Health and wellness tips for your work, home, and life—brought to you by the insurance and healthcare specialists at AJM Associates.
Though it may seem like an impossible feat, you can still maintain your diet while enjoying a meal out with friends and family.
Furthermore, it can still be an enjoyable – and more importantly, tasty – experience.
Since restaurants (especially fast food chains) tend to serve meals with more fat, salt and sugar than a meal prepared at home, it is important to understand what foods to avoid and which ones to select from the menu.
Foods to Avoid
There are many foods full of excess fat and calories that can destroy your healthy diet. Steer clear of these foods while dining out:
Condiments such as salad dressings, cheese sauces, tartar sauce, gravy and guacamole
Butter and cheese
Fried foods such as chicken or French fries
Beverages such as regular soda, whole milk and various alcoholic drinks
Foods to Try
To make healthier decisions while out enjoying a meal, try some of these foods to keep your diet on track and your waistline thin:
Soups made with juices and broth versus cream
Raw vegetables without a marinade
Fresh fruit
Steamed seafood
Poached or boiled eggs
Salads with low-calorie or fat-free dressing on the side
Whole-grain breads and crackers
Baked, boiled and steamed potatoes without sour cream, butter or cheese on top
Roasted, baked, broiled and grilled meats and poultry
Diet soda, low-fat or non-fat milk, or water
Yogurt
Whole wheat tortillas
General Suggestions
In addition to opting for healthier foods, there are many easy things you can do as a restaurant patron to make your dining experience a less fattening one. First, order your food to go. Research suggests that Americans eat less at home on their own plates than they do in a restaurant. Plus, you can prepare a healthy side dish to accompany the meal you purchased from the restaurant.
Also, avoid buffets whenever possible. They promote over-eating with so many choices and the option to return for seconds and thirds.
In addition, remember that you have the option to special order your meal. Ask the wait staff if the chef can prepare your vegetables with olive oil as opposed to butter, or bake your chicken breast instead of frying it.
Finally, one of the most important proactive approaches to healthy eating you can do is to watch your portion sizes. Either request a smaller portion of the desired meal or leave at least one-third to one-half of the meal on the plate. Since restaurant portions are typically double what you would normally eat at home, avoid overeating by simply asking the wait staff to wrap up half the meal right away and take it home to eat the next day.
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