Eating Out
We all enjoy eating out with friends, its easy and fun. So if you are trying to be healthy should you still go out to restaurants? Absolutely, you just have to make smart healthy choices.
Remember, if you only eat out once or twice a month then your healthy eating plan will cope if you indulge a little. But if you eat out often then use these tips to stay on track with your healthy eating plan:
Ten Top Tips
- Include fruits and vegetables in you menu choice
- Choose lean meats
- Skip the sugary soft drinks and alcohol and choose plain or sparkling water or diet soft drinks
- Choose a smaller serving size
- Check out the restaurant website before you go to see if they have any nutrition information
- Listen to your stomach, eat slowly and stop when you are full
- Share a dessert with a friend if you can't resist
- Ask for healthy options like no butter on the veggies, salad dressings on the side, most places are happy to help
- Plan before you go and choose a restaurant you know has healthy choices
- Why not walk to the restaurant?
| Cuisine | Choose these more often... | Instead of... |
| Asian | Clear soups
Braised meat dishes Stir fried vegetables Chop suey Nori rolls / sushi Steameddim sims Steamed rice |
Battered or fried meat dishes like honey chicken
Dishes made with coconut milk like laksa Satay dishes Fried dim sims or spring rolls Prawn crackers Soy sauce Fried rice |
| Bistro | Grilled fish or chicken or steak
Salad bars (choose the salads without dressing) Roast of the day Ask for vegetables without butter Always get vegetables or salad as a side Plain bread |
Crumbed or fried foods
Mixed grill Schnitzels Super sized steak Creamy sauces like garlic sauce Chips or wedges Garlic bread |
| Indian | Chicken/prawn masala
Tandoori Chicken Dahl Cucumber raita Roti Steamed rice |
Samosa
Curry puffs Creamy dishes like korma Butter chicken Pappadums Naan bread |
| Italian | Tomato based sauces like napolitana
Marina sauce Thin crust vegetarian pizza Vegetarian pasta with tomato sauce Small amount of parmesan cheese Ask for half the cheese on your pizza Plain bread |
Creamy based sauces like cabonara
Meat lovers pizzas Pepperoni or salami dishes Garlic bread |
| Mexican | Refried beans
Chilli con carne Soft taco, burrito or fajita with lots of salad Paella Salsa dip with fresh tortilla |
Chimichanga
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