There are lots of perks to eating out which is why so many of us enjoy treating ourselves to a night out. For us, eating out mean less preparation, stress, grocery shopping, and clean up but more oversized portions, butter and added inches. Although it’s okay to have an occasional splurge in our diet, we don’t want to completely kill it with one meal. With just a few simple tips, dining out can be healthier and won’t leave you feeling so guilty.
By taking a few tips into account, you will no longer feel overly bloated and ashamed after eating a restaurant meal, but instead you can still enjoy all the benefits of dining out while maintaining a healthy diet!
• Plan ahead- If you know you’re going to be going out for dinner, eat a lighter breakfast and lunch.
• Look for menu terms such as baked, broiled, grilled, roasted or steamed, which can refer to less fat and less calories
• Watch out for menu terms that can mean more fat and more calories such as batter-fried, rich, buttered, creamed, breaded or crispy.
• Hold off on the bread and appetizers- these can be very tempting when we’re hungry but they add a lot of fat and calories to our diet BEFORE we even touch our meal.
• Due to oversized portions, split a meal with another person or simply order the regular or child size portion. This applies to desserts as well!
• Dressings- Ask for them on the SIDE! By doing this, you are able to control the amount of calories that you’re adding to the meal or salad. For salads, order light options.
• Substitute unhealthy sides like fries, for something healthier like a side salad or fruit. If you don’t want to give up the fries completely, split them with a friend!
• Beware of the Unlimited Buffets!!! If you’re like most of us, you probably have a tough time controlling the amount of food you eat and stopping when you know you should. Rather than tempting yourself, choose another restaurant that doesn’t have a buffet or unlimited options.
• Fill up on fruits and veggies. Eat them before you start on the main dish and always add vegetables to sandwiches, burgers or pizza to make your meal more balanced.
Information was found courtesy of eatright.org
http://www.eatright.org/Public/content.aspx?id=5671
