Be Prepared to Make Healthy Choices When Eating Out

Americans love to eat and there is no reason why it shouldn’t be healthy. Since it can be difficult to tally calories, fat, and salt intake, learn healthy ordering tips to stay within your dietary limits. Take the time to savor the aromas and flavor of your meal. Making conscious choices about what you consume and paying attention to the eating process have been linked to making healthier choices when dining out.

During the holidays, every week seems to present its own agenda for reasons to dine out. Without a conscious effort, it can be a surefire way to derail your plans for healthy eating, so be prepared to make good food choices. Order innovative dishes with more plant-based foods to dine out without straying from your commitment to healthy eating habits and living well. Avoid appetizers, entrees and sides that are smothered in rich, high-fat, or creamy sauces.

Accept the fact there are more food choices when you are eating out, so take care when choosing foods and stay focused on your goals for living well. When you can’t plan ahead, here are some helpful tips for eating healthy:

• Eating Breakfast Out – If you opt for snackable breakfast options, consider plant-based breakfast items like a grilled veggie burrito or scrambled eggs made from mung beans, and always check for added sugar and fat.
• Eating Out at Lunch – Water is an ideal drink to accompany your lunch meal. When possible, avoid alcoholic drinks, they are high in calories, stimulate your appetite, and often leave you feeling hungry. So, what you drink is equally as important as what you eat at lunchtime.
• Eating Out at Dinner – If you’ve just started back eating out, order a salad or a vegetable side and eat it first along with drinking a glass of water. This will help fill you up before you tackle your entrée.

The good news is that it is possible to dine out at most restaurants without derailing your efforts to eat healthy and live well. Just keep a few tricks up your sleeve and you will always be prepared to make healthier choices for living well. Dining out can be a lot of fun but consider ordering food that requires you to chew thoroughly and eat more slowly. That way, you will feel full sooner and avoid overeating as well as allow for better digestion.

If you plan ahead, checkout nutritional info online, and carefully select your menu items, you can dine out without guilt. But, don't be afraid to let the restaurant, coffee shop, or fast food establishment know that you have special dietary needs. To have a menu plan personalized for your body's needs, contact the Metabolic Research Center today to schedule a free, no obligation consultation. That way you’ll always know what to eat when dining out.