Exercise the Same Controls to Enjoy Eating Out

Americans do love to eat out. Nonetheless, there is no reason why you can’t stay within your healthy diet. Following a few tips when ordering can make a huge difference. Once in a while when you don’t have time to prepare your meal, eating out can be a convenient option and should be considered a nice treat. For a quilt-free outing, make the same healthy food choices you would have made cooking at home.

The phrase you are what you eat is not only catchy, but it can serve as a reminder when dining out. Just because you didn’t prepare the food doesn’t mean you cannot exercise some control over your situation and still enjoy your meal. When dining out, you can fit most of your favorite dishes into your menu plan by making some adjustments to the ingredients and methods used for food preparation. Moreover, most restaurants now cater to the health-conscious crowd.

To avoid making snap decisions while distracted by table talk, scanning the menu and reading nutritional information before you arrive can help you avoid impulse ordering. Try these tips the next time you’re dining out:

• Japanese – Surprisingly a large platter of sushi rolls can contain more calories than you might think. Moreover, it is important to pick sauces that are not loaded in added sugar and salt.
• Mexican – Burrito bowls are as healthy as the choices you make. Keep a balance of lean protein, carbs, and healthy fats. Swapping out rice and corn for cilantro lime cauliflower rice as well as black beans for refried beans are healthy substitutions.
• Chinese – It you are craving orange chicken then prepare it in your own kitchen using healthier methods for preparation. The crispy texture and sweet sauce in most Chinese restaurants is loaded with fats, carbs, and sugar. Plus, you can prepare a better version of fried rice that’s loaded with healthier ingredients.
• Indian – Foods cooked in a tandoor oven, such as tandoori chicken is a healthy food choice when eating Indian food. Also, tikka and bhuna dishes are a healthy choice as they are not covered with heavy sauces.
• Italian – Since there are so many temptations begging to be eaten, dining out at an Italian restaurant can be problematic. Fortunately, there are healthy options for appetizers and entrees. Select tomato based sauces with grilled vegetables, seafood, or chicken dishes.

Keeping your commitment to eating healthy and living well does not have to be compromised when you choose to dine out. By using these tips, you will get better at spotting the best options and maintain better control what you eat. If you find yourself eating at a buffet, dismiss the all-you-can-eat mentality and you will find lots of options for eating healthy. You can always swap an extra helping of veggies in place of a protein entrée.

Studies suggest that eating more small meals is a much better way of controlling hunger and managing weight gain. When dining out, eating smaller portions slowly can provide adequate nutrition so that hunger is not a problem. If you fail to plan when dining out, it can be difficult to keep from overindulging. Visit MRC online to learn more about what should and should not be on your plate during the holidays.