Tips for Dining Out

Posted July 16, 2015 by PTI Admin

Everybody loves to go out to eat, but restaurant meals can have way more calories than you would ever expect! For this reason, making smart choices from the menu is crucial when trying to lose, or even maintain weight. When reading the menu, choose options that use steaming, grilling, or broiling as cooking methods. Avoid sautéed and fried foods when possible because this type of cooking uses fat filled oils and butter. Additionally, stay away from options that are “breaded”, “battered”, “buttered”, or “creamy”. These styles also add a lot of extra calories. If a menu option looks otherwise appetizing and healthy, don’t be afraid to ask the waiter to change the cooking style! There are a few other tips to keep in mind when dining out to avoid the extra calories! First, choose a beverage low in calories and without the added sugar! This includes water, low fat milk, unsweetened tea, or seltzer. Next, order a salad to start your meal off. A salad filled with fresh vegetables will start to fill you up so you do not need to eat as much of the entrée (which is probably more fattening). When ordering a salad, or any food with a sauce, ask for it on the side. This way, you can use the dressing sparingly to save calories. When ordering the entrée, have the waiter wrap half before even bringing it out to you. This way, you can eat slowly and not consume as many calories. Half will most likely fill you up! Save the rest for another meal. Finally, when it comes to dessert choose fruit when you can! Other great choices are sherbet or sorbet. These low-fat, low calorie desserts are sweet and satisfying.

filed under: Health FAQ,Nutrition