Friday, April 3, 2009

The Dining Out Dilemma

Now, one of the biggest issues I run into when trying to eat healthy is dining out. I think having a social life revolves around food. Here are some tips to conquer your anxiety when dining out. If you know where you will be dining out, check to see if the restaurant has a website with nutritional stats posted. This way you can plan your meal and know what you will be eating.
  • A great website to find nutritional stats of local eateries is http://www.healthydiningfinder.com/. I also suggest going onto calorieking.com and typing in the restaurant name to see if you can find any nutritional stats.
  • Try to get a quick workout or some other form of cardio activity the day you will be going out. Don't forget, in WW you can swap Activity points for food!
  • Whatever you do, do not think you can not eat all day and save all of your points for dining out. PEOPLE, THIS WILL NOT WORK!! You will wind up over eating and consuming way more calories and fat during the day then you intended. Instead, fill up on fruit, veggies, lean protein and water throughout the day. This is great because you will use minimal amount of points and still be full.
  • When dining out, try to order lean meats or fish, which have not been breaded or fried. Also, try to steer clear of CREAMY sauces.
  • Portion distortion (more on this later), is a really big issue. Immediately ask for half of your food to be packed away to be brought home, this way you do not risk over eating.
  • Start your meal off with a clear broth soup if possible. This has minimal points and will fill you up. Also, stay away from the bread basket!!!

Do you guys have any dining out tips?

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6 comments:

  1. AnonymousApril 3, 2009 at 8:25 AM

    This is a huge problems for me! I appreciate your tips. btw, i just sent you an email.
    -Mohini

    ReplyDelete
  2. kanwal81April 3, 2009 at 8:28 AM

    Hey Mohini,

    I have more tips for dining out coming! Also, I'm responding to your email :-) I'm flattered you asked me for advice!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Dimple621April 3, 2009 at 9:22 AM

    My biggest problem is that I never know how many servings of something I have had. At home, I can at least measure it using a measuring cup.

    Dimple

    ReplyDelete
  4. AlkaApril 3, 2009 at 10:26 AM

    I usually order whatever I feel like and then I ask if they can subsitute steam veggies for rice or starch. I am huge seafood fan, so I usually go in that direction. I love pasta, so and occassionaly I give in, but I cut the portions out.

    My rule of thumb, never finish your plate! :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. kanwal81April 3, 2009 at 3:23 PM

    Hi Dimple,

    Always get atleast half of your food packed immediately. As you are doing WW you will realize that a serving of chicken should be the size of a deck of cards. Vegetables are 0 points, just make sure they are steamed and there are no added oils or butter.

    ReplyDelete
  6. kanwal81April 3, 2009 at 3:24 PM

    Hi Alka,

    Ordering steamed veggies in place of rice or starch is a great idea!

    When you order pasta, see if there is a Whole Wheat pasta you can substitue for.

    ReplyDelete

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