AIIMS-Trained Gastroenterologist Shares 7 Golden Rules For Eating Out Without Harming Gut Health

Eating out is meant to be enjoyable, but for anyone who spends the week cooking clean, exercising, and trying to protect their gut, the weekend restaurant menu can feel like sabotage. Oil-heavy curries, creamy dressings, and fizzy drinks are the small temptations that often come with not-so-small consequences. A recently shared post on Instagram by Dr. Saurabh Sethi (@doctor.sethi) is striking a chord with the fitness-freak populace. It talks about some rules we must follow when eating out. 

7 Rules That Make Eating Out Healthier

 

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A post shared by Saurabh Sethi MD MPH | Gastroenterologist (@doctor.sethi)

Dr. Saurabh Sethi knows this all too well. A gastroenterologist who studied at AIIMS before moving to Harvard and Stanford, he doesn’t avoid restaurants; instead, he has built his own survival strategy. Recently, he shared a post on his Instagram talking about the 7 rules he folows while eating out. These are basically seven simple rules that keep his gut happy while still letting him enjoy a night out.

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Here’s 7 Rules To Avoid Bloating When You Are Eating Out: 

1. Cut the ultra-processed stuff: If it comes drenched in additives or emulsifiers, it’s a no-no for him. Those chemical extras can weaken the gut barrier and stir up inflammation.
2. Protein before anything else: Grilled chicken, fish, and tofu make his plate before fried meats or fatty cuts do. Lean proteins digest smoothly and won’t send acid reflux knocking later.
3. Tread lightly with sauces: A little flavour is fine but a heavy blanket of mayo or cream isn’t. He usually asks for sauces on the side, dodging what he calls “digestive drama.”
4. Vegetables are non-negotiable: Steamed, roasted, or raw, they fuel gut microbes and bring fibre to the table. Deep-fried versions are off his plate, since they often translate to bloating.
5. Carbs, but choose them wisely: For him, plain rice, quinoa, or a baked potato is satisfying and stable. Cheesy sides and buttery mash, though delicious, leave him feeling sluggish.
6. Skip the soda: Sugary or artificially sweetened drinks are, in his words, “bloating triggers.” His alternative is simple: drink water or a calming herbal tea.
7. Rethink dessert: Instead of pastries or sugar bombs, he ends with berries or sorbet. These are still sweet, but far kinder on blood sugar.

As Dr. Sethi points out, these tweaks allow you to enjoy the company and the food without the aftermath of discomfort. “Which of these do you already follow when dining out?” he asked his followers, nudging them to take stock of their own habits.

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The message lands differently because it doesn’t demand restriction, it shows that a few deliberate swaps are enough. Eating out, in his world, isn’t an enemy of gut health; it’s just a test of choices.

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