Healthy Options For Dining Out 

There was a time when eating healthy and dining out didn’t work well together. Fast food restaurants only offered fatty foods, and family and fine dining restaurants didn’t offer many health-conscious alternatives. Luckily, with increased concern over healthy living, restaurants are offering healthier menu options and are open to changing meals slightly to meet customers’ wants.

Fast food chains such as McDonald’s, Subway, and Arby’s are offering healthier menu options in the form of fruit and vegetable salads, grilled chicken and fish sandwiches, and deli-select sandwiches. Many of these places also offer the nutrition information for their meals so consumers can find out more about what they’re eating. for the calorie and carb counters of the world. Restaurants like Applebee’s and T.G.I. Fridays, among others, offer nutritional information on their "diet" portion of the menu. If the selections in the diet section don’t thrill you, don’t be afraid to ask your waiter or waitress if the chef can prepare your meal differently, or if you can substitute ingredients or foods.

Here are a few tips to consider when trying to stay healthy while eating out:

• Instead of trusting your waiter to drizzle dressing onto your salad, ask for the dressing on the side so that you can control how much dresses your greens. If your meal comes with French fries, consider asking for a baked potato or side salad instead.
• Don’t be afraid to ask how your food is prepared. If you’re spending the money, you should have a say in what’s on your plate. If you order a steak, ask the waiter how it is prepared. Some chefs melt butter on top of the steak before cooking to make the meat seem more tender. Also, ask about the sauces used to prepare your food. Yes, creamy sauces can make your meal taste better, but that’s a lot of extra unnecessary fat. Try to avoid hollandaise, cream, cheese or butter sauces.
• If you’re in the mood for meat, consider opting for chicken or turkey breasts. These are two of the leanest meat choices. If you’re a steak person, stick to the leaner cuts like loin, round, flank and extra-lean ground beef.
• Avoid those all-you-can-eat buffets! Paying one small price for all the food you can fit into your stomach sure does sound like a good deal, but there’s no need to eat that much food in one sitting. If you do visit a buffet, start with a healthy salad, and try to choose healthy options without overeating.
• Have you ever gone to a restaurant and had a plate set down in front of you that looked like it could feed you and two of your guests? Most restaurants serve dishes that provide enough calories for at least two meals! Just because it’s in front of you doesn’t mean you have to eat it all at once. Eat half of what is on your plate and take the rest home for another day. If you frequent a restaurant that you know is like this, consider sharing an entrée with your dining partner. This way you can immediately split the meal and the temptation to eat the whole thing in one sitting won’t arise.

The most important thing to remember when eating out is your health. Don’t be afraid to ask the waiter questions. Never fear you’ll agitate your server. If he seems annoyed, maybe he should consider a new line of work! Eating healthy is more important. Make wise meal choices, eat small portions, stay away from all the extras, and you’ll enjoy a healthy dining experience!