Tips for Making Healthier Restaurant Choices

Before meeting friends or family at a Restaurant, have a healthy snack at home. You can stave off cravings, and reduce hunger, by eating an apple or a banana 30 minutes before you leave. This tip also works well during the holiday season, when food-laden parties abound.

You can save money, and stick to your health goals, by following these additional tips when dining out:

1. Do Your Homework on Restaurant Options

Most restaurants have their menu readily available online and some even have nutrition charts posted on their websites. You can also call the restaurant, and ask if they have healthy or low-fat meals available.

Depending on the size and popularity of the restaurant, you may find online reviews with healthy meal suggestions. Two great websites to review include Yelp and Urbanspoon. Restaurant and fast food meals often include high amounts of fat, salt, and calories. Even when restaurants reveal calorie counts for meals, USA Today reports that they often underestimate these numbers by as much as 20%.

2. Look for a Smaller Portion Section on the Menu

By now, most restaurants know that many people watch what they eat, and have thus added a special section to their menus, which makes finding the right food easier than ever.

For example, T.G.I. Friday’s offers a “Right Portion Right Price” menu for those who want to eat healthy, while also saving money. Richard Snead, president and chief executive officer of Carlson Restaurants Worldwide, parent of T.G.I. Friday’s restaurants, said “This is a category issue stemming from consumer demand. The category needs to listen.”

If the menu doesn’t highlight heart-healthy or low-fat options, order grilled chicken or broiled fish. Avoid fried foods and cream-based salad dressings, sauces, and soups. Your server can provide more details about healthy options on the menu.

You can also ask for a child-sized portion at many restaurants. Some restaurants, including Olive Garden, allow diners to order a lunch portion for dinner. Most restaurants offer oversized portions, so order a lunch-sized portion or a children’s meal to save money and stay on track with your healthy eating plan.

You can also save calories, and a bit of money, by halving the food at a restaurant. Ask for a to-go box, and divide the food into two portions before you begin eating. This ensures that you don’t overindulge and that you have leftovers for lunch the following day. Decline the server’s offer of a bread basket, and fill up on salad instead.

3. Go to Independently Owned Restaurants

Restaurant chains such as Denny’s, Chili’s, and Big Boy serve gigantic portions. You can get reasonably-sized meals at smaller, independently-run restaurants. You also might get a healthier meal, since many smaller restaurants, especially those in bigger cities, source their fresh produce locally whenever they can.

Also, because many of the smaller restaurants use fresh, local produce, the food tastes better. Larger chains often don’t take the time or go through the trouble and expense to source food locally; they use lower-quality ingredients and rely on salt and fat to improve the taste of the food. Avoid all-you-can-eat restaurants, where healthy food choices are supplanted by foods high in calories, fat, and sodium.

4. Practice Moderation

Restaurants serve you more food than you actually need. Try to practice moderation whenever you dine out and don’t feel pressured to eat everything. Resist bread, soup, and dessert, and eat more salad, instead. Ask your server if a dish can be prepared with oil instead of butter, and substitute a plain baked potato, a dish of fruit, or a salad for French fries.

5. Try Mediterranean Restaurants

Mediterranean restaurants are a budget-conscious dieter’s best friend. Hummus, tabbouleh, whole wheat pita bread, Greek salads, and chicken kebabs and rice are heart-healthy standard fare. The food is high in protein, and inexpensive, especially if you order appetizer portions instead of full meals. Always verify calorie counts online or in a restaurant before ordering your meal.

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