Though it may seem like an impossible feat, you can still maintain your diet while enjoying a meal out with friends and family.
Furthermore, it can still be an enjoyable experience. Since restaurants (especially fast food chains) tend to serve meals with more fat, salt and sugar than a meal prepared at home, it is important to understand what foods to avoid and which ones to select from the menu.
Foods to Avoid
There are many foods full of excess fat and calories that can destroy your healthy diet. Steer clear of these foods while dining out:
- Condiments such as salad dressings, cheese sauces, tartar sauce and gravy
- Butter and cheese
- Fried foods such as fish and chips
- Beverages such as fizzy drinks, whole milk and various alcoholic drinks
Foods to Try
To make healthier decisions while out enjoying a meal, try some of these foods to keep your diet on track and your waistline thin:
- Soups made with juices and broth rather than cream
- Raw vegetables without a marinade
- Fresh fruit
- Steamed seafood
- Poached or boiled eggs
- Salads with low-calorie or fat-free dressing on the side
- Baked, boiled and steamed potatoes without sour cream, butter or cheese on top
- Roasted, baked and grilled meats and poultry
- Low-fat or non-fat milk, or water
- Yoghurt
General Suggestions
In addition to opting for healthier foods, there are many other things you can do as a restaurant customer to make your dining experience less fattening. First, order your food to go. Research suggests that people eat less at home on their own plates than they do in a restaurant. Plus, you can prepare a healthy side dish to accompany the meal you purchased from the restaurant.
Also, avoid buffets whenever possible. They promote over-eating with so many choices and the option to return for seconds and thirds.
In addition, remember that you have the option to special order your meal. Ask the wait staff if the chef can prepare your vegetables with olive oil as opposed to butter, or bake your chicken breast instead of frying it.
Finally, one of the most important proactive approaches to healthy eating you can do is to watch your portion sizes. Restaurant portions are typically double what you would normally eat at home Either request a smaller portion of the desired meal or ask the wait staff to wrap up half the meal straight away and take it home to eat the next day
