Are you one of those who crave for chef made food and still wish to look lean? Going out to eat with family and family is not an uncommon scenario. How many of you foodies who dine out also count on calories? Trouble is that many of us nibble until we finish the food rather than listening to the signal that we are full. We can’t stop eating out, neither can we avoid that tempting delicious blueberry cake. So what is the solution?
Here is a list of tips that help you to order healthy food while dining outside.
1. Know the restaurant well – Before you set out to eat at any restaurant find out about their specialty. It’s always preferable to know what kind of food they serve so that you can make some healthy choices. Some restaurants may not have dishes in the menu that can be customized according to your choice of healthy eating. Browsing through the restaurant website may help.
2. Take your time to read the menu – Many times we don’t understand what a particular dish is made of. For example if you are dining at an Italian restaurant you might not be very familiar with the names of the dishes. Read the menu carefully and know the ingredients. Don’t hesitate to ask the chef about the particular dish. After all it’s your health. One must know what one is eating.
3. Feel free to ask the preparation process – You have all rights to ask the method of preparation. Don’t go by the menu blindly. Know the preparation time. Dishes that take long hours to cook are usually not healthy. Ask if it is deep fried or shall fried.
4. Ask for dips in a side bowl – Ensure the dressing is not mixed with the vegetables. When you ask for the dips separately, you can use as per your preference. Best way to have your delicious dressing is to dip your fork in it first and then in your vegetable.
5. Eat healthy lunch – Most of the working people and students eat lunch outside. Lunch is a very important part of the meal. Make sure that you eat healthy as well as fulfilling lunch. Avoid eating fried items. Try and experiment with healthy and tasty salads, pasta, sandwiches and soup.
6. Wisely choose your drinks – Opt for healthy beverages like unsweetened tea, green tea, low fat milk or no added sugar juices. You can also choose to ask for only water.
7. Try baked dishes – If you are particularly fond of hot food, you can opt for baked potatoes, vegetables etc. They are a very healthy choice and also very fulfilling. Hot pasta is also a very good choice. But avoid lots of cheese or cream based pasta. Instead go for tomato based sauces.
8. Grilled or roasted option for non vegetarians – If you love non vegetarian food then avoid eating curries. The oil, fat and calories are very high in curries. Better option is grilled or roasted food.
9. Opt for salads – Order for extra salads and keep the main course portion comparatively low. Ask if the restaurant serves variety in salads. This way you will have variation in what you eat. You can also customize your order, asking them to double the quantity of vegetables in your meal.
10. Skip the desert – You can choose to skip the dessert, unless you discover that it is prepared exclusively in low fat cream, sugar free and is not fried.
11. Keep it simple – Do not eat anything that may be heavy on your stomach. Eat light! Make smart and healthy choices and you can enjoy dining out as much as you enjoy eating home cooked food.
12. Skip the ingredient – You may ask the chef to exclude the butter and replace it with olive oil. Likewise, for those who can’t skip the dessert – A dessert may taste tempting with extra chocolate sauce. However, enjoying it without the sauce sometimes would be a great idea.