Eating out or going to a restaurant is not an excuse for you to skip eating healthy. There are tips you can try to ensure that you still enjoy your meal and at the same time maintaining a healthy diet even when eating out.
There are thousands of table side restaurants in the United States alone, and that number continues to grow each day. But just like your regular fast-food establishments, these restaurants can also be a ticking time-bomb when it comes to the nutritional deficiencies of the food they serve. There are however those restaurants that advocate for better nutritional health for all—that is if you know how to spot them. Or you may also check these tips out to make your dining out a healthier experience.
1. Ask for it your way
Dining out is never the time for consumers to be meek. You should be assertive but respectful enough to request for changes in the menu. For example, if an item is supposed to be served fried, you may ask for it to be grilled instead, it being the healthier option.
2. Ask to increase the amounts of veggies, please.
Often, the side garnishing at a restaurants will either be carrots or squash. If you want, you may ask for them to double or even triple the servings of veggies and then offer to pay an added amount for it.
3. Ask how the food was prepared.
Example, cholesterol-free may not necessarily mean that it is fat-free. The word “late” does not exactly mean that it is light on fats or calories either.
4. Order from the healthy, light or low-fat entrees on the menu.
5. Check the low crab offerings before ordering
6. Ask to box half of your entrée before it even hits your table. Or you may split an entrée with your partner.
7. Try double appetizers. Sometimes, skipping an entrée while having two appetizers is going to be filling enough.
8. Order a salad before anything else. Research has shown that people who ate salads before the main course tend to consume fewer calories during the entire meal.
9. However, order those salads that are not fatty. Meaning, avoid salads that have creamy sauce like coleslaw, pasta salads and the likes. Also, skip the fried noodles and bacon bits.
10. Watch the add-ons to the veggie salad. Stick to the mostly raw vegetable salads and watch out for meats and cheeses that are added to it.
