Basic guidelines when eating out healthy

These few basic rules will make it easier to maintain your diet and weight loss goals even when you are out for the night. Guidelines where written by helpguide.org.

1. Order it to go – Studies show that people tend to consume more food when they are not eating at their own kitchen tables. When you take fast food home, you also have the option of providing a healthier side dish such as fruit or vegetables.
2. Buffets are a no no – All-you-can-eat buffets promote overeating. If the temptation isn’t in front of you, you are less likely to overindulge.
3. Make right menu selections – Many restaurants indicate healthy choices on their menus, and most sit-down places will modify menu items on your request. Additionally, fast food restaurants now offer a wider range of healthy choices and most will provide nutritional information on all of their offerings by request. Knowing how food is prepared can be a good indication of whether it will work with your diet or ruin it. Main courses which have been baked, broiled, roasted, poached or steamed will be healthier than anything fried. Salads with plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and lighter dressings will be better than salads with croutons, cheeses, meats and heavy dressings.
4. Special order – Most restaurants have plenty of things that are good for you, but they are served in heavy sauces. Ask for your vegetables and main dishes to be served without the sauces. Ask if things are fried or cooked in oil or butter – if they are, see if you can order them in a more healthy way. Many restaurants, even fast food restaurants are happy to accommodate your requests.
5. Pay attention to portion size – At a typical restaurant, a single serving provides enough calories for at least two meals. Portion sizes at restaurants are usually double or triple what a person would normally eat so it is important to keep that in mind when ordering and eating. If it is possible to order a smaller portion (often called ‘half sizes’), that will help eliminate the temptation to overeat. If you can’t order smaller portions, it is a good rule of thumb to leave at least one-third to one-half of the meal on your plate. Or, separate your meal before you start eating so that you create a distinction between what you are going to eat in the restaurant and what you want to take home. Ordering something that will reheat easily will provide you with a delicious lunch or dinner the next day.
6. Share – Sharing entrees, appetizers and desserts with dining partners is a great idea. It allows you to sample something that you really want to have while also helping you avoids the temptation to overindulge. If you are sharing with a friend or your partner, your portion size is automatically reduced and there is less available to eat. It is still important to make good menu choices, but sharing might make dessert (or something else indulgent) more of an option.
7. Put sauce and dressing on the side – If you ask for sauces and dressings on the side, you can control the amount that you eat. Often you can use less than is normally used and still enjoy the same taste.
8. Remember your goals – Think of eating out in the context of your whole diet. If it is a special occasion or a fun social occasion and you know you want to order your favorite meal at a nice restaurant, cut back on your earlier meals that day. Moderation is always key, but planning ahead can help you relax and enjoy your dining out experience without sacrificing good nutrition or diet control.

With careful selections, eating out does not have to make you feel guilty. As food chains are moving towards having healthier selection on their menus, you can to move towards making better choices on what you order.

 

When your out with your family use these tips to help make right selection on which food to order.

 

Here are a couple more tips to keep when ordering:

1) Opt for grilled, broiled or steamed entree’s over fried. Chicken, turkey and fish are leaner than ground beef.

2) Say no to special sauces, cheese, mayonnaise and bacon; they’ll pack on the calories, fat and cholesterol.

3) Order regular or junior meals instead of super size meals. If you have a big appetite, include a side salad with low-cal dressing.

4) Pick up a salad. Leafy greens, veggies and beans are great but be frugal with bacon bits, cheese, mayonnaise-based salads and creamy dressings. Avoid fried tortilla shells.

5) Hold the dressing in exchange for dessert–creamy salad dressings have more calories and fat in a single serving than a large cookie.

6) Drink water, skim milk or unsweetened iced tea instead of soda.

7) Expand your definition of fast food: sub sandwiches or wraps with lean meat (no cheese, no mayo), burritos (no cheese, no sour cream), Greek kebabs or pitas, and Japanese bento boxes (ask for low-sodium soy sauce) are tasty, convenient alternatives to the usual burgers and fries.

Stock up on “fast food” while grocery shopping: cottage cheese, yogurt, minicarrots (peeled and washed), and fresh fruit.

A couple extra tips just for the heck of it.

1. Watch portion sizes. Your craving will likely be satisfied after you have finished a small order of fries, and you’ll save over 100 calories when compared with the supersized order. The same holds true for sandwiches. Order the regular version or even a kid’s meal for yourself.

2. Seek out deli-style fast food chains where you can order a sub or sandwich on whole wheat bread or a wrap, a lower-fat and lower-calorie option than fried food.

3. Many fast food chains now offer healthy sides in place of the ubiquitous French fries. Take the healthy option. Or, if you can’t bear to give up the grease and salt, get the healthy side order too.

4. Always order a side salad when eating at traditional fast-food outlets. You will be less likely to fill up on only the unhealthy items, and the salad will provide some fiber and vitamins to balance an otherwise unhealthy meal.

5. Remember that chicken isn’t always a healthy choice. Many fast food chains offer fried breaded chicken sandwiches on white bread that are actually richer in fat and calories than a burger. Grilled chicken is a better option.

6. Make it a habit to eat a piece of fruit, a bowl of cereal, or some lowfat yogurt before you set out to run errands. Regular eating can help you feel full and avoid temptation.

7. Stock your car with bottled water and healthy snacks. Have a small snack before the cravings hit, and you’re less likely to pull into that drive-through fast food outlet.

8. Consider a supermarket for your fast food break. You can pick up precut and washed fresh fruit or vegetables, yogurt, or lowfat cheese. Many supermarkets also offer sushi or other healthy prepared items.

9. Hold the mayo. A tablespoon of regular mayonnaise has almost 100 calories!

10. Don’t add a sugary, calorie-rich drink to an already unhealthy meal. Water is available everywhere and is good for you. Drinking a large glass of water with your meal will help you feel fuller earlier.

These healthy fast food tips for eating correctly were brought to you by ehow.com.

 

Take heart. Healthy eating at a fast food restaurant is possible.

Here are some tips:

• Skip the extras on your burger. Don’t go for the sauces, cheese or bacon. Instead choose lettuce, tomato and onion. Your best bet, however, is to not eat hamburgers at all or eat them only occasionally.
• Don’t order foods with the words “double,” “ultimate,” “big” or “monster.” Fast food restaurants have new products using these terms. Skip them or you’ll be munching a monstrous dose of calories and fat.
• Ask for a salad instead of fries. Use low-calorie or nonfat dressing and don’t add Chinese noodles or tortilla chips.
• Choose salads that have lots of greens. A Caesar salad is a good choice. (You don’t have to use the Caesar dressing that comes with it.) Also look for salads with veggies such as broccoli or tomatoes.
• Order nonfat milk or water instead of soda.
• Instead of a burger, get a baked potato. Just don’t load it with sour cream, butter or cheese. Ask for these on the side and use sparingly.
• Choose grilled or broiled foods. Many restaurants offer grilled chicken either on a salad or as a sandwich. Some even offer deli-style turkey. These can be tasty and a leaner alternative to burgers. Just don’t order them smothered in cheese or creamy sauces.
• If you choose a fast food pizza restaurant, opt for hand-tossed or thin-crust pizza, avoid meat toppings, and eat only one or two slices.
• Get the fruit cup, which some restaurants offer to go along with meals or in kid’s meals.
• Skip the yogurt parfait. These can be loaded with calories.
• Chew your food slowly. It takes 10 to 15 minutes for your brain to register that your body is full. Don’t feel compelled to eat everything.
• Ask for Nutrition Facts information from the restaurant. The store should either have them posted or have a brochure. You can also check the restaurant’s Web site.