We love eating out, too!
But we want to remind you why eating out too often could be what’s holding back from making the progress you’re striving for.
Even if you are trying to make the best possible choices with what you’re given, there are still no guarantees. We often underestimate the portions that go in to making our food.
When a restaurant creates a dish, they are not thinking about your waist line. They are trying to create palatable food that leaves you wanting more! This can mean lots of cooking oil, dressings, sauces, salt etc. Your favorite dish (even salads that are loaded with nuts & fruit etc) could easily be 1,000 calories in one sitting. If you tack on drinks and appetizers on top of it, you could be hitting a days worth of calories!
While we always tell our members to strive for balance, it’s worth taking a look at how often you are eating out. Try to limit as much as you can and make as much food at home as possible. On top of this, here are some quick tips to make better decisions while eating out:
- Ask for sauces and dressings on the side. Many dishes would be just as delicious without being loaded up on the dressings. By asking for them on the side, we can still enjoy our meal while having more control over portions.
- Choose grilled over fried. Even if the dish calls for fried chicken etc most restaurants will let you choose a grilled option instead.
- Skip the appetizers. Many appetizers can be just as many calories as a meal before you even get to the main course.
- Ask for veggies instead of fries. If your dish comes with fries or something else of the sort, try asking for a side salad or vegetables
- Take half home. Before you even eat your meal, ask for a to-go box to put half of your meal in. This is an easy way to watch your portions and not eat more than you intended to.
- Skip the sugar. If you’re going to drink alcohol, try choosing options that don’t include soda or juice. Vodka seltzer, light beer, wine etc are going to be options that don’t bring as many unnecessary calories.