Today I'd like to share some excellent tips for healthy dining in restaurants. I don't know about you, but eating out can be a real challenge for the serious health seeker. I mean, honestly, there are so many unhealthy food choices in most restaurants.
Well, Victoria -- my friend, colleague, and creator of Tooth Soap -- wrote an article about healthy eating away from home that I know you'll find useful, and here it is...
Dining out is really easy once you get the hang of it.
In fact, you'll eventually be able to look at any menu and find something on it you can eat and enjoy.
Below are some examples of healthy meals you can choose while dining out.
Olive Garden or Italian Restaurants
For a starch meal: Order Minestrone soup and salad with vinaigrette dressing. Skip the breadsticks/bread because they are made with white flour and you don't need that (it will only aggravate your sugar cravings). Say no to any parmesan or other cheese.
For a protein meal: Order a grilled meat of your choice. Have some salad and if your meat comes with potatoes, just ask them to bring you steamed veggies instead and they will gladly do it. You can have a bit of parmesan on your salad.
Chevy's or Mexican Restaurants
For a starch meal: Order a side salad and eat that first. Order portabella mushroom or vegetable (or a combo of both) fajitas. Order corn tortillas instead of flour and eat just two of them. If you can't have just one or two chips and stop yourself after that, don't even start eating them. You can eat a little rice and beans too. Order the whole pinto beans instead of the refried if they have them.
For a protein meal: Order chicken or beef fajitas. Eat a big salad first. Tell the waitress you don't want the tortillas. If you don't want fajitas, order a meat in chile verde sauce and order a side of vegetables. Don't even think about eating the chips! You can have a bit of cheese with this meal.
Restaurants That Serve Everything
Starch: Choose the soup and salad bar. Vegetable soup is a good option. Don't hesitate to ask what's in the soup. I always ask!
Protein: Grilled meat, chicken or fish will always be on these menus. Eat a salad first and it is okay to have some blue cheese dressing as long as you order it on the side and use less rather than more. Check the menu for Cobb or grilled meat salads. You could order a Caesar salad, but make sure to tell them to hold the croutons.
Subway or Sandwich Places
You will have to go with a starch meal unless they have some salads. Be like Jared and order a veggie sandwich if going for a starch meal. If the sandwich place has salads, go for a Cobb or turkey or chicken salad. Be sure to skip the croutons.
McDonalds, Burger King, and So On
Pack your bag and stay out of all the fast food joints! Remember, you are trying to nourish your body with healthier options.
Other Helpful Hints for Healthy Eating Out
Drink a glass of water as soon as you sit down at your table.
Consider ordering an appetizer instead of an entree. The portion will be smaller than the regular entree, which is often too large. Ask the waiter to bring your order out with everyone else's main meal.
Always ask for dressing on the side. Dip a bite of salad in a little dressing and chew each bite thoroughly. Put your fork down between each bite and eat slowly. Enjoy yourself and relax when dining out.
Stop eating the moment you feel satisfied. Ask the waiter to put the rest of your food in a "take-out container" right away so you won't be tempted to eat more food when you are no longer hungry.
Remember, your body never requires that you overeat. It is only your mind and poor habits that want to do that!
Thanks to Victoria for letting me share this article with you.
If you have some healthy dining out tips you'd like to share, click on the comment link below and type away!
Chet Day
Editor, The Natural Health Circus
http://chetday.com
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Nice to see a post with some do-able information. I think with most folks they simply don't ask for options or substitutions! You can always find something on the healthy side to eat when dining out..and like you mentioned much of the time for myself I will order 1 or 2 appitizers or a nice salad. :o) I find most places will try to make something for you, and those are the ones I go back to.
ReplyDeleteAs was stated, the meals are most often much to large so if it is a protien meal and it comes with a salad or veggies and a starch side simply don't eat the starch side dish, it's an easy way to not eat to much.
ReplyDeleteHere in the UK things are a bit different service-wise! Often, waiters and waitresses can be funny if you ask for something on the side! For example, I went for a ham salad the other day and was asked if I would like mayonnaise with it. I said I'd like a vinaigrette or other dressing if possible and was told they didn't have any! It doesn't take a minute to whip a dressing up, does it?! I will persevere! (or eat at home!)
ReplyDeleteMost places serve meals that are too large, so when I order, I ask them to divide it in half. I ask for half of it to be brought out to me, and the other half to be boxed to go. If I forget to do that when ordering, I divide everything in half myself, eating only half and boxing the rest to go.
ReplyDeleteDrink only room temp or better--warm water--and only 4 oz or so--before meal.
ReplyDeleteIce water is the worst way to start a meal--the stomach and body have to over come the cold to digest the food--which results in incomplete digestion. Too much fluid dilutes digestive juices and again, hampers the process.
I find that most restaurants will make accomadations. They want you to come back and they understand that you are the one paying. I find it helpful to always eat a small salad with dressing on the side before my meal to help me not eat so much of my entree'. Also when everone else is eating chips or appetizers, I can be munching on my fresh veggies.
ReplyDeleteAnother tip, use the salsa as salad dressing! It's delicious, not a lot of calories and most always freshly made in the restaurant.
great advice but alas in the uk everythings reversed you cant fuss and change its not done you get frownd at better to stay at home and do your own
ReplyDeleteGreat Tips!
ReplyDeleteFor me, I always stay away with fatty, high colesterol foods.
I'd rather have fruits and vegetables!
Stay Healthy!