restaurant quide

JShermm

I work in a restaurant so i eat out more than the average person. i have tried bringing in my own food, cutting portions in half, but I still need some help in this area. Maybe what to eat and what to stay away from. Needs New advice and helpful hints quick I am working all weekend :ohwell:

loveandprideforever

Other than cutting portions in half and possibly bringing your own (which you are already doing), I would suggest the same things that I suggest for anyone else. USE YOUR COMMON SENSE...don't get "deep fried/double fried/battered" ANYTHING, don't choose "Creamy" over broth. The usual. Also, ask if your meal can be cooked in water instead of oil, get dressings on the side, ask for "no sauce" or sauce on the side, and choose smart things. Get your bang for your calorie buck...for example, picking iceberg lettuce (with mostly water and not many/any nutrients) is not as thoughtful as choosing spinach leaves or a mixed greens salad that will give you a lot of nutrients for super low calories...that way you have calories actually coming from the salad rather than only the things that you put on it. Also, go easy on cheeses/melts/etc. It really is just using your "healthy mind". most of the time I find that people know what they should be doing. You don't have to starve yourself, as a matter of fact, ENJOY THE FOOD (or you'll never stick to it), but just use portion control and change the small things that you can (oil vs. water, beef vs. chicken -or meat at all-, enriched vs. whole wheat).
You can do this. Just use your head friend!

txjulie

I'm not sure what type of restaurant you work at but during college I worked at Pappasito's and gained more than a few pounds eating the free foods that they let us snack on in meetings & break (rice, beans, tortillas, butter, chips, salsa). I can only imagine how hard it would be to eat every few hours on a shift schedule like that. Sounds like you definitely need to pack some portion-controlled higher protein snacks. I can remember sometimes being stuck working open to close. If you get free meals for picking up shifts or playing a shift leader/headwaiter role, I would definitely try to get the healthiest thing you can find & figure out how to have it cooked even more healthy. No skin on chicken, no butter, etc. & avoid the stuff you know isn't good for you. It's hard bc you work around it all day but it can be done. Good luck!

Peyton115

I work at a restaurant over the summers and while it may be unrealistic for some, i never eat ANY of the food there. For me, having a blanket no on eating anything at my restaurant really helps me. I always bring my own food to eat and munch on, and when the rest of the staff is snacking on plates the cooks have left us I usually just try to find a task to keep me busy. If anybody ever asks me why I bring my own food or don't take any leftovers home I tell them the truth: I feel bad for taking food that I haven't paid for, I am wicked picky when it comes to what I like to eat, and you never know what leftovers the restaurant has... so I like to bring my own!