Tips to Help You Eat a Little Healthier in Restaurants

You should never fear going out to eat! While it’s good to indulge every once in awhile, if you’re out to eat fairly often, you may need to have some of these handy tips in your arsenal. A certain holiday is also coming up..you know that romantic one involving roses and chocolates..and often a restaurant. This tips might help then as well. 🙂

Confession: I don’t even know what we are doing for the big day due to a miscommunication between me and Mr. Dave. There better be chocolate though. (Amiright??)

Another confession: remember how my laptop cord got chewed on by a cute but feisty feline? Apparently my laptop is out of date so I had to have a replacement cord shipped to me. I’ve been using my old laptop but it’s tricky in that it shuts off randomly (and then doesn’t turn back on for awhile), which it decided to do while working on this post so these words are being typed from my iPhone. Also I spilled coffee allll over my breakfast this morning. Life, right?

Good thing I had this guest post! Enjoy, friends! 🙂
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Disclaimer: this is a sponsored guest post. Check out the Work With Me page for more details. Also note: I don’t charge for friends to guest post, so let me know if you’re a friend who is interested in posting!

Tips to Help You Eat A Little Healthier When You’re Eating Out

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Eating out is meant to be fun. But for people who are watching their weight, an opportunity to eat out can be really stressing. Not only do they have to keep a check on the calories they consume, they also have to fight temptation.

If you are health conscious and are looking for ways to eat healthy when going out for a meal, you’ve come to the right place.

Here are a few tips that you could put to good use.

Before Getting to the Venue

Eat a light snack. Sure, you’re going out to eat but having a small fruit or a protein bar before you head to the venue will help you feel a bit full and prevent you from over-eating. So obviously, don’t plan on skipping meals and then heading to the restaurant!

Prepare Beforehand

If you know where you’re going for lunch or dinner, it will help if you research the restaurant’s menu beforehand. Check the menu online and weigh your options carefully. Choose whatever you think is healthy for you.

By checking out the menu in advance, you get more than enough time to think over it and decide what you should have.

Make the Right Choices

Don’t be worried if you didn’t get to choose the venue. If you really want to, you can eat healthy irrespective of where you’re headed to. See if the restaurant you’re headed to offers gluten-free choices. If not, remember to eat lots of vegetables. Don’t dive into the bread basket; eat in moderation. Ask the waiter to serve you whole wheat bread if you can’t find it in the basket.

If you’re headed to a restaurant that serves seafood, you’ll be able to find a healthy option easily. Stick to sautéed veggies, guacamole, and chicken if you’re going Mexican. Double up on the veggies if ordering a steak and ask for less cheese if ordering a pizza.

If you’re going to a fast food joint, order only what you want to eat instead of considering special offers and deals. You can use free samples or coupons of food that you want.

Further, when ordering French fries, go for the smaller pack. And if you have a choice, go for fries that are cut thicker. This way, you get more potato and less fried surface area.

As with the fries, if you can’t do without soda or sugary drinks, opt for the small-sized one. Sip on water or unsweetened fruit juice if you can. Calories in alcohol count too, so be sure to drink in moderation if you can’t strike it out of your meal entirely.

Remain Firm

It will be difficult for you to stick to the healthy options when you hear your friends placing their orders. If you can hurry, be the first to place your order so that other’s decisions don’t affect you. Ordering first may also inspire your friends to go healthy!

Keep sipping on water. At times, thirst can be misunderstood as a hunger pang. Staying hydrated will keep your cravings in check.

Eat Wisely

If you’re unsure of the calories in a particular item, ask the waiter. Ask whatever you need to know- the serving size, the dressing, or the ingredients. This way you’ll know what to expect and if need be, you can ask the waiter to make required changes to your meal.

Don’t forego eating soup and have more than your fill of green salad. By doing so, you’ll feel full when the main course is served and not over-eat. Ask for the salad to be dressed only in vinegar and/or a drizzle of olive oil. If you’d like to taste the restaurant’s signature dressing, ask for it to be served separately so that you can add only as much as you need to your salad.

If you’re going out with friends or relatives, you can ask them if they’d like to share the entrée or the mains with you. If they don’t wish to, or if you’re going to a business dinner, you might want to ask the waiter to box half of it for you.

On the other hand, if you think the main dish looks uninteresting and at the same time, unhealthy, and if you found the appetizers to be really good, go for a second helping and skip the main dish.

Remember to grab a small-sized plate when going for a buffet meal. And don’t load up your plate with everything. Seconds are allowed, but before you go for it, take a walk around the place or drink a glass of water.

Concentrate on the Conversation

You’re not meeting up with your colleagues or loved ones just to eat. Whether it’s a business meet or a get-together with your friends or family members, you can divert your mind from the food by concentrating on the conversation.

Also take enough time to chew your food; it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register that you’re full. Engaging in a meaningful conversation and eating slowly will stop you from eating more than you need to.

Conclusion

If you have been dreading going out with others for lunch or dinner ever since you became health conscious, now you can breathe free. With the tips mentioned here, you have nothing to worry about. Just go out and enjoy your meal to the T!
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