I have been getting a lot of questions about what to do when you go to a restaurant. What meals should you pick? What items should you stay away from? This is one of the biggest challenges when trying to eat healthy. When you prepare your own food, you know what goes into it. When Applebee’s does, you never really know what you are getting.
I had a conversation with my sister when I started training her that was an eye opener. Every time I go to a restaurant, I eat the best thing on the plate first. If I order a sandwich, I eat the sandwich and leave the fries for the end. For two reasons I do this: 1) I enjoy the sandwich more than the fries. If I liked fries more, than I would just order a batch of fries. 2) If I eat the sandwich first, it will fill me up and I will be less likely to dive into the fries that are left on my plate. Since normally, a sandwich is better for you than fries, I go for the healthier option first.
My sister, on the other hand, had a different approach. She always ate the thing she wanted least first, saving her favorite stuff for last, essentially, saving the “best bite for last.” This approach always ended one way… her finishing her entire meal.
Restaurants have no shame when it comes to portions. The bigger the better. When eating out, you need to have a plan of attack to combat the fact that someone else is preparing your food. Here are a few helpful hints:
1) Don’t eat the bread! I know it is free, but most of the time it is white bread with tons of empty calories and no nutritional value. Also, because it takes 20 minutes or so for our stomachs to recognize we are full, you inevitably order an entrée, eat the entrée, and then realize you could have stopped at the bread. Don’t fall victim to “free food”.
2) Just because you are out to eat, doesn’t mean you get to order a soda. Order water. You need the hydration anyway. And if you want to spend money on a drink… get some wine.
3) Eliminate things from your plate. Sandwiches almost always come with chips, fries, a salad, cup of soup, etc. In reality, your portion size for that meal should only be the sandwich. Ask for NO SIDE. Don’t even have them put something on your plate, even if it is a salad.
4) The “clean plate club” broke up a long time ago. Eat what you enjoy first and stop eating when you get full. Don’t save the best bite for last.
5) Don’t be afraid to change up the menu. Order your sauces, dressings, etc ON THE SIDE or not at all. Many calories can be taken away from a meal simply by removing what it comes “dressed” in.
6) Look at how things are prepared. GRILLED, BAKED, and STEAMED are key “healthy” words you want to look for. SAUTEED, FRIED, BATTERED, BREADED, CREAMED… bad, very bad. Stay away from these items.
7) Many times you can find your meal under the appetizers. Don’t be fooled by the label, most places serve big portion appetizers that would fill you up just fine.
8) Don’t forget your vegetables. Many restaurants offer STEAMED vegetables. Who knew! Order up some of those the next time you really want to get a side with your dish.
9) Lastly, I don’t care if there is a deal on “appetizer, entrée, and dessert”, that is WAY too much food for one person. You need an entrée. Period. On a special occasion, you can order dessert.
Here are a few ticket items that many average restaurants have that are safe bets:
1) Grilled Chicken Sandwich- Don’t get it covered in a sauce. Don’t ask for mayo on the side. Ask for mustard. Trust me, it really is quite good.
2) Turkey/chicken/veggie wraps- here is an even better option than the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. Number one, a wrap is better for you than a bun, AND normally, wraps are packed full of veggies. Order it without sauce or dressing (leave the ranch for the next customer). Leave the cheese behind as well.
3) Hummus plate- Many restaurants offer this as an appetizer, but it makes a great meal. Normally, it will come with vegetables and pita. Start with the veggies first and save the pita for a treat at the end.
4) Fish- If the fish is not battered, breaded, fried, etc , this is a great option. We don’t get enough omega-3 fatty acids in our diet and fish is a great way to start adding them. Go for the salmon, or if you are like me and can’t stand the fishy taste of salmon, go for the baked white fish. Again, skip the sauce… are you starting to see a trend?
5) Salads- Here is the tricky one. Just because it is a salad, doesn’t mean it is good for you. That said, you can transform any restaurant salad into something that IS good for you with a few easy steps: 1) Dressing on the side. You will use WAY less dressing if you dip your salad into it instead of having them dowse the entire thing in ranch 2) no cheese 3) no bacon 4) skip the croutons 5) skip the bread that sometimes comes with salads.
6) Go a la carte- Look at what sides they have to offer. Sometimes you can make a meal simply from sides. Get some veggies, a baked potato, maybe a cup of soup and you are on your way!
Finally, make all this easy on yourself from the beginning: Choose a restaurant that you know is going to offer you healthier options. You eliminate half the hassle by omitting places you know you shouldn’t go to.
I hope this fills in some of the questions people had about restaurant food. Keep the questions coming and look for another blog in a few days!
Oh, BTW… how are you coming along with your intervals??????
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