Eating Healthy While Dining Out

Have you ever wondered why the foods we eat in restaurants often taste so much yummier than the foods we make at home? Can it be true that food tastes better when you don’t have to do the dishes afterwards? That may be, but we can more likely attribute the delicious flavor to a high fat content. Unless a restaurant is particularly devoted to delivering healthy meals, they are generally using full fat ingredients that deliver the most savory flavors.

Restaurants today know that there are more people pursuing a healthy lifestyle and that there is a large market of potential customers who are trying to lose weight. Because of that, many restaurants are providing menu choices that offer low fat options. Weight conscious may be surprised by the different tastes offered in these dishes – lose the fat and you may lose the flavor.

One dieter who tried low fat meals at her favorite restaurant said “I never realized just how much fat and calories had to be in my favorite meals until I tasted something they called ‘low fat’. I have to admit, I miss the flavor that comes with all the fat.”

Learning to eat healthy will mean developing new tastes and enjoying more of the natural flavors in food without adding fats. Some basic changes you can embrace include:

Choose condiments and dips that are naturally low fat or fat free. Mayo and creamy dressings are very high in fat. Ketchup, mustard and some honey-mustard dressings are fat free.

Ask them to hold the cheese. You can cut quite a lot of fat just by leaving the cheese out of your dish.

Choose fresh steamed or roasted vegetables instead of french-fries, onion rings or potatoes.

Be careful about restaurant salads. There are many popular salads that have as much fat in them as a juicy cheeseburger. Choose a grilled chicken salad over a breaded chicken option.

Sip on a glass of water or cup of coffee for at least five minutes before deciding on dessert. Let your meal begin to reach your blood stream first. Then you’ll have a better indicator if you want anything else to eat.

Healthy Eating