Stick to a Weight Loss Diet when Eating Out
Eat Healthy Even when Dining in a Restaurant
May 24, 2009
With everyone busy with work and family obligations, eating out is a fact of life today. Unfortunately, eating out isn’t always conducive to eating a healthy diet. And for people trying to lose weight, eating out can be especially challenging. However, there are ways to eat healthy at a restaurant and still stick to a diet.
Portion Control
The first thing to remember is portion control. So many restaurant meals today contain much more food than one person should consume. Check the menu for meals that offer small and large portions. If there is no choice of size, ask the server to split the meal into two portions and wrap up one half to take home. This way there is no temptation to eat the entire meal and there will be enough for a second meal to eat at a later time.
Other Ways to Control Portions
- Order a children's meal. They are automatically a smaller portion and a smaller price.
- Order off the appetizer menu. The portion is smaller than eating a full meal and everyone at the table can help by eating a few pieces too.
- Order a side or dinner salad instead of a large Chef salad. All the meat and cheese on a Chef salad will add on the calories but a side salad is perfect for eating light. Remember to ask for the dressing on the side in order to control how much goes on.
- Share a meal with a dinner companion. A spouse or a friend might also enjoy eating a smaller portion and the savings of ordering only one meal.
Fast Food
Eating at a fast food restaurant can be challenging for dieters but it’s not impossible. Many fast food chains now offer healthier alternatives and most will prepare a hamburger or sandwich that is diet friendly. This way a dieter can cut out all the fattening accessories, like cheese and sauces, which pile on the calories. Here are a few tips on how to maintain a healthy diet while eating at a fast food restaurant:
- Choose chicken over beef. Chicken is leaner and has less fat and fewer calories.
- Request the meat be broiled, baked or grilled instead of fried. This will lower the calorie count.
- Ask for the burger, chicken or fish sandwich without a bun to cut out the carbohydrates.
- Request that the burger, chicken or fish sandwich be made plain then add the sauces or forgo them entirely.
- Choose a submarine sandwich restaurant over a hamburger restaurant. There are more choices of low-calorie sandwiches there and more healthy toppings to choose from.
Staying on a diet doesn't have to be difficult even when eating out often. By choosing appropriate servings and making a few adjustments it is possible to keep the calorie count down while filling up.
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