WHAT TO EAT WHEN YOU ARE EATING OUT

WHAT TO EAT WHEN YOU ARE EATING OUT

Why does the general restaurant industry have to make it so confusing to make healthy food choices when you are dining out with family and friends?  It seems to me, that any good restaurant not only has options for those guests who would like a healthy meal, but also has servers who are trained in how to modify current dish options in order to accommodate those guests who are looking to stay on track with their clean eating.  What I would like to do here, is offer my advice to ordering your food exactly how you want it, so you’re not questioning your caloric intake every single time you dine out.

I have worked in the restaurant industry for 13 years, and I have seen food prepared in ways that would terrify you; ribs dipped in bacon fat, chickens rubbed in butter, sticks of butter in rice, salmon cooked in butter, bacon bits in green beans, whole cream in mashed potatoes.  Although most ‘high-end’ restaurants create a very farm-to-fork menu, providing a much fresher, healthier version of dishes to offer, the reality is fat tastes good,  and it’s usually in every meal whether you recognize it or not. 

The advice that I am going to offer here is addressing a restaurant that is offering a wide array of choices, and restaurant menus that can be modified to fit your current nutritional needs.  What I am not addressing, is how to eat healthy at your favorite burger joint, or the English Pub down the street.  Ending up in one of those restaurants will drastically limit your healthy food choices (although not eliminate them), and ending up there is only going to increase your likelihood of making bad food choices.

WHERE TO START

Protein

When you enter any restaurant, sit down, receive your menu, this is your opportunity to start your search for your healthy meal options.  Start with your protein.  What are you going to eat for protein?  The obvious choices come to mind: chicken, turkey, salmon, halibut, shrimp, beef.   What are the protein options that your restaurant is offering?  Now pick one.  I don’t care if it’s a composite dish already put together, or it’s a topping on a pizza.  If it’s offered somewhere on the menu, they can usually accommodate you if you ask for it to be prepared differently.

Now, let’s talk preparation.  I’ll share a restaurant secret with you: almost EVERYTHING is cooked in some kind of fat.  Whether it is butter or olive oil, it’s most likely being cooked in excess calories.  The upside is that with the amount of allergies we see in the industry today, almost every restaurant has been forced to cook everything from scratch, so you can usually modify the cooking prep no matter what the protein is. 

If you want any protein healthier, ask your server if it can be prepared baked, broiled, or grilled.  Let them know that you do not want excess fat in your cooking process, and they will most likely be able to oblige.  

One preparation to be VERY aware of is any protein that is already in a marinade.  A larger amount of restaurants pre-marinade their chicken and steak, and I’m going to share another secret with you: those marinades typically have excess sugar in them.  Just ask your server if you can order them without the marinade, and if you can’t, either make a new protein choice, or recognize that you are choosing to include refined sugars in your diet.

Your Sides

The next place on the menu you want to look is your Side Dish options.  I’m not just talking about the sides that are listed in that one spot, but the sides that might be offered with composite dishes that are not offered under your side options.  Most of the time, if it’s on the menu and you ask for it, they’ll get it for you. 

Again, almost every side is going to be prepared with some type of fat, whether it’s butter, olive oil, bacon fat, or cream.  Choose your sides wisely, and then ask for them to be steamed.  Yes, your vegetables will come without seasoning, however you can add salt and pepper at the table, and you also get to control just how much sodium you ingest.  You can always choose to have your sides prepped in olive oil, but keep in mind that even if you ask for it with just a tablespoon of olive oil, you have no idea how much the chef behind the line is actually putting on your vegetable. 

A go-to for most people is a baked Idaho or sweet potato, and I think it’s important to address the prep here.  Most restaurants dip or roll their potatoes in butter or margarine.  WHAT?  Yup, that’s what makes it so fluffy and moist.  So if you’re going to order one, ask how it is prepared, and if you feel it’s a must regardless, avoid eating the skin.

So You Chose a Salad…Aren’t You Healthy

Or not. Most chain restaurants offer salads that are far too large, and they are topped with items that should not appear in a healthy salad.  If your go-to restaurant item is a salad, make sure you’re getting all veggies (cucumber, tomato, carrots, etc.,) and you’re ordering your dressing on the side.  It’s always important to add that you would like no croutons, no cheese, and dressing on the side.  I will always tell people to go with oil and vinegar, however, any vinaigrette is better than a cream based dressing (ranch, blue cheese, parmesan peppercorn), but they often have sugars in them.  Be aware of what your dressing options are, ask for it on the side, and dip your tines in the dressing and then in the salad.  You’ll be surprised how little dressing you really need when you’re not dumping it all over your salad.

If Worse Comes to Worse

I hate to be an advocate for this because there is nothing more annoying than the guest with an allergy, but if you’re concerned about the preparation of your food, or it’s easier for you, then tell your server you have a food allergy.  Break it down very simply: “I want the (chicken, steak, shrimp, etc.) grilled without marinade and my vegetables steamed. I am allergic to butter and (whatever else you’re trying to avoid), so could you please make sure that this is a possibility?”

Be warned, that in a restaurant today this is most likely going to elicit a visit from the manager, so be prepared for a little attention.  It’s typically company policy to ensure the safety of the guest, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself talking about your “allergy” with the manager on duty. 

Portion Control

My last words of wisdom are to be aware of your portion sizes.  Most proteins are somewhere between 6-8 ounces, whether it’s chicken or salmon.  Steak will usually be marked in ounces as well, although there tend to be larger sizes with this protein choice.  For the most part, it is unnecessary to eat more than 3-4 ounces of protein at any meal, so be prepared to take half of what you order home.  When your meal arrives, ask for a take home box right away, and place half of your meal in the box.  Americans have become accustomed to extremely large portion sizes, so don’t fall into the trap of eating your whole meal just because you have made the effort of modifying your dish to its healthiest version.   

All the Frills

In regards to appetizers, bread baskets and desserts, you don’t need them.  Ask that they not bring bread to the table, and when you’re done eating ask for the check before they offer dessert.  A lot of places will place dessert options on table tents so you’re forced to look at them while you’re waiting for your dinner.  Move them aside, and don’t even browse them.  If you are someone who has a sweet tooth like myself, keep fruit at home in your fridge.  A couple of strawberries and some pineapple will be enough sugars to help you feel like you are getting a bit of dessert at the end of your meal.  Typically your brain doesn’t care what kind of sugar you ingest; it just wants you to satiate that sweet tooth. 

Dining out is meant to be an experience.  From the atmosphere to the menu choices, you are probably not finding yourself eating out alone.  You should be able to enjoy the company you are with, without compromising your diet.  Often times we are going out for a celebration, or to spend time with loved ones, so remember why you are really there.  It usually has very little to do with the actual meal, and more to do with spending quality time with the people we care about, so enjoy!