It’s been weeks since you last indulged in bread, greasy food, and fruity drinks. You’ve been working out, eating extra vegetables, and passing up meat for fish. But it’s Friday night and you find yourself sitting at the local Texas Roadhouse tempted by all your favorite fried dishes. You start to panic because you think there’s no way out but to order something that will no doubt throw off your diet.
Don’t freak out, you’re not alone. There are plenty of people who believe they can’t go out to eat at a restaurant without eating their life away in calories. It’s true that modern restaurants are famous for over-sized portions and adding oils and fats to every entrée, but there are plenty of ways to lessen your calorie amount in any dish so that eating out doesn’t have to spell nutritional disaster.
So how can you reduce your calorie intake?
Get it Made Your Way
One way to make your meal a healthier choice is to get it the way you want it. Instead of fried chicken on a salad ask for grilled chicken. Instead of a side of fries, see if they have fruit or vegetables that could go with your meal. Asking the kitchen not to brush your food with extra butter, not to layer your pizza with extra cheese, or asking for half the meat and double the vegetables can help more than you think. Also, ask for your dressing and condiments on the side so that you can put less on your salad or sandwich. Most restaurants can and will accommodate, even if it’s not on the menu.
Skip the Bread Basket
Skipping this step is key. The basket is only there to fill you up, and it’s easy to eat five pieces of bread and butter before your meal. The average piece of bread contains about 100 calories, while a pat of butter adds another 36. Your entrée hasn’t even arrived, and you’re already full from eating 150 calories. If you absolutely can’t pass on the bread, limit your portions and replace the butter with olive oil.
Check the Calorie Amount
With the technology we have today, it’s easy to check how many calories are in that large cinnamon roll (over 800 calories) or to find out that your morning mocha coffee contains more than 300 calories. So stop making excuses that you “just didn’t know” and look up those items to help you stay on track. More than likely you’ll be shocked by some of your choices throughout the day.
Adjust your food
There are simple ways to make your entrée slightly healthier. You can trim the visible fat off of most meat, pull the skin off the chicken, scrape the breading or excess sauce and drain off the extra butter or oil. You can even pat your pizza with a paper napkin to help soak up some of the grease. Even the smallest adjustment can make all the difference.
Make Leaner Substitutions
There are several ways you can adjust your meal. You can order water or juice instead of a soda. You can ask for egg whites instead of eggs (one-third the calories of eggs). Order Canadian bacon or ham instead of bacon or sausage. Pick a leaner cut of beef (sirloin, filet, London broil) or pork tenderloin. Even requesting tomato sauce on your pasta instead of cream will cut a lot of calories.
Control Your Portions
Just because a server places a family sized pasta bowl in front of you doesn’t mean you have to eat the whole thing in one sitting. If it’s hard to have food in front of you without eating it all, ask your server from the start to box up half of your meal. Otherwise, just eat enough to satisfy you and take the rest home for another day.
Beware of the Extras
Many meals can be made healthier by getting rid of the “extras.” If you add butter, mayonnaise, ranch, or any other unhealthy condiment, you can add an extra 100 calories per tablespoon to your meal. By including a slice of cheese, bacon, avocado, onion rings, or fries, you can add 100 or more calories per addition. So do yourself a favor and ignore the “extras.”
Research the Menu
Researching the menu before you go gives you time to pick out the healthier options. Most restaurants have a copy online for you to check out. If you are on a diet, you can decide what you have to do to modify your meal. Just don’t be afraid to ask!
Careful What You Drink
If there aren’t enough calories in your meal already, adding a few drinks will certainly do the trick. Drinks are one of those ‘forgotten calorie’ traps. A few 50ml glasses of Baileys will cost you over 300 calories, and two full sugar Bacardi Breezers, nearly 400 calories! So skip the alcoholic beverages and opt for water. However, if you are going out for drinks, try to keep the calories to a minimum by ordering a light beer or cocktail made without a lot of added sugar or fruit juice. It’s best to go for a spirit and diet mixer—three of the best are a gin and diet tonic, a vodka and diet tonic, or a whisky and soda – all of which contain only around 55 calories. A Bacardi Breezer Diet Lemon is not too bad either at 95 calories, and a glass of dry Champagne is about the same. There are plenty of low-calorie cocktails out there if you do some research.
Use Your Resources
There are plenty of websites that can help you find healthy restaurant choices in your area. To name a few: www.healthydiningfinder.com, www.health.com , and www.heart.org are sights that can benefit you. Find a restaurant in your area that has healthy choices on the menu. With technology these days, you can research almost anything you are looking for, so take advantage of your resources and eat healthier!
You shouldn’t have to feel bad about what you are eating when you go out for a good time, so apply these simple steps, lessen your calories and lose weight today!