Good morning all. Now that restaurants are slowly opening and normality does not seem too far from us, I came up with the idea of giving some tips of remaining on track with your weight goals while eating out.
Some of you might be looking forward to getting your health and weight to how it was pre-covid. Does that mean you cannot eat a nice meal socially and not stay off those extra unnecessary carbs? Heck no !!
Tip 1: Check the menu online before going to the restaurant. This prevents you from making any quick rash decisions based upon what you smell and your hunger level.
Tip 2: Make sure you are the first to order from the whole table. It is proven that people are influenced also by what others eat and social mimicking can also happen at the dinner table.
Tip 3: In a restaurant giving out bread as a starter, unless you haven't ordered something yourself, avoid adding butter to bread, but better than that use oil if you have to.
Tip 4: When ordering drinks, bear in mind that drinks are empty calories and the higher the alcohol percentage, the higher the amount of calories. When ordering a glass of wine, go for half a glass or share a 1/2 bottle with a friend. If you fancy a spirit go for a gin and tonic, keeping you far away from any sugar filled drinks.
Tip 5: If dinner is Chinese or Asian, opt for an extra bowl of rice, rather than deep-fried wantons or spring rolls. This can save you a mere 500 cals just on appetizers.
Tip 6: When choosing a salad, do not assume the dressing is served on the side, so do request this. This gives you the liberty of knowing what you are eating.
Tip 7: Vegetable are a very healthy part of our dish, but when that veg bowl arrives and we realize we have an oil bowl more than a veg bowl, our level of disappointment rises. Always request boiled veg. You can always add on oil yourself!
Tip 8: When ordering meat, try to find a friend to share the portion with. You can also eat half and take the rest home. Meat takes forever to break down in the stomach so sharing is caring (for your digestive tract) :)
Tip 9: Go for soups which are broth based rather than cream based. Lest we forget soups are a very healthy starter or even main course.
Tip 10: DESSERT!! Please do not refrain from your dessert. Balance is key. You can always opt for a sorbet or frozen yogurt. Keep in mind restaurants are stocked up well with fruit, but it is usually not on the menu. No harm in asking :)
That's all from me today! I hope this serves well for tips to help you keep on track or to get the ball rolling!
