It is totally possible to eat at restaurants and be healthy — you just need to know few tricks so you can be prepared to make good, healthy choices. Here are my tips for how to eat healthy at restaurants.
Scan the menu
Look for keywords on the menu that are giveaways for what to avoid. Here are some examples of the most common culprits: pan-fried, crispy, dipped, scalloped, breaded, cream and alfredo.
Dishes with these words tend to have a lot of hidden fat and salt. Instead, look for menu items with words from the following list: grilled, steamed, baked, roasted, braised, broiled and seared.
Ask to double or triple the vegetables
Let’s be real. Often, a side of vegetables in a restaurant is really more of a garnish, not a real serving. When ordering, ask for double or triple the normal serving of veggies, and offer to pay extra. A big problem with veggies is that they get cooked in a ton of butter so make sure to ask that the vegetables NOT be cooked in butter when you order them. This is an easy way to escape unneeded fats and calories.
Order fish or meat
Fish is a great option, as long as it’s not fried. You can order seafood in tons of different ways — steamed, blackened, baked, broiled, sautéed or grilled. My favourite is grilled. Just like with fish, meat allows you to enjoy protein, fill up on real food, and avoid foods loaded in carbs and unhealthy fats. Eating fish or meat will help you to feel full and satisfied without having to fill up on empty carbs like pasta or bread.
Avoid fried items
Avoid French fries, potato salad, macaroni salad, mashed potatoes and gravy, chips, etc, as what do they have in common? Fats, salty starches with lots of calories and almost zero nutrients. We are all conditioned to have chips with our sandwich, ignoring the fact that the extra fat and salt will make our pants a little tighter, inch by inch. So instead, better opt for a side of fruit or veggies and hummus or guacamole or just skip it all together.
Ask about preparations
Truth: Chefs are trained to use lots of butter and salt to heighten flavours. They do this because, if you add butter or salt on most anything, it tastes better which makes the customer happy, which means more business in the future. They are not there for your health. They are there to feed you tasty food.
If you are concerned about the butter or salt in your food, don’t be afraid to ask your server how the food is prepared. If you find out what you want is actually loaded with oil or butter, either ask for it to be prepared differently or choose something else.
Don’t be afraid to order special
It is okay to ask for your food to be prepared in a certain way. It’s your meal and you are paying a good sum of money for it, then why shouldn’t it be right and according to your needs? You can always ask for what to be added and avoided in your dish. To keep fat, sugar, and calories under control, always watch out for condiments like mayo, salad dressing, and BBQ sauce, added cheese, anything crunchy (croutons, wontons, fried onions, chips) and side dishes.
Bottom line
The bottom line is: Dining out doesn’t have to turn into a diet disaster just because you have to eat what they offer. You have options. Watch your portion sizes and choose items on the menu that have more nutritional value.
Sapna Vyas, ACE Certified Weight Management Specialist
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