Lifestyle

11 Tips for Eating Healthy at Restaurants

By Jennifer Porayko
Sticking to a healthy diet doesn’t mean you have to stop eating out. There are many things you can do to enjoy your meal and still stay within your daily caloric intake.

Here are some tips on how to eat healthy at restaurants:
When you know you are going to be dining out, eat a smaller lunch. But, don’t skip a meal as that may make you overindulge at dinner.
Avoid ‘all you can eat’ buffets.

Avoid adding more salt to your meal.

If you enjoy an ethnic meal, Greek, Japanese, and Indian restaurants are easier on your waistline. Chinese, Italian or Mexican has a much higher fat and calorie count.

Instead of a baked potato or rice, ask for more vegetables or side salad. Avoid those bad carbohydrates – especially at dinner.

Say ‘no’ to the dinner bread/buns. These are bad carbohydrates and won’t give you the same pleasure that a delicious, healthy appetizer would.

Belgian Waffles

Say no to dessert! Instead, enjoy an after dinner Americano or skim Latte.

Select foods prepared with healthier cooking techniques, such as steaming, grilling, broiling, baking, roasting, poaching or stir-frying.

Order fruit and steamed vegetables without butter or sauce.

Limit condiments that are high in salt, such as mustard, ketchup, pickles and sauces.

Look for icons on the menus to identify low-fat items.

Avoid hidden calories – such as food described as sautéed, breaded, cheesy, creamy, crispy, or deep fried.

One Cannot Think Well, Love Well, Sleep Well, If One Has Not Dined Well. – Virginia Woolf

Photo by Brittany Allison