One of the most common New Years Resolutions is to begin a new diet in the new year. And why not? It’s January 1st, the year is starting over, why shouldn’t our diets do the same. Seems like an appropriate time to begin a new diet. However, one of the hangups some people run into when dieting is, what to do when you have to eat out. You aren’t making your food, how do you stick to your diet in a restaurant. Below are some dieting tips that are sure to help you when you find yourself in that situation.
*Partnered post, in collaboration with Alexandr Fallan
What to Order In a Restaurant When You Are on a Diet
Everything will depend on the type of restaurant that you visit. What you would do in an Italian restaurant is not what you would follow in a Japanese restaurant. However, you can write down some general guidelines to help guide you when attempting to order healthier food options in a restaurant. In addition, today there are many healthy restaurants that opt for a menu that contains seasonal ingredients, light, organic dishes, vegan recipes. Remember, it is always better to order a single plate that contains low-calorie or fat-burning foods. For example, something you may find on the Olive Garden Gluten Free menu, rather than snacking because you may lose control of the amounts of foods and calories ingested.
So You Have to Ask
Although there are many restaurants that offer caloric information about their dishes on the menu, it is not a very widespread trend. Don’t be afraid to ask for that information, or look to see if the restaurant has a website with the nutritional information available. However, if you do not know the exact calories in the dish you are going to eat, there are a dieting tips you can use to help you not trigger yourself to overeat.
Have a Light Snack Before
Don’t make the mistake of arriving at the restaurant ravenously hungry. It is much better to eat something light before you go. If you are planning on choosing something from the Runza menu, a light skim milk yogurt will help reduce your food cravings and help you ingest an adequate amount at the restaurant.
Beware of “Complimentary” Appetizers
If, while you are waiting, they offer you an appetizer, on the house, like toast with pate or any other individual appetizer, kindly decline. Once it is on the table, it will be difficult to avoid the temptation.
If you are having Buffalo Wild Wings Keto snacks to share, it will often come with something like potato chips. It will be much easier for you to not snack on the chips if you have followed the previous tips. Check out these Keto fast food options.
Get Sauces and Dressings on the Side
Sometimes, when you order a salad from say, the Taco Villa menu, you think you’ve chosen the lightest option. However, when they bring it out, you quickly see that it is dressed with a generous amount of oil or with a sauce that is not exactly the lightest. To avoid situations like this, always ask for the sauce or dressing to be served separately on the side. Especially if you order any of the Burger King gluten free items.
The Second Course
It is recommended that you order a protein dish, accompanied by a salad, grilled vegetables, or a baked potato (if you do not say anything, it is normal that a dish may be accompanied by fried potatoes).
Try to be Vigilant with Sausages, Creams, Fried Foods, and Refined Cereals (Pasta, Bread, White Rice…)
Making an effort to skip some of the meals you routinely eat in order to subtract calories from everything you eat later on, can lead you to go into your next meal hungry and anxious. So often that translates into you making worse choices, and then, as a result, feeling guilty afterward. Likewise, choosing to skip a meal like dinner because you made poor choices earlier in the day, often leads to eating even worse in the evening, or eating as if a lion were inside you the next day at breakfast.
Dieting Tips Review
All in all, I hope these dieting tips help you. Remembering to not go out to eat when you are starving is usually the number one way you can start out making good choices. It’s kind of like that saying, “don’t go grocery shopping when you’re hungry”…the same holds true with eating out! Likewise, once you are at the restaurant, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Not only are you paying for the meal, but it’s your body that the food is going into. Ask all the questions you need to be sure you are making the best choice for you. What other dieting tips for eating out do you have? Leave a comment with what helps you!
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