Eat Healthy When Eating Out

The How To Eat Healthy When Eating Out

If you are trying to eat healthy, learning to eat healthy when eating out can be a bit of a challenge. After all, restaurants are full of high-fat and high-calorie dishes, not to mention out of control portion sizes. But that does not mean that you have to give up eating out entirely. Here are some tips to make sure that you can stick to your diet.

Watch Your Fat

One of the first things you need to know about how to eat healthy when eating out is how to watch your fats. Some fats are actually good for you. Monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats can help your heart by lowering cholesterol.

Fish is one of the best choices for these health fats, though you can also find them in walnuts and soybeans. Saturated fats are the ones that you have to watch out for. They can be found in dairy and meats, as well as oils like palm oil and in butter. The foods that are high in saturated fats are often high in cholesterol as well.

Certain kinds of dishes should be stayed away from when you are trying to cut back on fat. That includes anything that is fried, in a cheese or cream sauce, or coated in gravy. Ask for gravies and sauces on the side to help control portions.

Watch Your Salt

Another key to be able to eat healthy when eating out is watch the amount of salt, or sodium in your foods. Many restaurant foods can be packed with salt. Watch out for foods that are in broth, pickled, or smoked.

Also watch out for any foods that have cocktail sauce, MSG added, soy sauce, or teriyaki house. Some restaurants have heart healthy choices. These choices are often low in salt, as well as lower in fat and cholesterol. If the restaurant does not have these marked in the menu, ask your server about other options or if the chef would be able to make it with less salt.

Make Substitutions

If you want to eat healthy when eating out, you may have to make some substitutions to get the most nutrition out of your meal. See if the server will allow you to substitute a fresh fruit or vegetable for the usual French fries. Go for chicken and fish options that are baked or broiled instead of fried.

Ask for skim milk for your coffee in place of cream. If the restaurant does not allow substitutions, there are still some things that you can do to limit the amount of fat and sodium that you eat. Ask for them to hold the fries, remove skin from fried chicken, and avoid adding sugar, cream, butter, or salt to your food and drink.

Watch Your Portions

To eat healthy when eating out you also have to watch your portion control. Many restaurants pride themselves on their oversized dishes. Many of the meals have enough calories and fat for the entire day. So instead of eating it all yourself, take half home for another meal or share a meal with a friend.

Read more diet and weight loss related articles here

Latest lose weight news

Copyright © 2010 All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Lose Weight Reviews

You may not reprint articles from this website without the written permission of the site owner.

Disclaimer: Articles on this Website are provided for information purposes only. Loseweightreviews.com does not accept any responsibility or liability for the use or misuse of the article content on this site or reliance by any person on the site's contents.