How to Eat Healthy at a Family Restaurant

Eating out can be fairly devastating to someone who is dieting. There are so many choices first of all, but secondly, there are a lot of hidden ingredients that can make your so called healthy choice unhealthy. Here are some tips to help you eat healthy at a family restaurant.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. 
    

   Avoid the appetizers. Unless you are eating a plate full of fresh vegetables or fruit, it is best to avoid the appetizers. Chicken wings, baked potato skins, and fried mushrooms are very high in fat and calories. Fried mushrooms are 90% fat and 8% protein. You will also find you have a tendency to eat more through the course of the meal than you would if you didn't order the appetizer.

2. 
    

   Look for light selections. Many family restaurants have started offering lighter fares. Applebees, for example, has several items that are weight watcher friendly, including listing the points.

3. 
    

   Be careful with salads. Salads are commonly thought of as a healthy alternative to a full three course meal. However, it is very easy to consume more calories and grams of fat with a large chef salad than you will find in typical cheeseburger and fries. A popular website states that a chef salad could contain as much as a whopping 1000 calories.

4. 
    

   Stay away from the butter. When that bread basket hits the table in front of you, it is tempting to juggle one of the hot rolls and smear on the butter. However, a recent survey suggested that people who dip their bread in olive oil instead of using butter are more likely to eat less.

5. 
    

   Stay away from sauces. Many dishes have rich cream or butter sauces. If you are not ready to get rid of the sauces altogether, ask for it on the side if possible.

6. 
    

   Avoid soft drinks. There is an average of 27 grams of sugar in one cup of soda. Since very few restaurants have servings less than a cup and a half, you can quickly add up 50 grams of sugar. Water is always best, but iced or hot tea can be a nice change as well.

7. 
    

   Unless it is fresh fruit, avoid dessert. Several of the custom made desserts can be over 700 calories for one small piece of pie. If you must indulge, consider sharing with your dinner partner.

Tips & Warnings

• Search online for menus to popular family restaurants, such as Ruby Tuesday's, TGIF's, or Outback Steak House to see what food items they offer before your visit.
• Eat an apple before you go out. This will help you fill full before you choose something from a menu.
• Never go to a family restaurant on a totally empty stomach. You are more likely to indulge and regret it later.

Resources

• How to Eat Healthy in Restaurants - More Great Tips!

[writeitout]

on 12/10/2008 Good article, thanks for sharing.

[judlee]

on 12/10/2008 Thanks for the great tips---and for "friending" me. I'm new to ehow and have just a few articles up. You have quite a "catalog." I hope to read through many more.