Many restaurant meals are filled with calories and fat. To make eating out less harmful to your health and waistline, UGA experts offer these strategies:
- Know what you want before you go. Decide what you plan to eat before you go and order first so you will not be tempted by what your companions choose.
- Have it your way. Request that a menu item be prepared differently, like grilled instead of fried or without added salt. Sauces and condiments like ketchup, mustard or mayonnaise can often be omitted or served on the side. Some restaurants now have healthy substitutions including steamed vegetables or salad with low-calorie dressing.
- Curb a ravenous appetite. Eat a snack an hour before dining out.
- Share a meal. Skip large portions by dividing a meal onto two plates or taking extra food home.
- Fill the doggie bag before you eat. Have the take-home container brought when the entrée arrives and fill it before you dig in so it will be easier to control intake.
- Pack a meal from home. Bring leftovers, a lower-calorie frozen entrée, a hearty soup or stew, salads or even a sweet or Irish potato that you pop in the microwave. Doing this will not only help you save calories and money, but will give you some time to enjoy a walk before your lunch break is over.