Healthy Ways to Dine Out

In our quest to reform our nutrition in the New Year dining out is often an area of sabotage. Many people use the convenience of fast food or restaurants to save time or due to fatigue after a long work day. But there are some complications to watch out for that could result in weight gain, increase fat intake, and increased salt intake. Doing that once isn't a big deal but on a regular basis it becomes easy to blow your best made dietary plans.

Many times a restaurant meal can be the calorie equivalent of several home-cooked meals. The ubiquitous soft drinks (with free refills!) are calorie bombs plus being very high in sugar, they throw off your insulin response and thus increase your appetite later on or the next day. Add to that the high amounts of fat and salt and low amounts of fresh fruit and vegetables, restaurant meals leave a lot to be desired

So what to do? Here's are several tips to help you eat less junk and more nutritious food.

• Check for the restaurant menu online before you go. This way you can plan a healthier meal ahead of time.
• Eat something like fruit or nuts before you go out. This way you are not starving when you arrive at the restaurant.
• Avoid buffets at all costs! It is virtually impossible to have a healthy meal at a buffet.
• If you know you are going out in the evening, eat a small lunch to save up some of your daily caloric intake for the meal out. But remember to have that snack right before you go out so you are not ravenous.
• Order all salad dressings on the side and use only about 1/2 of what they give you.
• Choose skinless broiled or baked chicken where ever possible.
• Avoid cream sauces. These are generally loaded with fat. For pastas, red sauces are usually much lower in calories.
• For a beverage, order water with lemon even if you also have something else.
• Plan from the start to take 1/2 of your meal home with you.
• Share an entree with a friend.
• Watch out for high calorie coffee beverages. Cream, syrups, whipped cream, and milk all add a lot of calories to an otherwise low calorie beverage. Try some black or herbal tea with just a small amount of milk instead.
• Eat slowly. Chew your food thoroughly. This allows you to enjoy each bite more and also gives your body a better chance to tell you when you've had enough.
• Try not to eat while distracted by the TV or a newspaper. You will tend to eat more if distracted and not enjoy the food as much.

In short, there are many ways to enjoy your meal and still have it be healthy. Bon Appetit!