Practicing healthy eating habits can be easy when you are preparing meals at home. But, what are you to do when you are invited out to eat? There’s no need to panic! You can go out to eat and still maintain healthy practices. Here are some tips for dining out at restaurants without sabotaging your health or weight loss goals.
Tips for Eating at Restaurants:
1. Share. Most restaurant portions are big enough for two people. Split your meal with your dinner companion and enjoy your favorite food with fewer calories.
2. Eating alone? Split your meal in half and pack half of it up right away to take home and eat at another meal.
3. Fill up on salad and veggies before your main meal to feel fuller faster.
4. Choose a food that you can put together yourself, such as fajitas, so that you can control what goes into them and how much.
5. Ask for dressings and dipping sauces on the side so you can control how much goes on your food. Use sparingly or if possible not at all. You would be surprised by how many calories there are just in sauces, dips and dressings.
6. Choose foods that have been steamed, baked, broiled, grilled, stir-fried or roasted.
7. Avoid deep fried foods and foods dripping in gravy or heavy cream sauces (unless you can get them on the side to control how much goes on your food)
8. Ask the restaurant where you are eating if they have whole wheat versions of foods such as bread, pasta and rice. Order those options instead. Not only are they healthier than their white counterparts, they are higher in fiber which will make you feel fuller and control blood sugar spikes.
9. Avoid pop or any other drink high in sugar. Sugar robs your body of nutrients and makes you feel hungrier in the long run.
10. Eat slowly and enjoy the tastes and textures of your food and you will feel satisfied with less.
Portion control is the key. The occasional indulgences are ok if you follow the above tips and maintain power over what goes on your food and how it is prepared.
