Dining Out and Staying Healthy

You know how hard it can be to eat healthy when your out at a restaurant. So many choices and wouldn't you like to try them all! After all, when you eat at home, you actually have to go out and buy all of the ingredients to make any of these delicious (and fattening) recipes. It's so easy to overeat because your being waited on and more likely to be socializing, which can take your attention away from how you usually eat at home. With all of the choices that restaurants offer today, the good news is that you can stick to your healthy diet and still have an enjoyable dining out experience.

Here are some suggestions to help while you are out at a restaurant:

Have a snack before you go out such as a piece of fruit or other low fat item, so that you won't be as hungry and less likely to overeat.

Look for restaurants with more healthy choices so that you have a variety to choose from, rather than just one or two choices that are not so appealing to you.

For salads, ask for your dressing on the side, in order to control the amount you use. You could use this idea with sauces also.

Consider having a baked potato rather than fries and order with low fat sour cream, instead of regular sour cream or butter.

If you order an appetizer, share it with someone to cut your calories in half.

Pick foods that are grilled or broiled, poached or steamed, which have way less fat than other methods of cooking. Fried, breaded, or batter dipped foods all mean high fat and are not healthy choices.

Pasta with a tomato base is a much healthier choice than alfredo or other cream sauces.

Pizza can be a healthy and delicious choice if you order vegetables in place of meat and half the amount of cheese.

Whole grain foods, such as brown rice and whole wheat bread, are much healthier choices than white rice or bread.

Don't forget that alcoholic beverages and regular soda are full of calories. Choose water, diet soda, or tea sweetened with sugar substitute or lemon instead.

Having grilled or steamed vegetables to take the place of bread or a roll will help cut the calories down. If you really need a piece of bread, have it plain or with a very small amount of butter.

Eating a low-cal salad with plenty of vegetables before your main course or along side it will fill you up more quickly. Then you may only need to eat half of your meal and you can bring the rest home.

If you order dessert, choose something healthy and low-cal, such as fruit or sorbet. You could also share your dessert with someone if you are craving a more rich dessert.

With these healthy food choice alternatives, you can stick to a healthy dining plan and also have an enjoyable meal while dining out!