Do not let enjoying a lunch or dinner out at a restaurant ruin your healthy eating goals. When you work so hard at home to follow healthy eating, eating at a restaurant can feel like a step backwards. At restaurants, you can say goodbye to knowing everything that goes into your food and, most likely, to avoid unhealthy ingredients, like sugar, soy, and lots of vegetable oils.
The good news is that it is still possible to eat at restaurants and be healthy
Here are some tips on how to eat healthy at restaurants!
- Do Your Research and Plan Ahead. Most restaurants have their menus available online. Look for keywords on the menu that are giveaways for what to avoid. Avoid options with the words: "pan-fried", "crispy", "dipped", "scalloped", "breaded", and "creamy". Dishes with these words tend to have a lot of hidden fat and salt. Instead, look for menu items with the words: "grilled", "steamed", "baked", "roasted", "braised", "broiled", and "seared".
- Choose a Location Wisely. Visit a restaurant that is likely to have menu selections consistent with your food plan. When it comes to options like Japanese, Thai, Greek, and Indian, these restaurants are easier to eat healthier than others, like Mexican, Chinese, or Italian. While you can eat healthy in any restaurant, the main reason why it is easier for the first options is because they feature grilled meats, fewer plates of pasta, and/or noodles, and other non-fried options.
- Be Respectful. Be gracious to the staff and chef – ask nicely and do not reach too far outside the existing menu if you can help it. Reasonable things: ordering all the things that go outside the burrito without the tortilla, substituting one side dish for another, ordering a salad with lemon and olive oil on the side instead of the prescribed dressing, asking if they can fry an egg in olive oil instead of butter or canola.
- Eat some meat. When ordering meat, look for plainly prepared and leaner cuts of beef (flank steak, skirt steak, tenderloin, sirloin, or filet mignon). If you can find organic grass-fed beef, even better! When in doubt, poultry is another great protein option, particularly organic, pasture-raised chicken. Eating meat will help you to feel full and satisfied without having to fill up on empty carbs like pasta or bread.
- Order fish. Fish is a great option as long as it is not fried, and even better if you can find "wild-caught" on the menu. You can order seafood in tons of different ways – steamed, blackened, baked, broiled, sauteed, or grilled. Just like meat, fish allows you to enjoy protein, fill up on real food, and avoid foods loaded in carbs and unhealthy fats.
- Ask to double or triple the vegetables. When ordering, ask for double or triple the normal serving of vegetables. You can also look at the "sides options" of the menu to see what options the restaurant has available. A big problem with veggies is that they get cooked in a ton of butter, so make sure to ask that the vegetables not to be cooked in butter when you order them.
- Ask about preparation. Chefs are trained to use lots of butter and salt to heighten flavours. If you are concerned about the butter or salt in your food, do not be afraid to ask your server how the food is prepared. If you find out what you want is loaded with oil or butter, either ask for it to be prepared differently or chose something else. It is your responsibility to know what you are putting into your body and your server’s responsibility to know what goes into the food they are serving. The more you ask, the easier it gets.
- Drink water throughout the meal. Try your best to get used to drinking water as your main beverage. You can ask for a slice of lemon or lime if plain water is too boring.
- Skip the fancy drinks. If you must order an alcoholic drink, avoid margaritas, Pina Coladas, and other exotic mixed drinks. They include sugary add-ins that add tons of calories and processed sugars and flavours. Instead, order a gin or vodka soda with lime.
- Box it early. Restaurants often serve two to three times what you need for a normal serving. Next time ask to box half of your entrée before it ever even gets to the table. You can also split an entrée with another person if you prefer.
The more you use these tips, the better you will get at spotting healthy versus unhealthy options. The bottom line, it is possible to make good choices and have control over your food – even at restaurants!
