While most health-conscious people often make a concerted effort to prepare and eat healthy foods at home, they may have some difficulty to eat healthily when they are away from home.
It’s always easy to be tempted to eat more than that’s necessary when eating at restaurants or attending social events and corporate functions that feature food prominently. Here are some tips to manage weight when eating out.
Drink Water before Meals
Sometimes, dehydration is mistaken for hunger, resulting in overeating. So have a glass of water first whenever the stomach seems to be hungry. If the hunger feeling is still present after 10 minutes, eat something. Drink some water before a main meal to help the stomach feel fuller and thus decreasing the appetite. This will help in making better food choices.
Choose Smaller Food Portions
Many restaurants now offer big servings to offer value to customers. However, eating big portions of food will do nothing to help reduce and maintain weight. Large portions contain more calories and fats and are much harder to digest. So it’s always wise to choose smaller food portions. A good portion of meat is about the size of the palm.
Alternatively, order a big serving of food to be shared between two people. Many restaurants also provide a children’s menu that many adults find suitable for them. Another way is to order a dish of the entrée size instead of the main meal size.
Ask for Dressings on the Side
Restaurant foods taste exceptionally great because they are often added with extra sugar, oil, cream, salt and dressings. But these can easily sabotage a healthy meal. When ordering food, ask for dressings on the side or have sauces and creams on separate saucers.
Chew and Eat Food Properly
A study done by researchers in Kingston revealed that women who ate slowly consumed almost 70% calories fewer per meal. That’s partly because chewing and eating food properly allows the body time for appetite-related hormones to kick in, letting the body know when it’s full. To eat food properly, chew slowly and count to five before swallowing. Another effective way is to put the knife and fork down after each bite.
Eat Smartly at Buffets
It’s crucial to eat smartly at buffets. Be very choosy of what to eat. It’s perfectly fine to skip the breads, rolls and butter. Go for the salads and vegetable dishes. Eat moderately portions of pasta or legumes, lean meat, chicken or fish. Use a smaller plate to avoid filling up too many dishes at one time. Skip the sweets and desserts too. Opt for healthy slices of fruits instead.
Avoid Alcohol if Possible
Alcohol is full of calories and can derail healthy eating plans easily. Avoid alcohol if possible during lunches. However, it may be hard to decline alcoholic drinks when entertaining clients and associates at dinner. The trick is to order a glass of water together with the alcoholic drink and then alternate the water and alcohol. Also, instruct the waiter not to refill the glass until it is completely empty.
Dining out is no excuse to eat unhealthily. To manage weight when eating outside the home, drink water before meals, choose smaller food portions, ask for dressings on the side, chew food properly, eat smartly at buffets and avoid alcohol if possible.
Found this article useful? Read also How to Prevent a Bloated Stomach, Portion Control Made Easy and Eat Right to Live Longer.
References:
Carlin, Daniel. “Dining out the Smart Way” in Fitness First magazine. Australia: Active Media Group, March/April 2009.
Amanda Clark. “Perfect Portion Control” in Women’s Health & Fitness magazine. Australia: Blitz Publications, October 2008.
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