Everyone likes a nice meal out at a restaurant from time to time, but if you’re watching your weight and trying to maintain a healthy diet it can be tricky knowing what to choose from the menu. Luckily, you don’t have to turn down every invite to dinner just because of your healthy habits. There are ways to keep up the good work where your diet choices are concerned and still have a lovely meal. Here are some ways that you can keep your heart healthy as you dine out. Firstly, consider the restaurant itself. You may want to eat pizza every night of the week, but that won’t make for a healthy heart. So consider your options when choosing a restaurant. Nowadays, restaurants are keen to highlight the calorie content or the fact that some of their dishes are low fat, so check the menu for this information in case it is displayed. Likewise, some restaurants can tell you which dishes are trans fat-free – you can always call ahead to check if you’re worried.
If you arrive at the restaurant hungry, you’re almost certainly going to overindulge and choose something unhealthy. Reduce the risk of this happening by having a light snack before you go out, such as a piece of fruit or a handful of nuts. It will curb your appetite without making you too full, and means that you’ll be more rational when it comes to choosing your meal. Give yourself time to really look over your choices and consider the benefits of each one – for example, does one dish contain more vegetables making it healthier overall?
You can also ask about serving sizes, so that you can avoid overeating. Don’t be afraid of asking about ingredients, portion sizes and fat content – the information will help you to make a healthier choice. If a starter serves more than one, why not ask someone else at your table if they’d like to share – this will stop you overeating and gorging on the whole thing, but still enables you to enjoy the meal. You can always split a large meal with your friends or guests as well – many restaurants serve platters designed to share, so why not opt for this instead where you get to sample a variety of foods in one go without risking overindulging.
If you look carefully at how the meals have been prepared, you may be able to find a healthier meal that won’t be so bad for your health. Avoid anything fried, as these will typically have more fat and calories than something that has been grilled or steamed. You can ask for a baked potato, for example, instead of chips, or steamed vegetables instead of those caked in fried batter. Opting for a vegetarian meal can often mean that you avoid unhealthy fats, too.
Naturally higher in vegetables and healthy proteins, such as tofu, these make for a heart-healthy choice over fatty pieces of meat which have often been fried. You can also make substitutions – for example, why not opt for a healthy bowl of soup for a starter instead of the sugary and calorie-laden dessert? You still get to enjoy a couple of dishes, but in a healthier way and without spoiling your diet. Eating at restaurants doesn’t have to spell the end to your healthy regime, it simply means that you need to put a little more thought into where and what you eat.