Complex menus with foreign options, processed foods made to sound like wholesome choices or even simple peer pressure can throw off your restaurant eating plan as well as your enjoyment. But in the end, healthy eating at restaurants is really a lot like healthy eating at home. It's much easier to do when you have all the facts on the foods you're choosing, plan ahead to avoid unhealthy pitfalls and keep things simple.
Know Your Facts
One simple way to eat healthfully at restaurants is to look up some facts about local menus before you choose which places you'll frequent. Stop in for a menu or view one online. Does it focus on certain ethnic preparations, or feature a lot of fried foods with gravy? Does it offer local farm products or fly in fresh fish daily? The answers to these kinds of questions will arm you with information you need to eat healthy outside the home. The availability of ingredient lists and nutrition information for restaurant dining is ever increasing. A bit of library or Internet research can turn up a host of information on restaurant foods, including calorie counts, nutrient data, portion sizes and more. For many chains and larger restaurants, reliable data may be available online. Dietfacts.com is one example with hundreds of links to restaurant food data for specific menu items.
Have a Plan
Once you know your facts, you can move on to another healthy way to eat at restaurants: be prepared. Having a plan for what you might order once you get there will help you avoid making impulse decisions based on what sounds good at the time. For instance, you can plan on ordering the steamed jumbo asparagus instead of the beer-battered asparagus fingers with hollandaise dipping sauce. The fried spears may sound good, but sticking with your plan makes it so much easier to choose healthy. If you can't find out much about the menu ahead of time, you can eat healthy in a restaurant by asking questions before you order, too. Consider specials of the day for their freshness and flavor, and ask about special menus for diabetics, allergies or any other selection that might not be advertised on the regular menu. Plan your order to satisfy your senses with bolder flavors, don't rush through courses and eat enough protein and vegetables to fill up before the dessert menu is suggested.
Keep It Simple
An easy rule to keep in mind is that the closer your selection is to its original form, the better chance it has of being a healthy option. When salad looks like leafy greens instead of a soggy pile topped with bread cubes and orange mayonnaise, you can easily identify the lettuce and pick the simpler presentation with confidence. Focusing on whole foods from the farm, garden or sea, prepared with minimal processing, is one of the healthiest approaches to eating you can have. Recognizing the desire for this kind of focus, dietitians and the National Restaurant Association launched a website service called Healthy Dining Finder. If you eat out often, you can increase your chances of finding a healthy meal in a restaurant wherever you are by using this site, which features dietitian-approved menus and a search engine for healthy options in various price ranges. Finally, whenever you order from restaurant menus, make sure you understand what is coming on your plate and how it's prepared. Ask questions, and remember, the more layers of food, sauces and toppings, the greater the chance your selection will include ingredients you don't want in your meal. Keep it simple.
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