahls. I read a blurb about her and how she pretty much eliminated many or most of her symptoms of MS through her own research on diet. I ordered her book which is what got me started on changing my lifestyle and trying to eliminate all if not most processed foods. She has an amazing story if you would like to read more about her:
-- https://terrywahls.com/about/about-terry-wahls/

She started me on my green smoothies for breakfast routine which I try to do 4 or 5 days a week. I also try to buy organic if I have a choice and we have a local farmers market that has great produce when in season. When I can't get that I opt for frozen fruit and veggies without anything added to them. I wished I liked fish so that I could add it to my diet. I get pretty nauseated if I try to eat it even though I know it's healthy, especially the fresh caught ones.

Good luck on your search. I hope you get lots of suggestions so I can use them too! Thanks for posting this discussion. ☺

John