Restaurant Hacks
“What do I do when I don’t have control over my food choices?” That is the #1 question asked when referring to dining out. The problem is that, in many cases, we get to the restaurant feeling ravenous because we waited too long to eat. In some situations, people “save up” their calories to be able to dine out. Take a moment to think about a time when you went out to eat and were hungry… Did you find yourself NEEDING an appetizer, then a salad, and your entree? Maybe you even ordered a glass of alcohol or possibly a dessert.
The FDA recommends on average that we consume about 2,000 calories a day (we know this actually varies depending on the person and their lifestyle), and the average entree when dining out is 1,200 calories. Imagine how much we are over eating when we get that high calorie entree, the appetizer, salad, alcoholic beverage, and maybe even a dessert. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be this way.
Here are some restaurant tips that can help:
1. Know before you go!
We can’t stress how important it is to make your choices as soon as you know you are dining out. Take a moment to review the menu to look for veggies and lean protein options. Doing this one tip will help avoid making poor choices because you waited until you are hungry to decide what to order.
2. Eat your veggies first!
If you can fill up on veggies first that will help ensure you are getting good quality food into your system, then you can move on to that lean protein option. Can you guess what’s last? If you said the carbohydrate– you are correct!
3. Ask for "no BOSS"
Remember “no BOSS.” Whenever possible, ask that your meal be prepared without butter, oil, salt and sugar. Ask for your vegetables steamed with butter on the side, request that no salt be added to your entree and ask for salad dressing, sauces and creams on the side. You can still have butter, oil, salt and sugar, but this strategy allows you to control how much you consume.
4. Don't drink your calories
Smoothies, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks cause calories to add up quickly. That fancy cocktail can be the caloric equivalent of a milkshake. Stick with good old H20. If you crave more flavor, request lemon, lime or cucumber slices for your glass.
