EATING WELL WHEN EATING OUT

By Vegan Victoria, Certified Nutrition Consultant

I love eating out. It’s such a treat to get a break from shopping, cooking and cleaning up the dishes.  But the downside is I have very little control about exactly what is in the food I’m eating.  And this might not be shocking news, but a restaurant’s goal is not to keep their customers healthy.  Their goal is to keep their customers coming back.  And they do that by serving delicious food, that may not be as healthy as we’d like.

So what’s a health-conscious diner to do?

1) First of all, focus on your companions, not the food.  I usually dine out to enjoy time with friends and family.  I don’t look at going to a restaurant as an excuse to stuff my face with anything whipped up by the chef.  So the focus of my restaurant experience is the people I’m with, not just the meal.

2) Use the menu as a list of options.  Since each dish is individually prepared, don’t be afraid to ask the waiter about making changes.  I might see a salad I really like but it has bacon.  And there’s another dish that includes black beans.  So I’ll ask to have the salad without the bacon and with a sprinkling of black beans instead.  And having salad dressing on the side can prevent your lettuce from swimming in oil, which is a pet peeve of mine.

3) Be aware of portion size.  Restaurants tend to super-size their dishes.  One way to combat that is to get an appetizer instead of a main course.  You can also split a main course with someone.  Or if you really want a regular-sized dish, cut it in half before you dig in, and push that aside to put into a take-home container.

4) Focus on vegetables.  I’ve even occasionally ordered a few side orders of vegetables, preferably prepared without oil, as my main course.  I might get a couple strange looks and a few concerned remarks about whether that will be enough for me.  But it’s often quite filling and satisfying.  And that makes it less likely that I will be tempted to order a rich, decadent, calorie-laden dessert.

5) Stay away from the bread basket.  It’s ok to say thanks but no thanks to the bread basket, or keep it away from your side of the table.  And if you really want to treat yourself to a piece of bread, try to avoid the butter, oil or creamy spread.

6) Forgive yourself if you slip up.  There are times that, even with the best of intentions, I end up eating something that I regret.  But instead of beating myself up with guilt, I simply try to learn from my mistakes.   I’ll assess the situation and figure out what I can do better the next time I eat out.  And there will definitely be a next time!