Best eating out

Meggen327

Any thoughts on staying healthy while eating out? Avoid alcohol- check.
No bread- check
Anything else. Being an empty nester now my husband LOVES to eat out a lot. Killing my waist line.

cityruss

Don't get run over on your way.

Other than that eat drink and be merry within your calorie and macronutrient limits. This includes bread and alcohol.

livingleanlivingclean

Swap chips/fries/potato for salad or steamed vegies

Avoid pasta/rice based dishes, have tomato based sauces not cream based sauces.

Go for grilled instead of fried

Have dressings on the side

Add chicken to a salad

Poached eggs for breakfast - less fat than fried, or scrambled. Egg white omelette if they have it.

If you know you're going out for dinner, stick to lower fat, lower carb meals during the day - I find restaurant meals to often be lacking in protein (unless you're getting a steak)...


(not saying you can't eat what you like, but if it is a regular thing, I understand how it could be difficult to control!)

crzycatlady1

Meggen327 wrote: »

Any thoughts on staying healthy while eating out? Avoid alcohol- check.
No bread- check
Anything else. Being an empty nester now my husband LOVES to eat out a lot. Killing my waist line.

Why no bread?

I eat out several times a week and I just check the restaurant's website ahead of time to find low calorie options. And be wary of salads-many restaurant ones are calorie bombs!

crzycatlady1

livingleanlivingclean wrote: »

Swap chips/fries/potato for salad or steamed vegies

Avoid pasta/rice based dishes, have tomato based sauces not cream based sauces.

Go for grilled instead of fried

Have dressings on the side

Add chicken to a salad

Poached eggs for breakfast - less fat than fried, or scrambled. Egg white omelette if they have it.

If you know you're going out for dinner, stick to lower fat, lower carb meals during the day - I find restaurant meals to often be lacking in protein (unless you're getting a steak)...


(not saying you can't eat what you like, but if it is a regular thing, I understand how it could be difficult to control!)

Some restaurants offer lower calorie pasta dishes though. We went to Fazolis on Saturday night and I had one of their 'light' meals, chicken, mushroom Alfredo bake, and it's under 500 calories. Paired it with two bread sticks (300 calories) and had a nice pasta dinner for around 800 calories

Need2Exerc1se

Go for grilled or baked over breaded and/or fried.
Lower calorie veggie sides over potatoes
Leaner meats like fish or loin instead of fattier meats like ribeye
vinaigrette dressing on the side for salads instead of creamy dressings pre-added

Sabine_Stroehm

We eat out a lot.
I tend to avoid the bread (not worth the calories for me, and tends to make me want to over indulge).
I tend to look for a protein/veg combo without a lot of sauce etc.

salmon caesar salad (minus the crappy croutons) is a go to for me.
And wine.

LulaicaLoses

Half meals ahead of digging in. I've been getting into the habit of either asking for things halves that easily can be done (for example, the Jimmy John's sandwich I had Saturday evening) or asking for a to-go box with my meal so I can half it after doing my photos.

Also, look for lighter options (or, turkey and veggies are most likely going to be lighter than sausage or brisket and potatoes at a BBQ joint). A lot of restaurants (especially chains) offer nutrition information on their websites, so when possible, plan ahead. And don't be afraid of the skinny menus. I've been ordering from that section quite a bit more, and have been mostly happy with my choices.

lemurcat12

It really depends on the restaurant and how many calories you have budgeted.

I avoid bread on the table, mostly, because I don't think it's worth it (I'm not a huge bread person anyway) and I'm only ever tempted to eat it because it's there before the food. At an Indian or Ethiopian place, obviously I have bread with my meal, however -- I specifically budget in room for naan at an Indian place because I love it, would rather skimp on rice and go less often than cut out naan.

I also get pasta when I want it -- go for options with vegetables and a lighter sauce, normally, and if it's a place that has overly large portions I eat only part (and decide before I start eating what is reasonable).

Went out on Saturday and got a pork chop with various vegetables plus roasted sweet potatoes on the side with a sauce involving peaches. Sauce wasn't too heavy seeming, but with restaurants I always assume and budget for extra butter, and the pork chop was huge so I took half home and had a second meal.

Sabine_Stroehm

lemurcat12 wrote: »

It really depends on the restaurant and how many calories you have budgeted.

I avoid bread on the table, mostly, because I don't think it's worth it (I'm not a huge bread person anyway) and I'm only ever tempted to eat it because it's there before the food. At an Indian or Ethiopian place, obviously I have bread with my meal, however -- I specifically budget in room for naan at an Indian place because I love it, would rather skimp on rice and go less often than cut out naan.

I also get pasta when I want it -- go for options with vegetables and a lighter sauce, normally, and if it's a place that has overly large portions I eat only part (and decide before I start eating what is reasonable).

Went out on Saturday and got a pork chop with various vegetables plus roasted sweet potatoes on the side with a sauce involving peaches. Sauce wasn't too heavy seeming, but with restaurants I always assume and budget for extra butter, and the pork chop was huge so I took half home and had a second meal.

Good point about taking half home. In North America anyway. Taking half home is a great option. We eat at Bravo often, (one of the few chains we visit regularly) and hubs orders food and a to go box.

http://www.bravoitalian.com/index.html

I eat from their "lighter" menu.