Wednesday, April 1, 2020
For some people, eating out is an occasional indulgence. For others, it's a way of life. Either way, moderate portions and careful choices can help make restaurant meals fit into an overall healthy-eating plan. Follow these tips to eat your best even when dining out.
Sometimes dining out is just easier and more fun than cooking at home. Once in awhile, there's something about someone else preparing your food that just makes it taste better than it does at home. But for many of us, getting in the car to grab dinner or ordering takeout comes with nutritional tradeoffs — and many people don't realize how much we're compromising on healthy recipes when we pick up a menu.
More than likely, a home-cooked meal is better for you than pulling up to the drive-through window. A Journal of the American Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics study found that a staggering percentage of restaurant meals have more calories than home-cooked meals, regardless of whether they listed nutrition facts on their menus. A whopping 92% of meals from large-chain and local restaurants have more calories than the recommended amount for the average person. And while not all calories are created equal, many of these meals also carry extra helpings of fat, sodium, and sugar.
We asked Good Housekeeping Institute Registered Dietitian Stefani Sassos for her expert advice on how to stick to your healthy eating plan while dining out, so you can confidently approach any menu.
1. Indulge in Moderation
The most important thing to remember is moderation in everything, and that goes for dining too. "I always say that you should invest in your food choices," Sassos explains. "If you are dying for a piece of double chocolate cake at the end of the night, then maybe skip the extra cocktail. Healthy eating is all about balance, moderation, and mindfulness." Go ahead, order dessert (but just one!).
2. Talk to Your Server
When dining out, don't be afraid to talk to your server. While it's in poor taste to interrogate the person helping you, Sassos points out that restaurant staff can help decode confusing words on the menu. In many cases, the chef can make substitutions to your meal to help lighten it up or adhere to dietary restrictions. Just be gracious, be polite, and always tip well.
3. Cut out or cut back on the condiments.
- Taste your food before adding salt, butter, sauces and dressings.
- Order sauces and dressings on the side: Even small amounts add up.
- Substitute healthier condiments: Use mustard instead of mayonnaise. Use pepper or lemon juice in place of salt.
4. Do Your Research
When trying to make healthy choices, never go in blind. "If you already know what you would like to eat ahead of time, you’ll be less likely to be influenced when it comes time for your meal," Sassos explains. "Plus, if the menu doesn’t have any healthy items, you may have time to suggest another restaurant with better alternatives." Many restaurants post their entire menu online — often with nutrition information. You can also also try looking up your dining destination on healthydiningfinder.com, a healthy dining directory partly funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
5. Order more plant-based foods.
- Try an exotic fruit — kiwi or papaya, for example — for variety.
- Order your favorite vegetables, but don't smother them in rich, high-fat dressings or cream sauces.
- Order items that include whole-grain foods to get your fiber.
6. Think Beyond Calories
While many chain restaurants have started listing calories on their menus, they aren't the only indicator of how good for you (or not) a meal may be. "Although calorie counts on menus can help us avoid calorie bombs at restaurants, they don’t take into account many other important nutritional factors," Sassos says. When looking at a menu item, take into account sugar, sodium, and fiber to determine whether it's the most nutritious bang for your buck.
7. Watch For Hidden Traps
Think you're safe ordering a salad? You might want to read the menu more carefully. "Although salads are a fantastic way to get your vegetables, restaurants often overload them with high-fat dressings and calorically dense toppings," Sassos says. "Your salad could be upwards of 1,000 calories when all of the toppings are said and done." If you do go for the greens, order dressing on the side so you can control how much goes on.
8. Don't Arrive Famished
When you go hungry in order to save room for later in the day, you set yourself up for a dining-out disaster. "You end up scarfing down a ton of bread, and spoil your appetite for the main meal," Sassos says. "Have something light before heading out, such as a piece of fruit or cup of Greek yogurt. You won’t arrive ravenous and can order a healthier appetizer to start such as a brothy soup or small salad."
9. Read the Menu Carefully
Some menus sound good enough to eat, and there's a reason for that. Restaurants use enticing language to make their food appeal to diners, but some of that verbiage can tip you off to how healthy (or not-so-great for you) dishes will be. Sassos recommends looking for terms like "baked," "steamed," "roasted," "broiled," "grilled," "poached," "seared," and "lightly sautéed." On the other hand, avoid dishes that say "smothered," "heavy," "rich," "creamy," "crunch," "tempura," or "crispy."
10. Right-Size Your Portions
Your mother may have taught you to clean your plate, but we're sorry to have to break it to you that her advice no longer applies. Restaurant portion sizes can be significantly larger than recommended, especially at chain and fast-casual restaurants. "Don’t be afraid to listen to your body and cancel your membership to the clean plate club," says Sassos. "You can always pack your leftovers to-go or share the dish with a friend if the portion size is huge."
11. Look for a Lighter Option
When trying to eat healthier at restaurants, it pays to strategize a bit. "Major restaurant chains like The Cheesecake Factory are offering a lighter fare section, which I think is a fantastic option for anyone trying to make healthier choices," Sassos explains. "These dishes try to incorporate the signature rich taste, but for a fraction of the calories of some of the traditional dishes." Look for special sections like these at your favorite chain restaurant, too.
12. Eat With Your Eyes
Especially when dining out with friends and family, it's easy to get so caught up in the company that you clean your plate without really even tasting your food. Researchers at Cornell University tested this phenomenon by hosting a Super Bowl party for 50 people and serving unlimited chicken wings. At half the tables, waiters scooped away the bones as they ate. But at tables where partiers could see their scraps piling up, they ate 27% less.
Pay attention to your body's signals as you eat, too. As soon as you start to feel full, stop eating, and give yourself a few minutes before you eat more.