Diet, fat loss, fitness, health & well-being, Lifestyle

10 Awesome Tips for Eating Healthy When Dining Out!

Posted on by Pat
friends can empower each other to make healthy eating choices.

Dining out can be enjoyable and healthy with the right strategies. Here are ten tips to help you make healthier choices:

1. Do an in depth review of the menu beforehand

While doing this, there are certain keywords you should look out for. These are food items or cooking methods you should avoid because they hint at high calories gained from fat and salt. Examples of such terms include fried, breaded, scalloped, cream, alfredo, and crispy. This will help set you up for success, so that you don’t get set back.

looking at an online menu before arriving at the restaraunt can help you make a healthy eating choice.

 

2. Ask for more veggies

Vegetables will always be healthy, so they are that meal item you should look for when perusing the menu. Ask for double or triple the standard serving of vegetables since many restaurants serve them as sides. This primarily works when the restaurant doesn’t have a salad bowl on the menu. You can also replace your serving of carbs with veggies.

 

Extra vegetables on the side are a very calorie efficient way to provide extra satiation, and are a grrat choice for healthy eating when dining out

3. Drink water before & throughout your meal

Doing this will help to provide satiation in a short amount of time, making the probability of choosing a high calorie meal or overeating less likely. When we are dehydrated, we tend to crave fattier and saltier foods.

 

drinking water with lemon before and throughout a meal can provide satiation, and make healthy eating when dining out easier.

 

4. Order a high protein meal

By ordering a higher protein meal over a high carb meal, it will do a better job at promoting satiation & satisfaction. This means that you won’t need to eat as much before feeling full, but you’ll be getting in less calories & more protein. The best sources of protein are animal proteins, such as ground meat, fish, and chicken. Opt for leaner cuts of meats, like sirloin steak, chicken breast, and tuna if you are truly calorie conscious.

 

porterhouse steaks taste great, but they are not the best choice for those conscious of calories. This makes it one of the very best choices for healthy eating when dining out.

 

5. Ask for a to go box when ordering your meal, or share your entree with

Did you know that you could ask that you’re a fraction of your food be boxed up even before you start eating? If you think that may be hard to do, then you must know that restaurants often serve two to three times what you need for a normal serving. This is a cheat code for helping to keep your calories in check.

The same thing works when sharing your entree. For example, if you and a friend or partner eat out, order a large entree and split it in half.

 

order a to go box with your meal can make healthy eating when dining out that much easier.

 

6. Avoid the fancy drink options

This mainly goes for margheritas & cocktails. Yes, they tend to be the best tasting alcoholic beverages, but they are also the biggest calorie bombs. If you insist on ordering an alcoholic beverage, opt for wine, vodka, prosecco, or Michelob Ultra.

 

When it comes to making healthy eating choices when dining out, margheritas are often a poor choice, as they are very high in calories.

 

7.Try eating mindfully

When eating out, it can be tempting for your eyes to be bigger than your stomach. This means that even if you order something healthy, you may end up gobbling down your food so quickly, that you’ll end up ordering more food. Chew slowly, and savor the flavor. Be grateful for every bite of food in front of you. This will help to promote satiation.

 

Mindful eating is often an afterthought when it comes to making healthy eating choices, as chewing slowly provides a better sense of satiation & digestion than when eating very fast.

 

8. Try fusion restaurants 

Ethnic foods like Japanese, Thai, Greek, and Indian restaurants have more healthy meal items than others, such as Mexican, Chinese, or Italian restaurants. Thai, Greek, and Indian meals often feature fewer calories than others, and they taste absolutely phenomenal.

Fusion restaraunts provide some of the healthiest dood on Earth, making healthy eating choices much easier when dining out.

 

9. Ask for toppings & condiments on the side

Dressings, butters, sour cream, cheeses, etc. can add up to hundreds and even potentially thousands of calories on dishes, making an otherwise healthy food choice  an unhealthy one. By asking for toppings and condiments on the side, you can better manipulate your caloric intake, and avoid being set back.

condiments can make our break your fitness when it comes to making healthy eating choices when dining out.

10. Order a bowl of fruit for dessert

Even if you do a good job with dinner, but you can still set yourself back if you overload on dessert. For example, a large slice of cheesecake can be upwards of 1,000 calories. There’s fewer foods more satisfying than rich & ultra sweet fruits. You can still satisfy your sweet tooth, but save yourself hundreds of calories.

 

 

 

Swapping out higher calorie desserts with fruit is a great way to cut down on major calories while still satisfying your sweet tooth.

 

 

 

Conclusion

Eating out does NOT have to derail your progress with your health and fitness, as there are plenty of foods to eat and methods to incorporate that will induce healthy eating. Do not feel the need to try to isolate yourself from dining out at restaurants.

By checking the menu beforehand, having a satiating meal beforehand, avoiding foods with loaded words, and eating mindfully, you are already well on your way to keeping your diet in check.

Will this involve some willpower? Yes, but there are plenty of great tasting foods that are very calorie efficient. Do your research. Over time, you’ll realize its not as difficult as you may think.