How To Remain Healthy When Eating Out

When you have been carefully preparing your meals and maintaining a healthy diet, the thought of eating at a restaurant again can be overwhelming. Eating a meal at a restaurant with friends or family is a great way to be social, and you can still do so whilst sticking to your diet.

Reading the menu before you go is a great way to ensure you make a healthy choice. Not all menus display the calories in each dish, but you’ll usually be able to find the nutrition information online, which can be helpful, particularly when you are calorie tracking.

Choose water over a fizzy drink. It’s a very simple way to reduce sugar intake. Similarly, if you are having alcohol with your meal, opt for a lower calorie option, like a spirit with tonic rather than wine or a cocktail which usually contain lots of sugar. 

Eat mindfully. We’re all guilting of wolfing down a particularly tasty dish but eating more slowly can stop you from overeating – plus it means you’ll take time to really savour the flavours of your meal!

Choose a restaurant which offers healthy options, or alternatively just ask! A lot of restaurants will happily swap out white rice for brown rice, if it’s available, or potatoes for a salad. Asking for sauce on the side is another great tip, that way you can add exactly how much you want to your meal.

Try, the emphasis on ‘try’ here, and resist the pre-dinner breadbasket! Now this can be very difficult, but ultimately it saves more room for your main and means you’ll enjoy it more when it does come!

Remember it’s okay to have a day off. Think of healthy eating as a lifestyle choice rather than a diet. You’re allowed to have days where you eat more or choose a meal that isn’t the most nutritionally beneficial but is the most tasty! It’s all about balance.