8 Crucial Tips for Dining Out Healthy
"Healthy Meals, Healthy Eating Habits and Losing Weight"
By Tony Ostian, Health and Fitness Director
We live in a society today where dining out almost every day is common. In fact, Americans eat out on an average of three to four times a week.
Let’s face it, eating out can be a real challenge when you’re trying to lose weight. Restaurants today offer larger portions, providing people with an opportunity to eat more at a cheaper price.
Studies have shown that people who eat out frequently are likely to eat 250 or more calories per day.
Now there are ways to easily take healthy eating habits and incorporate them into your dining out experience.
Here are a few tips to help you the next time you’re dining out:
- Choose restaurants that you know offer healthy meals. Meals that have been broiled, steamed, baked, or grilled are the best choices along with vegetables, fish and fruits. Restaurants that offer buffets are great choices because they usually offer more fresh fruits and vegetables. This also gives you the option to control your own portions. Avoid foods that are deep fried or come with heavy sauces.
- Ask the server to skip the bread or chip basket when they come to take your order. This will keep you from filling up on empty carbohydrate calories before your meal arrives.
- Look carefully at the menu. Skip appetizers or order half-sized appetizers. Appetizers today are large enough to actually make up your main meal.
- Order salad dressings and sauces on the side so you can control how much you use. Ask the server what types of salad dressings and sauces they offer and select the ones that are low in fat.
- If you order a baked potato, refuse the butter and sour cream or ask for it on the side.
- Avoid drinks that are high in sugar. Sugary drinks fill you up quickly, but don’t offer you any nutritional value. Try a glass of milk, tea, coffee or WATER. Tired of plain old water? Ask for a twist of lemon. Limit your intake of alcohol drinks because most are high in carbohydrates and calories.
- Skip desserts or wait till you get home to enjoy them. If you’re craving something sweet have some fresh fruit. Some restaurants offer desserts that are low in calories. If you just can’t go without something sweet to eat, split a dessert with someone.
- When your order arrives look at your plate and visualize the amount of food that you’ll eat now and what you’ll take home with you. This will help you control your portions while you’re eating out. Stop eating when you feel full.
- Don’t skip meals early in the day if you know that you’re going to be dining out later. By the time you reach the restaurant you’ll be starving and make poor food choices. When you’re overly hungry you’re more likely to stuff yourself, because you feel like you’re not getting enough to eat.
When eating out choose a dine-in restaurant over a fast food establishment. And eat the same type of meals you would prepare at home.
Remember, eating in a restaurant doesn’t have to interfere with your weight-loss program. A little planning and the right food choices are all it takes to have a
healthy meal when dining out.
