Dining Out: Tips and Tricks
Here is a fact you may not know: children often consume more fat and calories when they eat in restaurants than when they eat at home.
Now, here is another fact: you can “upgrade” the meals your family enjoys at a favorite restaurant or when you are on the road. Here are some simple tips that will reduce the amount of fat and calories in favorite restaurant meals.
Go with what you know!
Choose restaurants where you know there will be healthier options. Many restaurants now offer healthy food choices for their patrons. Avoid “all you can eat” establishments.
Plan ahead!
Check out restaurant menus in advance to know what is offered and whether the restaurant offers healthy food choices. By planning ahead, you can avoid impulse choices that are often chocked with fat and excess calories. Some establishments even have their nutrition facts online.
Don’t be afraid to ask!
Often a waiter or waitress will know the healthiest options on the menu. Ask them what they would recommend if they were trying to choose a healthy entrée.
Don’t change your habits!
Remember to make the same choices for you and your family when dining out as you would when dining in your own home. Dining out shouldn’t be looked at as an excuse to splurge or forget all of your healthy eating habits.
Limit the snacking!
It’s hard when you’ve got a hungry family at the table, but try to control the snacking before the meal arrives. If possible, say no to the bread basket being put on the table. Avoid appetizers; opt for just your dinner entrée with a garden salad that includes dressing on the side.
Don’t clean your plate!
At the end of the meal you should always have a little food on your plate. Many people eat past the point of feeling “full.” Leaving that extra bit on the plate will reduce your calorie intake in the end.
Remember, “upgrading” your meal isn’t about depriving you and your family, it’s about making small changes that don’t sacrifice taste! All foods can fit into a well-balanced diet. Using just one or all of these tips will help you and your family work toward reducing your total calorie intake for the day without depriving anyone from dining out.
Portion Control
As portion sizes get bigger and bigger, its harder to determine what is the appropriate amount of food that you and your family should be eating, either at home or while dining out. Below is an easy to learn trick to determining the best portion sizes. This is even something fun you can teach your children!
Quick Tips for Breakfast:
When ordering breakfast...
Substitute turkey bacon or turkey sausage instead of pork bacon or sausage when available.
Choose an egg substitute when ordering an omelet or scrambled eggs.
Add a reduced-fat version of cheese for your omelet or breakfast sandwich. A number of cheeses are widely available in reduced-fat form, including cheddar, Monterey Jack, mozzarella, Swiss and American.
Use fruit spread instead of butter or margarine on toast.
Opt for sugar-free syrup when ordering pancakes or French toast.
Quick Tips for Lunch:
There are many ways you can “upgrade” sandwiches, salads and other lunch favorites...
Change the meat in sandwiches and salads to a nutrient-rich protein such as turkey, which is low in fat and calories, and is considered an excellent protein source. For example, opt for turkey bacon in a BLT.
Switch your hot dog or hamburger to a turkey dog or turkey burger. Both taste great and are much lower in fat and calories.
Change the bread on sandwiches to whole wheat instead of white bread. Although the number of calories won’t change, whole wheat bread is higher in fiber.
Ask for low-fat condiments and dressing on sandwiches and salads. For example, ask for light mayonnaise for your sandwich or opt for mustard. Or ask for low-fat dressings on the side so you can control the amount you add to the salad.
Quick Tips for Dinner:
There are also ways to “upgrade” dinner when you take the family out to eat...
Order a cup of vegetable soup, which is low in calories and provides a feeling of fullness.
Opt for a low-fat meat protein, such as turkey, as the entrée. Many restaurants serve turkey in a variety of ways, such as sliced turkey breast and in meatloaf or lasagna.
Pay attention to the descriptions on the menu. Dishes labeled deep-fried, pan-fried, basted, batter-dipped, breaded, creamy, crispy, scalloped, Alfredo, au gratin or in cream sauce are usually high in calories and sodium. Order items with more vegetables and choose a lean meat, such as turkey .
Pass on the bread and rolls if offered before or during your meal.
Special order. Many menu items would be healthy if it weren't for the way they were prepared. Ask for your vegetables and main dish to be served without the sauce. Ask for olive oil and vinegar for your salad or order a low-fat dressing "on the side" and spoon only a small amount on at a time. If your food is fried or cooked in oil or butter, ask to have it broiled or steamed.
Encourage family members to try vegetable and fruit side dishes instead of French fries.
Choose a baked potato and add salsa or yogurt instead of butter and sour cream.
Split an entrée with another family member.
*From the Lilly Diabetes Daily Meal Planning Guide. Originally adapted from: Warshaw, H.S., Kulkarni, K. Complete Guide to Carb Counting 2nd Edition. Alexandria, VA: American Diabetes Association, 2004; and Wondering How Much to Eat? Do the Hand Jive! Diabetes Spectrum 1999; 12:177-178.