13 Health Tips for When You Eat At Restaurants

 

Trying to lose weight? With all these temptations, it’s got to be tough. There’s a delicious food joint at the corner. Malls are buzzing with strings of welcoming restaurants. Even the gas station has started offering delicious burgers! In today’s article, we are going to share 13 healthy tips for eating out.   You can eat at your favorite restaurant and still be fit. Should you eat before heading out? What about salads and soups on the side? We’ll be talking about all of these and more.

13 Health Tips for When You Eat At Restaurants

1. Have a healthy snack before you go

You’re heading out to eat, and we are advising you to have a snack first. You’re going to be full before you walk out the door. This actually makes sense for people who want to keep fit without giving up their favorite restaurants. Eating a healthy snack like an apple will prevent you from overeating at restaurants.  

When you arrive hungrily, you end up eating A LOT!  A low-calorie high protein snack will satiate your hunger. You’ll eat within reasonable limits!

2. Two appetizers instead of a main

Bigger portions mean you’ll end up eating more. That’s not us saying this. Studies have revealed that when people are served bigger portions, they eat more. So what should you do? Ask the restaurant to serve you less? Nah! You order two appetizers instead of the main dish. 

You won’t go overboard with the calories, as appetizers tend to not come in massive portions. You’ll feel full without eating a lot. So the next time you’re at the restaurant, order butternut hummus and chicken strips with a side of bread. Or another delicious appetizer combo. You’ll be doing yourself a favor.

3. Eat mindfully

No, we aren’t asking you to close your eyes and meditate while enjoying your favorite foods. Instead, we’re asking you to make conscious choices about what you’re eating.  Pay attention to each bite- the process of eating. Enjoy the aroma of your meal. Feel the texture and flavors in every bite. 

Appreciate and pay full attention to the thoughts and feelings arising in your mind while you’re eating. For all of this, it’s necessary you eat in peace. No looking at your laptop or phone while eating. Even if you’re alone. Mindful eating makes you choose healthier foods. You’ll also eat within reasonable limits. This means better self-control and no overeating.

4. Order before others

This is a bit tricky. You might feel tempted to eat something others are eating. Why would that happen? Because people in social situations often end up subconsciously mimicking other people. Eating out is no exception. When you’re out with friends and see them ordering pizza or burgers, you subconsciously want to do the same. 

Your eating behavior can easily be affected by the choices of other people. To prevent this from happening, order first. If you want grilled chicken for dinner, go ahead and have it. No need to wait for your friends to order something that’ll make you second guess yourself.

5. Drink water before and during meals

Your body confuses thirst with hunger. There are times when you’re struggling with an intense craving, and it’s actually thirst and dehydration.  So you need to keep drinking water throughout the day. Keep your body hydrated. But that’s not all. Drink water before and during meals. This will reduce the number of calories you take in. You won’t overeat. It’s especially a good idea to replace sugary drinks like soda with water.

6. Coffee for dessert

Dinner is incomplete without dessert. But you can’t gobble up cheesecakes, brownies, and ice cream if you want to stay healthy and fit. Most desserts are loaded with carbs, Trans fat, and calories. So what can you do? Skip dessert and be miserable? Nope! Have coffee for dessert. It’s way lower in calories in comparison to traditional desserts like cakes and puddings. And if you skip the cream, you’re going to save even more calories. Besides this, coffee offers some amazing health benefits.

Thanks to the caffeine found in coffee, you will no longer feel tired and lethargic. Plus, studies have proven caffeine boosts your metabolic rate by 3% to 11%. Your cup of coffee can help you lose weight. How wonderful is that!

7. All you can eat buffets are a big NO

There’s a reason buffets are popular. I mean, you can eat as much as you want. There are so many options. You certainly feel like royalty while dining. All you can eat buffets are fun, but not if you want to stay fit. Most people are bad at estimating portion sizes. This means when you have lots of food in front of you, you won’t know how much to eat. As a result, you’ll end up overeating. This means extra calories.

But if you really love eating at a buffet, choose a smaller plate. That way, you’ll be filling up your plate with less food, but still, feel like you ate a lot. But what if there are no smaller plates available? In that case, fill half your plate with salad and veggies. You’ll be eating healthy foods without overloading calories. Awesome, isn’t it?

8. Ask for healthy swaps

Well, if you’re eating out, you sure want to enjoy your favorite steaks and ribs. We aren’t asking you to skip them altogether. Just that you can swap a portion of them with healthy foods like veggies. Your body would be thanking you later for sure. Most people do not eat enough veggies. But when you do start eating them, you realize their amazing health benefits. 

Especially dark green, leafy veggies that are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals. So, if you’re eating out, you can order your favorite salad with healthy dressings like extra virgin olive oil. Swap fries for fruit salad and dessert for frozen blueberries.

9. Skip the pre-dinner bread basket

The pre-dinner bread basket you get while awaiting your order is pure bait. It leads to overeating, and you end up loading up on carbs and calories. Do not give in to the temptation. Send the basket back! Seriously. If you’re ravenously hungry, why not get fruit instead. Eat an apple or a few slices of cucumber before you hit your restaurant. You’ll eat within reasonable limits.

10. Sauces and dressings on the side

Nachos with guacamole, ranch dressing, and salsa. Did your mouth start watering? Mine too! Whether it’s a salad or snack like nachos, sauces and dressings make them so much tastier. It’s fun trying various snacks with different sauces. Salads also become interesting thanks to tangy dressings. But they’re loaded with calories. For instance, ranch salad dressing will give you 140 calories and 16 grams of fat in just two tablespoons. Imagine what the calorie count of an entire bowl with ranch dressing would be! So what should you do? Skip it altogether? No. Instead, order them on the side. This way you’ll be able to control the portion size of the dressing you’re going to eat.

11. Start with salad or soup

These are low-calorie items. While main dishes are usually loaded with high fat, high carb foods. Start your meals with a bowl full of salad or soup. Better order both. You‘ll feel full sooner and won’t overeat. Studies have found that eating salads or soup prevents overeating. Research suggests that eating soup before your meals leads to a 20% lesser total calorie intake. The best part is the type of food doesn’t impact this. Whether it is tomato, mushroom, or pumpkin, every soup is healthy! Just don’t load it with extra butter.

12. Avoid ordering sugary drinks with food

We all love ordering soda with fries. It’s normal to order a sugary drink to go along with your meals. But have you ever wondered if you really need this extra load of sugar? Too much sugar already impacts your health negatively. You don’t need sugary drinks to make the case worse. What you need to do is swap these drinks with healthy alternatives. You can order unsweetened tea or all-natural smoothies. But water is the best drink to accompany your meals.

13. Tomato-based sauces are better

Ordering your main dish is quite a task in itself. There are so many options to choose from. Let me help you out here. Go for tomato or veggie-based sauces. Skip creamy cheese-based sauces. They are loaded with calories, Trans fat, and carbs. Veggie-based sauces are low-calorie and filled with nutrition. Ordering the right foods is just a part of staying fit. There’s so much more to maintaining a healthy weight. If you’re on a weight loss journey, you need to find healthy alternatives to unhealthy foods like white rice.