10 Dieting Tips For Eating Out

By: Jamie Fusaro

Break Studios Contributing Writer

Learning the 10 dieting tips for eating out will help you immensely when you are on a diet but out with friends. So many people avoid restaurants like the plague when they are trying to lose weight. You can still visit your favorite haunts and not gain an ounce. Following the ten dieting tips for eating out will help you to accomplish this.

  1. Eat beforehand. One of the best of the ten dieting tips for eating out is to eat beforehand. Don't skip breakfast or lunch anticipating a big dinner. This will cause you to overeat foods that are higher in calories. Instead, eat some raw vegetables before going out and you will be less likely to splurge.
  2. Appetizer for four. Skip ordering the appetizer if you are going to be the only one eating it. Appetizers are typically high in calories, so unless you share it, you are sabotaging your meal. Order a shrimp cocktail for an appetizer that is low in calories and high in protein.
  3. Flavor your water. Squeeze some lemon in your water in order to rev your metabolism. Do this instead of drinking soda or beer, which both add empty calories, making them unnecessary.
  4. Send the bread away. So often we go out to eat and sitting on the table is a basket of bread. When you are hungry, your hand is going to automatically drift over to it and grab a piece. And more likely than not, you are going to smother it with butter or olive oil. You just added a minimum of 300 calories to your meal and for what? A carb fix while you decided on what you were ordering. Totally not worth the workout it will take to get that bread off of your thighs.
  5. Drink a little extra. Many people mistake thirst for hunger. This is why it is important to take in enough fluid throughout the day and especially during a meal. The water will fill you up and cause you to eat less making your meal one that is lower in calories.
  6. Steam your veggies. Many people choose sauteed vegetables as a side dish thinking they are being health conscious. This is not the case. One of the best ten dieting tips for eating out is to realize that the oils that your foods are cooked in are usually high in calories in fat. Ask your server to have your vegetables steamed and cooked with no oil. This is nothing new to them so don't worry about putting them out. That's what they are there for.
  7. Don't be shy. Don't hesitate to ask your server how something is prepared. Most chain restaurants will provide you with the nutritional information on your entree if you ask. You can find out if something is cooked in butter or oil and you can ask them to prepare your meal differently if need be.
  8. Keep it lean. Choose grilled chicken, fish or pork over fatty cuts of prime rib or pasta covered in cream sauces. These choices prevent you from turning your dinner date into a dining disaster. One of the ten dieting tips for eating out that you can't live without.
  9. Send back half. Practice portion control by getting half of your meal wrapped before you even begin eating. This will keep you from eating too much and you will turn one meal into two. You would be surprised at how satisfied you feel while only taking in half of the calories.
  10. Share dessert. The last of the ten best dieting tips for eating out is the most important. Don't add an extra calories to your meal by indulging in a dessert all by yourself. Also, don't skip it altogether and leave feeling deprived. Instead, order one dessert for the whole table and have a few bites. You can deal with an extra 250 calories a lot easier than 1200.

Resource:

Tips for Eating Out

Posted on: Apr. 24, 2010