Vegetables Are Often Overlooked When Dining Out

Restaurants make sure food looks, smells, and tastes great, which can mean dishes are filled with rich, creamy, or buttery foods. Since vegetables, fruits, and whole grains are often overlooked, nutrition can be lost. Primarily the cholesterol and saturated fat in the foods you eat increase your cholesterol levels. When eating out, it is important that you can spot the dangers on the menu to limit your consumption of fat, sodium, and calories.

Make sure you inquire on how your food will be prepared. You can ask about options for eating healthy and can avoid a nasty surprise. Naturally, choosing more nutritious foods (more veggies) will be your better option. A study by the USDA concluded eating outside the home a few times per week can lead to weight gain or even obesity. Where it is true restaurants often serve large portions and use more butter and cream, you can control your food choices.

Choosing a restaurant that is better suited for your goals of living well can make it easier to navigate dining out. Try following these tips to ensure you pick from the best food options:

• Plan in Advance – If you get to pick the restaurant where you plan to eat out, you should select one that has health-conscious options for customers who choose to eat well. Look for preparations without deep frying or heavy cream and butter.
• Stay Hydrated – Studies have shown that drinking sweetened beverages or juices with your meal can significantly increase your intake of calories, thus leading to weight gain. However, drinking plain water with meals showed no such effect.
• Ask for Substitutions – If you hate being “that person” when ordering at restaurant, excuse yourself from the table and explain to the server that you truly appreciate the kitchen’s effort to prepare a healthier dish.
• Order Colorful Foods – According to any food pyramid, you should be eating up to nine servings of vegetables and fruits each day. Ordering a colorful plate of food when dining out will ensure you are consuming vitamins, nutrients, and fiber.

Eating away from home should be an enjoyable experience and not something you should fear. If you do your homework, ask the right questions, and make good food decisions, it will work out just fine. Most restaurants today honor portion downsizing. Moreover, when you ask for smaller portions of the bad food items, you may end up getting a larger helping of good food on your plate.

If you’re frustrated with diet plans that haven’t worked out for you like they did for others, then Metabolic Research Center has the answers. Our programs are engineered for your body’s unique needs and designed to address the root causes of your struggle. Teaching you how to eat well through our personalized menu plan allows you to understand food in a way that fuels your metabolism, whether you’re preparing a meal at home or eating out.

Click Get Started to find a location near you.