Diet When Eating Out
Do you love eating out but need to stick to your diet? Every time you surf the Web, watch TV, or flip through a magazine, you'll likely see some advert for all types of low-fat, reduced-fat, and no-fat foods. While these products can help you to maintain your weight-loss program, how about when you're dining at restaurants? Here are some helpful tips to eat light when eating out:
1. Keep away from sodas like the plague
If you must drink a sweetened drink, then freshly brewed iced tea with a little sugar is an excellent choice. Fruit juices and smoothies are even better, if they're fresh and light on milk and sugar. Water is also an excellent choice, since it has no calories and causes your stomach to feel fuller, faster.
2. Have your veggies steamed
This will help them to retain more nutrients. The more you cook veggies, the more vitamins, minerals, and enzymes they lose. So al dente is the best way to prepare them. And have the cooks lightly season the vegetables, rather than smothering them with heavy sauces.
3. Leave dessert
Unfortunately, it's really difficult to find low-fat desserts in restaurants. If you absolutely, positively must have your just desserts, then order fresh fruit whenever possible. Did you know that the net calorie total of many fresh fruits is negative? In other words, your body uses more calories to digest the fruits-than the fruits themselves have!
4. Eat a salad before the main course
While salads are typically healthy, they cease to be rabbit food when they're loaded with bacon bits, croutons, cheese, and the worst culprit-heavy, creamy dressings. Instead, go with the basics, including:
* bell pepper
* carrot
* cucumber
* lettuce
* olive
* onion
* tomato
A light vinaigrette dressing is an excellent choice, since it's delicious yet low in calories and fat.
5. Buy small or children's sizes at fast food restaurants
While fast food generally isn't healthy, you could eat it once a month if you keep the total calories and fat down. Order a junior-sized grilled burger-with lots of fresh veggies and hold the mayo. A chicken burger is even better! If you want fries, get a small size that's unsalted. And if possible, replace soda with a fruit drink or water.
6. Avoid fatty meats
This begins with the type of meat that you order. Health experts suggest that you shouldn't eat red meat more than two or three times a month-so generally you should go with white meat instead. Regardless of whether the meat is red or white, make sure that the cut is lean. And if you order chicken, eat it skinless.
What about the preparation? Stay away from having the meat fried and sauted, and instead choose meats that are baked, broiled, boiled, grilled, or steamed. And of course-avoid heavy dressings that can add tons of calories and fat to the food.
While it may seem like an impossible mission, you can certainly keep on your diet when eating out. These tips can make the dining experience of dieters guilt-free!
1. Keep away from sodas like the plague
If you must drink a sweetened drink, then freshly brewed iced tea with a little sugar is an excellent choice. Fruit juices and smoothies are even better, if they're fresh and light on milk and sugar. Water is also an excellent choice, since it has no calories and causes your stomach to feel fuller, faster.
2. Have your veggies steamed
This will help them to retain more nutrients. The more you cook veggies, the more vitamins, minerals, and enzymes they lose. So al dente is the best way to prepare them. And have the cooks lightly season the vegetables, rather than smothering them with heavy sauces.
3. Leave dessert
Unfortunately, it's really difficult to find low-fat desserts in restaurants. If you absolutely, positively must have your just desserts, then order fresh fruit whenever possible. Did you know that the net calorie total of many fresh fruits is negative? In other words, your body uses more calories to digest the fruits-than the fruits themselves have!
4. Eat a salad before the main course
While salads are typically healthy, they cease to be rabbit food when they're loaded with bacon bits, croutons, cheese, and the worst culprit-heavy, creamy dressings. Instead, go with the basics, including:
* bell pepper
* carrot
* cucumber
* lettuce
* olive
* onion
* tomato
A light vinaigrette dressing is an excellent choice, since it's delicious yet low in calories and fat.
5. Buy small or children's sizes at fast food restaurants
While fast food generally isn't healthy, you could eat it once a month if you keep the total calories and fat down. Order a junior-sized grilled burger-with lots of fresh veggies and hold the mayo. A chicken burger is even better! If you want fries, get a small size that's unsalted. And if possible, replace soda with a fruit drink or water.
6. Avoid fatty meats
This begins with the type of meat that you order. Health experts suggest that you shouldn't eat red meat more than two or three times a month-so generally you should go with white meat instead. Regardless of whether the meat is red or white, make sure that the cut is lean. And if you order chicken, eat it skinless.
What about the preparation? Stay away from having the meat fried and sauted, and instead choose meats that are baked, broiled, boiled, grilled, or steamed. And of course-avoid heavy dressings that can add tons of calories and fat to the food.
While it may seem like an impossible mission, you can certainly keep on your diet when eating out. These tips can make the dining experience of dieters guilt-free!
