Tips for Eating Savvy at Restaurants

Although it is usually best to prepare as much of one’s own food as possible, this is simply not practical in many situations. A vacation or a busy work week can result in the frequent need to eat out. Here are a few tips to help maintain a calorie controlled diet while you are on the go! (with pictures from my personal photo journal)

1. Choose a restaurant that serves healthy choices. It doesn’t have to be expensive – Subway will do just fine. Ask for nutritional information at the counter, as they will often have this available for your reading pleasure, but only if you ask for it. A restaurant like the one pictured above should generally be avoided!

2.  Actively consider ways to reduce the calorie count on the meal you’ve ordered. Dressings, for example, are often a substantial source of calories. Just one tablespoon of oil contains a whopping 135 calories, and many dressings have oil as their first ingredient! Order your dressing on the side and dip the tip of your fork in it – that is often all you need for the taste sensation!

3.  When coffee time rolls around after the meal, think twice about what you are adding to that otherwise calorie free drink. Many restaurant chains will only have sugar packets presented on your table, as sweetener often cannot be repackaged to match the branding of the restaurant chain and therefore doesn’t look as nice on the table as the branded sugar, salt, and pepper packages. Don’t hesitate to ask if there is sweetener available – they will most often be able to produce some for you.