Never Smother Your Salad in High-Fat Dressing

You don’t have to let enjoying a meal out at a restaurant ruin the goals you’ve set for eating healthy. Nowadays, most restaurants offer delicious options for those committed to living well. When you initially commit to living well and eating healthy, you may feel eager to prepare all your meals at home from scratch and never eat out again. Unfortunately, that’s usually not necessary nor is it a sustainable strategy.

Eating out can be tricky, so expect all sorts of temptations, and remember you can keep your weight loss goals and social life intact by making good food choices. Just don’t let eating out create a serious case of food envy. Don’t forget to read your menu carefully and look for a balance of lean protein, complex carbohydrates, monounsaturated fats, and larger servings of vegetables that are creatively prepared using healthier ingredients.

Drinking water before and throughout your meal will keep you well hydrated and help you avoid consuming unwanted calories. Try these helpful tips for making smarter food choices:

• Japanese – Japanese curry can contain a lot of calories from both carbohydrates and fats. The poor balance of macronutrients means it is a dish that should be avoided or served in smaller portions.
• Mexican – When dining out at a Mexican restaurant, one order of tacos or chimichangas can contain a full day’s worth of calories mostly from saturated fats (meat and cheese).
• Chinese – Healthier options for eating Chinese are steamed dumplings, steamed vegetables, steamed fish, crab and corn soup, Szechuan seafood or chicken chop suey. Pass on greasy pasta dishes with low mein as well as sweet sauces.
• Indian – Avoid samosas. They are appetizing but do not contain healthy calories and are deep fried. Indian breads (naan) are often stuffed with potatoes or coconut and topped with lots of butter.
• Italian – On most menus at Italian restaurants there is whole section devoted to healthier options for a variety of dietary needs. Unfortunately, the unlimited breadsticks are most diners Waterloo.

Eating healthier revolves around making smarter choices as you rebuild your overall dietary pattern of food consumption. By focusing on the same wants and needs, you can dine out without sacrifice to your commitment for living well. Order your favorite vegetables when dining out and ask your server how each dish will be prepared. Never smother your salad with a high-fat dressing or cover healthy veggies with a rich cream sauce.

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.