Eating Out Can Be Fun but Do Not Nibble

Don’t skip meals when you know you are going to be dining out. When dining out, start by ordering water or sparkling water with a twist of lemon. Alcoholic beverages have more calories than most people expect. Moreover, a couple of drinks can weaken your resolve. Take time to look over a restaurant’s menu for clues to fat and calorie content of dishes that you are considering. Look for food preparation key words like baked, broiled, grilled, braised, poached, roasted, or stem for healthier options.

When you are hungry, it is easy to make poor food decisions and ordering is one of the first challenges you face. Also, remember alcohol stimulates appetite. Eating out is meant to be fun, so try to make healthier food choices. That way you can enjoy dining out. Just remember it not just about what you choose off the menu but also about how much you eat. So, watch the portion sizes and don’t nibble.

Since it is not realistic to assume that you will never eat out again. Try these tips to make healthier food choices when you’re eating off a buffet or deciding which menu items best fit your plans for living well:

• Eating Out at Breakfast – Simply stated, people are picking up more breakfast meals on the go and eating them elsewhere. So, ingredients and food preparation methods are crucial for those trying to live well and eat healthy in the mornings.
• Eating Out at Lunch – Don’t unravel the healthy choices that you’ve made in choosing the ingredients for your lunch entrée by making a poor decision in your selection of a midday drink. You should avoid sugary drinks, sodas, and coffee-products filled with cream and sugar.
• Eating Out at Dinner – When you run out of time, a new option to eating out at dinner are convenient prepackaged meal boxes. Most grocery store delis create healthy meal boxes that go directly into the pot or pan and are ready to eat in about the same as the wait time at a restaurant.

If you are concerned about the butter, salt, or sugar used in your food to heighten flavor, don’t be afraid to ask your server about ingredients or how your food will be prepared. Eating out doesn't have to sabotage your diet or cause you to lose control of your weight loss plan. By following smart eating strategies, you can become very adept at selecting the best menu items.

Whether you are preparing your own meal or eating out at a fancy restaurant, MRC’s approach to healthy eating is engineered for your unique body chemistry and specific needs. Find out today, how we can help you get on track for living well. Whether you are eating at home or dining out at a fancy restaurant, MRC will engineer a menu plan for your body’s unique needs. Contact us today to discover how you can use our food strategies to your advantage.