Dining Out Without Sacrificing Your Diet
Enjoying a good meal out a restaurant shouldn’t ruin your healthy eating goals
Often one of the most difficult things when trying to follow a healthy lifestyle is eating out at restaurants.
When you work so hard at home eating out shouldn’t feel like a step backwards. At restaurants, you can say goodbye to knowing everything that goes into your food and, most likely, to avoiding unhealthy ingredients, like butter, salt, and lots of saturated fats.
Although it’s ideal to avoid eating out as much as possible, realistically, that’s just not gonna happen. Besides, eating at restaurants is fun and social and new.
The good news is that it’s still totally possible to eat at restaurants AND be healthy – you just need a few tricks up your sleeve so you can be prepared to make good, healthy choice.
Follow my easy tips for how to eat healthy at restaurants to see how eating out healthy is possible and delicious:
1. Pass on the Bread Basket
Limiting your carb intake is important for any diet plan, and the bread given to you at restaurants is nearly always simple carbs that are bad even for people that aren’t looking to lose weight. All those simple sugar and refined flours will create immense hunger cravings, leading you to overconsume foods with little nutritional value that do little to turn off hunger cravings.
2. Hydration & Water
When it comes to your drink options, water is going to be the safest in terms of limiting your caloric intake. Water is your key to weight loss.
3. Check the Menu in Advance (this one is vital!)
If you know where you’re going to be going out to eat long enough in advance, take some time to find out what they have on their menu. Many restaurants post their menu with nutritional information online, so you can plan on what to order before you get there. This will help you be able to make a good decision that’s not influenced your company, your hunger, taste buds or pictures on the menu.
4. Ask for a Box
Since most restaurants offer huge meals, you can limit how much you eat by asking for a take-home box as soon as your food arrives. Put up to half of your meal in the box then just eat what’s left on your plate.
5. Scan the menu.
Look for key words on the menu that are giveaways for what to avoid. Here are some examples of the most common culprits usually high is calories, salt & unhealthy fats:
fried or pan-fried
crispy
dipped
scalloped
breaded
Alfredo & other creamy sauces and dressings
6. Request Extra Vegetables
Most restaurants won’t charge you extra for more vegetables and it will help you fill up on these rather than the higher-calorie options on your plate. Just make sure these vegetables are raw, grilled, or sautéed in butter rather than fried since most oils used for frying are unhealthy.
7. Get it Your Way
Remember that you’re paying for this meal, so you have every right to order your food the way you want it. That might mean asking for a different type of dressing for your salad or different toppings on your burger.
8. Pass on the Booze (or at least pre-game with healthy food & hydrate)
Now, I’m not going to deny you the benefits of an occasional (and responsible) buzz, however, if you are serious about your health and your waistline, then you have to make a choice on your alcohol intake. However, if you’ve plateaued in your weight loss, then this may be an area to shine a light on, as it is often the fastest way to put on weight.
Alcohol lowers blood sugar levels, which is why we are always hungry afterwards and making unhealthy choices. Know this going into it & eat something before the dinner or make healthier choices so you don’t go overboard unintentionally
9. Be the First To Order
Ordering first helps you to make the choice you want and avoid feeling social pressure of ordering something different than your company is having. Set the tone and make others aware of your healthy lifestyle!
10. Eat your carbs last:
Studies show that when consuming the protein and vegetables first and carbohydrates last, the ensuing blood sugar levels and rises in insulin is significantly decreased, when compared to either consuming the carbohydrates first or the entire meal all at once. The lower blood sugar spikes lead to less cravings, less calories stored, less weight gained and better health overall.
11. Be a Kid Again!
If you want to indulge, check out the kids menu for things like smaller portioned desserts, burgers and other foods that you may not want to overconsume.
If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your family, friends and anyone who might benefit from this information
Stay Healthy,
Tommy
Disclaimer: The information contained in our website, blog, products or services have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and is not intended to treat, prevent or cure any disease. Our intent is not to replace any relationship that exists between you and your healthcare provider. Rather our aim is to serve as your guide on your journey to better health and help you reach your health and wellness goals by implementing positive, healthy and sustainable lifestyle changes to help you live and thrive.
Tommy Markov is a Functional Nutrition Professional and Wellness Educator with a Master’s in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine. He specializes in healing the person, not the condition. He is passionate about uncovering the root cause of his client’s ailments and incorporating an integrative mind-body approach.
Tommy’s knowledge of the interconnectedness of body systems helps him identify imbalances before they manifest into dysfunction and disease, allowing for an effective preventative approach.
Tommy has been working in the health and fitness industry since his 20’s, ranging from health clubs, hospitals, medical practices to currently founding his own thriving practice, Living Wellness Solutions, after overcoming his own health challenges.
Tommy has appeared as a guest and expert speaker on numerous podcasts, speaking events, as well as being a nutrition and supplement consultant. Most recently, Tommy became a proud partner of F.L.O.W. Wellness Center in Abington, Pennsylvania, where he incorporates Functional Medicine and Nutrition along with various other healing modalities and practitioners.
