How to Eat Healthy When Eating Out

APRIL 2021

Doesn’t it always seem like restaurants serve more delicious versions of meals that you can cook at home? This way of thinking is not all in your head. Restaurants tend to add large amounts of fat and sodium-rich ingredients to their foods which causes them to taste more savory and delicious. Besides the increased amounts of fat and sodium, most restaurants serve their meals in large portion sizes. When not being mindful of what you are eating at a restaurant, you can add an extra 1,000 calories (or more!) to your daily calorie intake on days that you are going out to eat. If you do this three times a week, this could mean that you are adding an excess of over 3,000 calories to your weekly diet!

Does this mean that you need to abstain from going out to eat? Absolutely, not! Going out to eat is a social interaction that is essential for many individuals and should not be removed from your daily life. However, mindful ordering and eating is essential in order to stay on track with your weight loss progress. The key to eating healthy at restaurants is to plan ahead. Listed below are some suggestions that you can use to help limit your calorie intake when eating at restaurants.

1. Plan your meal before going to the restaurant. Most restaurants have their menus online. When you get to the restaurant, do not look at the menu simply order what you have planned to help avoid temptation to stray from your healthy meal alternative.
2. If you are starving, order a lighter appetizer such as: broth-based soups, salads, fruit, hummus platters, or shrimp cocktail.
3. Stick with ordering foods on the menu that are either grilled, broiled, baked, steamed or roasted to avoid excess fat. Avoid foods that are labeled as au gratin, Alfredo, batter-dipped, breaded, creamy, crispy, deep fried, flaky, or parmigiana. These tend to be high in fat and therefore, higher in calories.
4. Order all salad dressings, sauces, and gravies on the side so that you can control the portion sizes of these items. 
5. If you would like a dessert, order fresh fruit or fruit sorbet items for a lower calorie sweet. If you insist you MUST have the brownie, split it with someone to avoid eating excess calories.
6. Set a drink limit for yourself before arriving at the restaurant. One standard drink will allow you to still enjoy an alcoholic beverage, but not consume an abundance of excess calories. 
7. If stopping at a quick-service restaurant choose options such as grilled chicken sandwiches, a hamburger with no cheese, salad or a broth-based soup. When possible, switch out your french fries with a healthier vegetable or fruit alternative.
8. Eat a high fiber, protein snack before going to the restaurant. By not ordering your food when starving, you are less likely to give in to temptations of higher calorie meals.
9. Stop eating when you are full. Move the plate away from you so that you do not continue to pick at the food while you are waiting for your check.
10. Order water as your drink in order to help offset the extra calories you may consume in your meal.