So this past weekend I had my monthly dinner with my sister. I had recently been eating out a lot due to my travels and realized one of the core changes I have made throughout the past year was how I ordered in restaurants.
Here are some tips on how to stay healthy while eating out:
- CHECK OUT THE MENU BEFORE YOU GO TO THE RESTAURANT- Most restaurants these days have their own website along with a sample menu attached. You want to decide BEFORE you get to the restaurant. The reason being is that when you are in the ‘here and now’ sometimes you dont make the right decisions. It is one of those spur of the moment decisions to give into temptation. Avoid that by already deciding (or at least a general idea) of what you are going to eat before you get there.
- GRAB A QUICK HEALTHY SNACK BEFORE YOU GO-By having an apple or a few almonds before you to the restaurant, you can make sure you dont have that starved feeling by the time you get there. This will help reduce the cravings and temptations.
- SKIP THE ‘APPIES’-Appetizers are usually just wasted calories before you even get to the main event. I used to love appies-but now I realize that most of those mini-meals are not needed and just add to your waistline.
- BEWARE OF SALADS-Salads can be one of the worst choices you make. Go to any fast food website and look up the nutritional information for a salad. They actually contain more fat and calories than the burgers. Most of that is in the dressing – when ordering a salad from a restaurant, ALWAYS ask for ‘dressing on the side’. They usually drench it with a high fat dressing that turns a healthy choice into a nightmare. You can also ask for some different choices in dressing.
- YOUR MAIN DISH – So what to order? Well here are some things to watch out for: a) Pastas-try to avoid these at all costs. Pasta actually is not that bad for you; however, the restaurants will never make the dish so it is healthy. Stay away from the pasta choices b) Beef/Steak- these are usually high fat and high calories. If you need to order a steak stick to the smallest portion on the menu. The size of the meat should be no bigger than the palm of your hand c) Fish-fish is usually a good choice, but watch out for any of the ‘cream based sauces’ d) Chicken- chicken can be good as long as you remove any of the skin and watch out for the sauces. For any of these options, just use common sense
- YOUR SIDES-So most people will tell you to avoid any carbs. I disagree with that. A healthy meal includes Proteins, Vegetables and Carbs. Just make the right choice of carbs. Fries are a No-No. Rice is good. Baked Potato is fine as long as you skip the crazy toppings (sour cream, bacon, cheese, etc…). Sweet Potatoes are also a good choice. Try to avoid Mash Potatoes – they are just filled with added calories. Small mini potatoes are not that bad, but you should limit your intake.
- DESSERT - I am not a big dessert person. So it is easier for me to say this but AVOID ALL RESTAURANT DESSERTS. I have yet to see a healthy option here. You cant win here! For some people this is extremely difficult. If you absolutely need to have dessert, watch your portion size…or share with a friend. However, you should avoid this as much as possible.
So there you have it – your guide to eating out in a healthy fashion. I may have listed out a bunch of rules; however, dont over think it. If you follow the above tips, you will be in control and enjoy a great healthy meal with friends…that is what life is all about!
Have a healthy week!
