Most people in today age are trying to eat a little healthier and there can be many reasons for this, we want to lose weight, we’re looking to lower our salt intake, or perhaps we just want to improve our overall diet. Whatever your reasons may be we all come across this great hurdle at some point: How do we keep up with our healthy diet when we go out to eat?
Let’s face it restaurants are not as worried about your weight loss goals as you are. It is up to you to make the right choices when you dine out and here are a few tips that can help you keep on track with healthy diet even when dining out.
1) Both salad dressings and sauces tend to be the heavy side when it comes to calorie and fat amounts, so the best thing you can do is order them on the side this way you control how much you add to your meal.
2) Grilled items like fish, chicken and vegetables can be great healthy dining choices but something to look out for is a common restaurant trick. A lot of places will brush the items when they come off the grill with a coating of butter this give the food a shiny juicy look and adds a little flavor but a lot of fat is added too.
Now this is not the restaurant out to get you they are just trying to give you what they think is a good product, just ask if they brush their grilled items with anything and if they do have them put it on the side.
3) When going for pasta dishes look for tomato based sauces, avoid the cream or butter based sauces. Tomato sauces much lower in fat and calories and depending on the sauce it can sometimes counted as a vegetable.
4) This is not only a dining out tips but an overall healthy dieting tip. What you drink is just as important as what you eat! Water, tea, and fresh juices should always be the first choice, sodas should only be a treat to yourself (yes this include diet sodas as well). Also remember alcohol beverages are very bad for diets drink in moderation.
5) Baked potatoes can be a great diet item but most of the time restaurants load them down with butter, sour cream, bacon and cheese all of which are loaded with calories and fat. See if the restaurant has any salsa this is a great healthy alternative that adds plenty of flavor and spice.
6) Soup are another one those items that can be very good depending on what kind of soup it is, broth-based soups are very good while cream-based soup are very high in fat and calories.
7) Look for items that are grilled, baked, broiled, poached or steamed, these cooking techniques tend to be the healthiest. How things are cooked also applies to your side items as well.
Key ingredients also pay a key role in eating healthy and dieting even when eating out. Whole grains, such as whole wheat bread and brown rice are great choices. Both fruit and vegetables are great sources of dietary fiber as well as vitamins and minerals. We tend to forget these things when we dine out.
9) If you craving dessert look to see if there is something low fat or maybe they have something with fresh fruit or berries. (A lot of restaurant will throw together a berries and cream dessert if you ask even if it’s not on the menu) Also remember dessert can be shared with your dining partner.
10) Most restaurant portions sizes are double even triple the size of a normal healthy meal. Again this is not that restaurant are against us they are just trying to give us a good value for the money that we are spending. Remember to listen to your body when it tells you that your full stop eating. You can always take the rest home with you for another meal later.
If you looking to eat less but don’t want to take it home with you can also get two small appetizers or appetizer and a salad. Another option is if your dining partner is eating healthy also well maybe splitting a meal will work.
While healthy eating when dining out can be challenging if you follow these tips you may find that it is not impossible. And even though you’re on a healthy diet remember not to deprive yourself of the foods you truly love if eaten in moderation all things can be fit into a well balanced diet.
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