Eating out is both fun and sociable. However, studies have linked dining out with overeating and poor food choices.
Website, Healthline, lists some clever tips to help you eat healthy when eating out. These will help you stick to your health goals without having to give up your social life.
Read the menu before you go – If you’re not familiar with the menu, read it before you get to the restaurant. You’re more likely to make unhealthy choices when hungry or distracted.
Drink water before and during your meal – Water is a fantastic choice for drinking before and with a meal, especially if you drink it instead of sugar-sweetened drinks. Replacing sugar-sweetened drinks with water can help reduce your intake of calories and added sugar.
One study showed that people on a diet who drank 500 ml of water half an hour before a meal ate fewer calories and lost 44 per cent more weight than those who didn’t.
Check how food is cooked and prepared – The way food is cooked can have a significant impact on the amount of calories it contains. Look for food that has been steamed, grilled, roasted or poached. In general, these cooking methods equate to less fat and therefore fewer calories.
Foods that are described on the menu as pan-fried, fried, crispy, crunchy or sautéed will usually contain more fat and more calories.
Try eating your meal mindfully – Mindful eating means making conscious choices about what you consume and giving your full attention to the eating process.
Take the time to savor the aromas and flavors of your meal, as well as thoughts and feelings that arise while you eat. Mindful eating has been linked with healthier food choices in restaurants. It can also help improve your self-control and prevent you from overeating.
Order your meal before everyone else – Other people can influence our decisions without us really noticing. In social situations, people tend to mimic each other subconsciously, and dining out is no exception. People’s menu choices and eating behaviors can be highly influenced by the choices of other people at the table.
If you’re eating with a group that is likely to order something that doesn’t fit into your healthy eating plan, make sure you order first.
Order two appetizers instead of a main – Studies show that people are more likely to overeat when they’re served bigger portions. If you are going to a restaurant where you know the portions are huge, try ordering two appetizers instead of a main course. This can help you fill up without going overboard with the calories.
Avoid all-you-can-eat buffets – People are notoriously bad at estimating portion sizes. So when you are faced with an unlimited supply of food at a buffet, eating the right amount can be challenging. If you’re stuck with a buffet as your only choice, using a smaller plate might help you eat less.
Avoid sugar-sweetened drinks – Many of us have too much sugar in our diets, and it can be quite bad for us. One source of sugar that we really don’t need is sugar-sweetened drinks. Drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is strongly linked with an increased risk of obesity and type 2 diabetes.
If you want to make a healthy drink choice while dining out, stick to water or unsweetened tea.
Choose small measures of alcohol and low-calorie mixers – Drinking alcohol can add a significant number of calories to your meal. The number of calories in an alcoholic drink varies depending on the strength of the alcohol and the size of the drink. For example, a large glass of red wine, which is about 250 ml and 13 per cent alcohol by volume, can add around 280 calories to your meal. That’s the same as a Snickers chocolate bar.
If you want to enjoy a drink, you can cut back on the extra calories by ordering smaller measures, such as a small glass of wine. If you’re making mixed drinks with spirits such as gin, vodka or whiskey, try mixing the spirit with a diet drink instead of a sugar-sweetened drink or fruit juice.
Think about your whole diet – There will be times when you want to eat your favorite food for pleasure and not worry about whether it is healthy or not. Being flexible about your diet and food choices is linked with better overall health and weight management.
It’s helpful to think about how a meal fits into your diet overall. If you are following healthy meal patterns most of the time, go ahead and treat yourself. An occasional indulgence can be good for the soul.
