Nutrition

14 Tips to Stay Healthy When Eating Out

Studies have linked eating out with poorer food choices and overeating. If you eat out often carefully, consider how it fits into your overall diet. We share 14 clever tips to help you stay healthy when eating out

Elara Care

Feb 27, 2022 • 5 min read

Before we dive into this post, it’s important to remember that enjoying food and eating out without worrying about calories is just as important as eating a healthy diet.

There will be times when you want to eat your favorite food for pleasure and not worry about whether they are going to slow down your progress.

Being flexible about your diet and food choices is linked with better overall health, weight management, and most importantly relationship with food.

If you’re following a healthy and balanced diet most of the time, enjoy dining out without worrying too much about your food choices.

With that said, studies have linked eating out with poorer food choices and overeating. So if you do it often (3+ times a week), carefully consider how it fits into your overall diet.

Following even just one of the tips below will help you practice mindful eating and stay on top of your health.

Making your meal selections ahead of going out, will help you make a choice more aligned with your health and goals than if you were to choose whilst surrounded by the smells and atmosphere of a restaurant.

It will also give you an idea of the nutritional value of your meals, ensuring you make choices that support your health.

2: Choose a high-protein main

Protein requires more energy to break down and will also help you feel satiated faster and for longer.

Choose dishes that are based on lean proteins like chicken, turkey, or sea bass. Avoid fattier cuts of meat like belly pork.

Watch out for battered and deep-fried dishes - even if the contents are lean (like chicken, fish, tofu, or vegetables) the coating means they will come with lots of extra fat and calories.

3: Order a glass of wine instead of a bottle:

Ideally, you should avoid drinking too much alcohol as they impact your hormones.

Moreover drinking alcohol before and during a meal has been shown to increase food consumption by around 25%.

Not to mention that alcohol is a depressant and will increase feelings of anxiety.

A way of ensuring that alcohol is kept under control during the meal is to opt for a glass of wine and alternate a sip of wine with a sip of water.

It will slow down your drinking and keep you hydrated.

A CSPI survey found that restaurants often serve two to three times more food than stated on the label list as a serving.

Make a point to take half of it home with you or share it with someone.

Not only will it stop you from over-eating it will also give you something to look forward to the next day.

5: Ask for it to be made the way you want

Don’t be shy to ask for the food to be prepared the way you want it. If an item is fried, ask for it grilled.

If it comes with french fries, ask for a side of veggies instead.

Ask for a salad instead of coleslaw; baked potato instead of fried.

6: Find out the nutritional information before you go

Whether you're familiar with the menu or not, take a few minutes to quickly check out the menu’s nutritional information.

You're more likely to make a healthier choice if you are aware of what you are eating.

For instance, ¼ chicken breast with regular fries at Nando’s comes at a whopping 876 calories - and that’s without a drink or coleslaw!

7: Try a few appetizers over the main

Studies show that people are more likely to overeat when they're served bigger portions.

Order two or three appetizers instead of a main for more variety and not go overboard with your calories.

8: Watch the add-ons to vegetable salads

Even salads that are mostly raw vegetables can be a problem if they’re loaded with additional ingredients like cheese, nuts, and meats which are generally high in fat.

Dressing on salads can also rank up to over 200 calories.

Ask for some of the ingredients and the dressing on the side so you can control how much of it goes in the salad.

9: Have a snack before you eat out

Arriving at the restaurant hungry is likely to influence what and how much you order.

10: Order your meal before everyone else

It’s easy to get influenced by other people’s choices.

Especially if you are feeling hungry. Order your meal before everyone else so you can stick to your plan.

11: Eat your meal slowly

Mindfully consuming your meal will make you feel fuller sooner but also avoid overeating due to distraction.

12: Drink plenty of water

Water can help to take up space in the stomach, leading to a feeling of fullness and reducing hunger.

A person may also think that they are hungry when they are thirsty. Drinking a glass of water before reaching for something to eat can help to curb unnecessary snacking.

In a 2014 studyTrusted Source, 50 overweight females drank 500 milliliters (mL) of water 30 minutes before breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in addition to their regular water consumption, for 8 consecutive weeks.

The participants experienced a reduction in body weight, body fat, and body mass index. They also reported appetite suppression.

13: Ask for the dressing on the side

Salad dressings can be deceitful. They are generously poured and can easily add 100-150 calories to a meal. Ask for your dressing on the side so you can choose how much you add to your food.

14: Think about your overall diet

If you are eating out once in a while, enjoy your meal freely. However, if you are eating out often, think about how each meal fits within your overall diet.

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring. Making just a few small changes will make a huge difference not only to your overall results but will also make you feel more in control of the situation.

15: Use technology to help you keep an eye on your overall health approach