Dining Out On A Diet: 5 Helpful Tricks For Staying On Track

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Dining out is always a fun and tasty experience. Unfortunately, it usually isn't a healthy one. If you are trying to eat healthy, you might think about skipping the restaurant dining experience altogether. The good news is that you don't have to. With just a few simple tweaks, you can easily have the best of both words: tasty restaurant food and a healthy diet.

Here are five helpful tips to help you eat healthier when dining out:

1. Plan Ahead

You can save yourself a lot of calories by simply planning ahead. Instead of visiting a restaurant that is known for its fatty foods or large portions, consider visiting a restaurant that offers up healthy fare. A lot of restaurants today are jumping on the healthy food bandwagon, so it shouldn't be too hard to find a local dining spot that offers healthy or organic foods.

2. Portion Control

Another way to ensure you are eating healthier when dining out is to control your portions. Restaurants will often offer up very large portions. Sometimes, the portions are big enough to feed you multiple times. If that is the case, consider getting a to-go box at your table. Split your food into two or three portions and only eat one of them. You can save the leftovers for another meal or offer them to a friend or family member.

You can also control portion sizes by ordering off the kid's menu. If nothing on that menu sounds tasty, consider ordering an appetizer or something off the side menu. These items are smaller, which will help you stay on track.

3. Get More Vegetables

If you are ordering a pasta or meat dish, consider asking the waiter for extra vegetables. Oftentimes, vegetable sides in restaurants aren't very big. To save yourself some calories, ask for extra vegetables and eat those first. This trick is simple, but very effective.

4. Skip Bread and Chip Baskets

A lot of restaurants will offer up bread or chip baskets to customers while their food is being prepared. While this is a nice gesture, it is often unnecessary. The baskets might be tasty, but they are calorie-laden and unhealthy. So simply skip eating these treats before your meal comes. You can simply ignore these treats on your table, or ask your waiter to skip bringing them to you.

5. Know The Terms

Menus typically use a variety of words to describe a dish. Some dishes you should avoid probably have words such as crispy, sautéed, pan-fried, or creamed in their descriptors. While these foods are good, they typically contain a lot more fats and salts, so it is best to skip them. Instead, look for menu items that contain the words grilled, steamed, baked, or roasted; as these items will likely be a little healthier.

As you can see, dining out doesn't have to ruin your healthy diet. With these tips and some mindful thinking, you can easily enjoy dining out at places like Campbell River Riptide Marine Pub Grill & Catering without packing on the pounds.

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12 January 2016