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I do not particularly like the word ‘diet’. To me, it has too many restrictions associated with it. Too many things I shouldn’t be eating that I really want. With spring break coming quickly and lots of people traveling, I wanted to share a few tips on how to make healthy food choices when eating out. I don’t particularly like denying myself tasty treats now and then so I try hard to live healthy on a NON diet. I eat large servings of the healthy things and smaller nibbles of the more decadent foods that I enjoy. I love going out to eat and on my NON diet, I can still do that without feeling horribly guilty about all the excess calories. There are a number of ways to minimize the impact a restaurant meal has on your diet and hopefully these healthy eating tips will come in handy.
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How to Make Healthy Food Choices When Eating Out
1. Choose an appetizer instead of an entree: I find that many entrees are much too large for one person. Instead, choose an appetizer and a side salad as your meal. And, no, you don’t have to order the fried cheese sticks. That probably isn’t a smart choice for a meal.
2. Ask for you dressing on the side: Many restaurants add WAY too much salad dressing to their salads. Ask for yours on the side so your lettuce is not drowning in oil and vinegar.
3. Ask for a take out box ASAP: When your meal arrives, put half of it in the take out box. That way you won’t be tempted to keep eating even when you are already getting full.
4. Skip the fried option: If you are perusing the chicken entrees, go with something that is sauteed, grilled, or broiled and skip the options that are battered and fried. You will cut an amazing amount of calories while still enjoying a delicious meal.
5. Choose a salad as a meal: You might think that a salad could never be filling enough to be an actual meal but many of them are. A lot of salads at restaurants now offer things like hard boiled eggs, beans, and grilled chicken to provide appetite satisfying protein without a ton of fat and calories. Ordering a salad as an entree will definitely leave you feeling full and you can splurge on a dessert or appetizer to share with your dinner companion.
I hope these tips on how to make healthy food choices when eating out have been helpful. On vacations, eating out at restaurants is sometimes the only way to eat but that doesn’t mean you can’t continue to eat healthy. Just make a few smarter choices when you order and you can still enjoy a restaurant meal occasionally!
Do you have any other healthy eating tips for restaurants
Diane is a professional blogger and nationally certified pharmacy technician with two teens, one husband and more pets than she will admit to. She has a BS in Microbiology but left her career in science to become a stay at home mom. Years of playing with LEGO and coloring with crayons had her craving a more grown up purpose to her life and she began blogging full time. She currently deals with emotional teens, suburban politics, and middle aged metabolism while sharing her opinions in an honest and down to earth fashion on her blog.
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