1. Took a look at the entire menu 2. Ask the waiters for nutritional information 3. Ask how the food is prepared 4. Order healthy proteins 5. Don’t go out hungry 6. Stay away from sugary drinks 7. Start with the low-calorie foods 8. Split the meal 9. Drink water for the entirety of the meal
Eating healthy food is one of the noblest of goals, especially if it is for weight loss or other health reasons. But going out for dinner leaves us tempted to order the most decadent and calorie-packed meals on the menu. Not only does this break our good habits, but it also sets our path to good health back a little. It can be a set back that can be hard to come back from.
Going to a restaurant for lunch or dinner doesn’t mean you have to order unhealthy food. If you don’t know how to eat healthy food, keep reading on to find out the top nine tips for ordering healthy food at any restaurant. These tips will ensure that by the time you leave the restaurant, you wouldn’t have packed on those unnecessary calories.
When you are at the restaurant, it is prudent to peruse that entire menu if you wish to find those healthy options. By carefully looking through it, you can immediately tell which options to exclude from your order. Basically, just stay away from anything that says fried, creamed, dipped, scalloped or breaded. Look for menu items that say grilled, baked, seared, broiled or steamed.
If you don’t want to go through the hassle of scanning the menu, you could just call a waiter or waitress over and ask them for nutritional facts. They may either hand you a copy of the nutritional information or make a recommendation for healthy meals. This is perhaps the easiest solution for ordering healthy food at a restaurant, but many people don’t do it.
It comes as no surprise that the tastiest foods are prepared in the unhealthiest ways. To make them taste great, the chef adds in a lot of unhealthy ingredients like salt, butter, corn syrup and artificial flavors and sweeteners. Next time you are at the restaurant, don’t shy away from asking how your meal is prepared. If there are ingredients that aren’t healthy, ask the chef to exclude them from the preparation process.
If you want to eat some protein, stick to the healthy kind of meat. A great example of this is fish. Just make sure that it is not fried; grilled, broiled, steamed or sautéed is fine. Fish is low on carbs and high in healthy fats. If you are not in the mood for fish, go for the chicken and turkey – remember to stay away if it is fried.
We have all done it before; going to a restaurant hungry because we want to fully enjoy our meal. But this is not a wise choice, as it can lead to overindulging on the bread and appetizers. To avoid this, have a light snack, like a piece of fruit or small salad, before going to the restaurant. This will allow you to stave off hunger before the time comes to really eat.
Sugary drinks can have a negative impact on your body. Firstly, they make you more hungry, giving you a sugar craving that will leave you scoffing down unhealthy foods to satisfy it. Secondly, they will increase your risk for diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Think twice before you order that soda, ice cream or sweetened coffee.
When your meal arrives, start by eating the low-calorie options first before moving on to something with more calories. Plan it out; start with vegetables or salad before moving on to the healthy proteins so your stomach is feeling full by the time you get to the real high caloric foods. You might not even need to touch them. Although the unhealthier food on your plate might look extremely appetizing, it is important not to do this backward.
Sometimes, our journey of eating healthy food can be going so well that a little indulgence wouldn’t hurt. This is particularly true if we see some delicious desserts on the menu. But if that piece of cheesecake is too big, you can box up half of it if you are dining alone. But if you have someone eating with you, you can split it with them so you don’t overindulge.
As mentioned earlier, stay away from sugary beverages – you might also want to stay away from alcohol. This leaves you wondering what you can drink. The answer is water. Also, filling up on water makes your stomach feel full so you don’t overeat. If you don’t like the taste of water, consider adding in a slice of lemon.
