Navigating a Restaurant Menu

Americans spend a greater percentage of their food budget eating in restaurants than ever before. Some experts believe that this has contributed to the ongoing rise in overweight and obesity rates. One thing is for sure, navigating a restaurant menu is one of the biggest challenges we face when trying to successfully manage our weight!

Fat, salt and sugar taste yummy and that’s why those ingredients are served up in abundance in chain restaurants across the country. Ethnic foods are often altered to suit our tastes as well, making the American versions less healthy than traditional fare.

However, we can still enjoy dining out if we apply these simple calorie-saving strategies every time:

Whenever possible, research the menu. Go online and call with questions. Make your decision about what you’ll order before you go out - when you are not hungry. Don’t even open the menu when you get there!

Start with the salads. What types of greens are offered? What additional veggies are on the salads? Next, look at the side dishes. What veggies are available here? Lastly, check out the appetizers, keeping an eye out for small portions of lean proteins like shrimp cocktail or grilled chicken skewers.

Set a goal to eat a minimum of 3 full cup servings of veggies whenever you go out. If a fruit or veggie is on the menu in some form or another, it is prepped in the kitchen and can be served up just the way you like it. All you really have to do is ask. Pick your ingredients from the salads and sides (you can check out the entrees, too, for additional ingredients), create your own veggie meal and add an appetizer portion of lean protein.

Always order sauces and dressings on the side (as well as nuts, cheese and dried fruits). Beware of the trend to smother a healthy low-calorie salad with extra fat, salt, and sugar disguised as “healthy” glazed pecans and dried cranberries.

If you are dining with friends who enjoy sharing, order a few different salads and sides and split entrees. Look for white fish, shellfish, and poultry - baked, broiled or grilled - and ask for these to be prepared without oil or butter. Try vegetarian proteins like tofu and beans. Avoid all items with the words fried, battered, crusted and crispy - unless crispy refers to fresh veggies.

This may sound like a lot of fuss - but one meal out can make a big difference in your whole week. The average meal at a chain restaurant will cost you around 1,500 calories! (And that’s without drinks and dessert!) Let’s say you work hard to create a calorie deficit of 400 calories each day - Monday through Thursday - so Friday you deserve a little reward, right? A cocktail and an entree later, all your calorie savings is spent.

So, the last, best strategy? Eat at home before you go out. Make the fun about your family and friends, so food is not the entertainment. When it’s time to step on the scale this week, you’ll be really glad you did!
 

by luv2run on 03/11/2013 | Share Story With a Friend

tags: Weight-Loss, planning, strategies