Everyone enjoys a meal out every now and then right? Well being on a ‘healthy eating/clean eating’ plan doesn’t have to stop you enjoying your meals out, you just have to make smart choices. It can be hard with such a huge amount of choices on where to eat out and it can difficult to control your options (friend has organised a dinner and it’s not somewhere you would’ve chosen), and even worse, sometimes all the ingredients aren’t listed on the menu. These days, most restaurants have a website, which can also include their menu. If you want to be prepared, you may want to check it out. Or if you get to choose the restaurant it could be great help in choosing a healthy one! One of the main issues with some restaurants and eating out, is portion size – whether that be what you have been served up, or you decide to have 3 courses, rather than 2! Here are some tips to help making eating out healthy!
Some general guidelines:
- Swap chips for salad or vegetables
- Skip the bread basket
- Ask for dressing on the side
- Don’t order anything that is deep fried! If you wanted to, you could always ask them if it’s possible to pan fry or grill instead.
- Don’t be shy to ask questions about a meal or take/swap something over. Most places are happy to help.
- If you are going to have 3 courses – share and entree & desert with someone, or have 2 entrees – one for entree and one for main
- You don’t have to eat everything on your plate. Remember to eat slowly and chew your food. When you are full, stop!
- It’s not just what you eat that you have to be mindful of, it’s also what you drink when you are out! If you are going to have a glass of wine, enjoy it with a meal. Make sure you drink lots of water throughout the night as well. Moderation remember!
Another thing to remember is if you are only eating out 1-2 times a week, you could use those outings as your ‘treat meals’. I recommend you only be ‘good’ 80/90% of the time. You do need to enjoy a few treats every now and then, so you know that you aren’t missing out on anything. Just plan your ‘treat’ meals, look forward to them! But also, one of the key things is to listen to your body. For example, sometimes I think mmmm, I might have a glass of wine on Friday night to reward myself for getting through the week. Friday comes and I don’t actually feel like a glass of wine! So guess what, I don’t have it! The same goes with having desert, having some chocolate, having whatever your treat of choice is. Just think about moderation and don’t go overboard. Be conscious of your portions and enjoy your treat. Below I have outlined a few of the popular eating out cuisines and how to chose some healthier options when there:
THAI
Thai food is great for fresh spices and amazing flavours (it’s one of my favourites!).
| Stay away from | Try: |
| Prawn crackers | Grilled calamari |
| Roti bread | Tom Yum Soup or a variation |
| Rice (jasmine, fried etc) | Rice noodles |
| Curry’s – only because you can’t be sure of what is actually in it. If you are making it at home, you know what is going into it! | Stir fry’s or anything sautéed |
| Salads | |
| Pad Thai’s can be hit and miss, again depending on the ingredients used and the oil it is cooked in. |
INDIAN
Indian has its good and bad points – as most cuisines do. Indians tend to cook with a lot of butter and have lots of rice and breads but the spices and flavours can be amazing! If you stick to lean proteins, legumes, and even a bit of coconut milk is fine, you will be ok!
| Stay away from | Try: |
| Anything fried! Papadums, samosa’s etc | Non creamy curry’s – coconut milk is ok. |
| Fried or stuffed breads | Tandoori chicken – because its cooked in an oven and covered in spices. |
| Rice | Kebab’s are usually ok, just be aware of the sauces |
| Cream based curries | Daal is ok as well |
ITALIAN
| Stay away from | Try: |
| Pizza | Unless they offer a gluten free base |
| Pasta | Most Italian places these days offer gluten free pasta |
| Risotto – less the cheese | |
| Grilled calamari or fish etc | |
| Anything fried | |
| Creamy sauces | Tomato/veggie based sauces (if you have gluten free pasta) |
| Creamy mains – parma’s etc |
CHINESE
Chinese food tends to be high in sodium (salt) and fat and there are usually a lot of fried options! However, if you choose right, you will be OK.
| Stay away from | Try: |
| Fried options – some are fried before being added to sauces | Steamed dishes |
| Thick, heavy sauces | San choy bow – sauce on side |
| White rice | Brown rice – only have a small portion though. |
| Dumplings | Stir Fry’s |
| Fried rice | |
JAPANESE
Japanese is usually a healthy option when eating out. It is generally lower in fat, just be mindful of salt content (esp with soy sauce!) Tseng explains, “Japanese cuisine is generally lighter and lower in fat content. However, consumers must keep in mind that it may be higher in sodium. Like many Asian cuisines, Japanese cuisine uses soy sauce in addition to salt to flavor the food.” Tseng suggests using half of your normal intake of soy sauce if low-sodium soy sauce isn’t available. Look for high-nutrient menu items such as edamame, miso soup, or soba (buckwheat) noodles.
| Stay away from | Try: |
| Sushi – have a bit, but not too much because of the rice! | Edamame |
| Anything deep fried – including tempura & ice cream! | Miso Soup |
| Rice | Soba noodles |
| Sashimi | |
| Tepanyaki | |
| Grilled dishes | |
| Stir Fry dishes |
MIXED CUISINE RESTAURANT/CAFE’S
There are lots of restaurants/cafes these days that have a bit of everything. These are usually a great option when dining out to
| Stay away from | Try: |
| Burgers | Have a burger without the bun |
| Chips | Sweet potato chips |
| Anything deep fried | Salads |
| Risotto – less the cheese | |
| Grilled options | |
| Pan fried options |
BREAKFAST
Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day and I love going out for breakfast/brunch on a weekend. It is usually really easy to eat a healthy breakfast when eating out (just watch those portions!):
| Stay away from | Try: |
| The Big breakfast | Take off the deep fried things, the sausages etc and you would be ok! |
| Pancakes with ice cream and maple syrup | Sour dough with poached eggs and smoked salmon |
| French toast | Omelette (no cheese), add spinach, tomato, mushrooms etc |
| Muesli – will most likely be full of sugar | Veggie breakfast – eggs, sourdough, spinach, avo, tomato, mushrooms |
| Any other bread but sour dough |
So there are lots of options to choose from when eating out, make smart, healthy choices and enjoy yourself.
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May 21, 2013 at 3:28 pm,
and it is so handy having these tips when i am out next
May 21, 2013 at 3:27 pm,
thanks so much for this article
May 18, 2013 at 10:58 pm,
It’s funny as a child we used to have fryer and deep fry a lot of food. But since being married I haven’t used the fryer once its all still wrapped in it packaging. I much prefer pan frying which is healthier anyway.
May 17, 2013 at 5:31 pm,
Thanks for this. Sometimes though I get food envy because I really want to eat the unhealthy option that someone else orders!
May 14, 2013 at 2:03 pm,
Great article with some excellent tips. Thanks.
May 09, 2013 at 11:39 pm,
I never even thought to ask for dressing in the side.
May 05, 2013 at 2:01 pm,
chefs like to cook with a lot of butter & full fat products (& salt) to give everything more flavour, but it also adds to our hips.
May 05, 2013 at 2:00 pm,
yes it can be really hard & all too tempting. The whole menu sounds great. sauces / dressings are a killer.
May 02, 2013 at 4:48 am,
I agree with the author. I tend to stick to South Indian dishes as they are steamed & are loaded with the goodness of spices. Rotis are made with refined flour which are a NO NO. I make make Rotis at home from scratch using Multi grain flour available in Indian stores all over Melbourne.
April 30, 2013 at 4:42 pm,
eating out is the only time i allow myself chips!!!!!
April 30, 2013 at 8:58 am,
an excellent article to print and take with you
April 30, 2013 at 8:58 am,
great tips for eating out
April 29, 2013 at 7:57 pm,
Sorry that was meant to say article
April 29, 2013 at 7:56 pm,
Wow yet again an amazing recipe from this author
April 29, 2013 at 3:54 pm,
This is great. I’m already a swapper but sometimes I forget or simply go no I’m just going to have the butter chicken. I do make at lot of our takeaway though which helps in keeping it healthier.