Tips for dining out

Some tips for eating healthy while dining out…

Plan ahead!

Planning ahead is crucial to your success when eating out. Restaurant meals, in general, will be higher in calories, fat, salt and sugar than what you could make at home.

Choose a restaurant where you know you can find some satisfying low-fat choices.
Choose restaurants that offer table service over all-you-can-eat buffets.
Avoid restaurants that specialize in super-sized portions.
Don’t arrive at a restaurant, party or business dinner starving! Eat a balanced snack before you leave the house.
Don’t be afraid to ask how the food is prepared, or to make special requests. Remember, you are the customer.
Make a conscious effort to take the focus off of the food; instead, enjoy the people you are dining with.

Placing your order

Beverages

Stick with sparking water, mineral water or club soda. Add lemon or lime slices for flavor. Other good choices include unsweetened ice tea, herbal tea or decaffeinated coffee. Avoid alcohol. Alcohol and fat share the same metabolic pathway, and alcohol takes priority when present. Alcohol also sabotages willpower and provides empty calories. Some studies show that when people add high-calorie beverages to a meal (such as fruit juice or soft drinks), they do not compensate by eating less food and calories. Note: 8oz of fruit juice contains 110 calories; a super-size McDonald’s Coke has 410 calories, a McDonald’s chocolate shake (large) has 1,030 calories.

Bread basket

Beware of the bread basket! Almost always, the bread you find at restaurants is made from processed white flour (high glycemic). Even artisan breads such as French baguettes or Italian loafs are made from white flour. Either tell your server you’d prefer to skip the bread, or place it out of arm’s reach.

Appetizers

The can often times substitute for entrees. Look for things such as steamed mussels or clams, grilled shrimp or roasted vegetables. Avoid fried foods such as breaded calamari or mushrooms, artichoke dips heavy with cheese, and garlic bread slathered with butter.

Soups

Studies have shown that people who eat soup before meals end up consuming fewer calories during the meal. Look for low-calorie broth-based or tomato-based soups such as minestrone, chicken vegetable, Navy bean and greens, etc. Cream-based soups (cream of broccoli, cheddar cheese, cream of mushroom, etc.) should be avoided due to their high caloric and fat content.

Salads

Make it your meal! Be sure to include lean protein sources such as grilled chicken breast, grilled fish, garbanzo or kidney beans. Ask for salad dressing on the side. Limit your salad dressing intake by using the fork trick: dip the prongs of your fork into the salad dressing before taking a bite of salad.

Entrees

Choose entrees which are grilled, baked, broiled, blackened, roasted, poached, stewed, braised or steamed. Consider splitting your entree with someone and adding a side salad. Don’t be afraid to ask if items can be prepared using less oil.

Side dishes

Experts recommend that we eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. Think of eating out as an opportunity to increase your intake of fruits and vegetables prepared in new ways. Fine restaurants often serve seasonal produce as side dishes, such as locally grown asparagus, spinach, green beans, blueberries, blackberries, etc. Avoid side dishes such as baked or fried potatoes, fried rice, and vegetables with butter or cheese sauces. If a menu item comes with fries or a baked potato, ask to substitute it with a side salad, soup or steamed vegetables.

Desserts

Pass on the regular dessert menu. Ask for a small dish of seasonal fresh fruit such as strawberries or raspberries. After-dinner beverages such as herbal tea, decaffeinated coffee or non-fat cappuccino can take the place of dessert.

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