Eating out with your friends and family should be a treat, not a feat! Try out some of these tips to help you make healthy choices the next time you’re out.
6 tips to help you make healthy choices when dining out
1) If you are really hungry, drink your entire glass of water before you order your meal. Sometimes we mistake thirst for hunger. This will help you not feel so starved and think a little more clearly about what choices you should make.
2) If you order a salad, make sure to order your dressing on the side so you can choose how much dressing you’d like to add. Some salads at restaurants are have more calories and sodium than you would think due to the salad dressing!
3) Split your entree with your meal partner and order a side salad, a non-cream based soup or an extra side of steamed vegetables to fill you up! You might also choose to split your entrée in half and take half home for another meal later.
4) So many restaurants give you bread or chips before the meal. Challenge yourself to really enjoy what you order and resist the basket of bread or chips. If you need to, ask the waiter to take away the bread or chips if it’s too tempting.
5) Do you know where you are going to eat? Check out the restaurant’s website before you go to see if they have their menu listed. Choose what you want to order ahead of time. When it comes time to order you can order a healthy choice with confidence.
6) Research shows drinking your calories doesn’t give you the same signals of fullness as eating your calories, so choose to drink water, club soda, unsweetened iced tea, black coffee, or diet soda.
Did You Know?
Americans love to eat out, and with over 990,000 restaurants to choose from, it’s no wonder we spend nearly 47% of our food budget eating away from home! (2014 National Restaurant Association)
