Healthy Eating - A Guide to Eating Healthily at a Restaurant

By Katy Mills

Eating out can be a real treat. The pleasure of not having to prepare the meal yourself, and have everything brought to your table makes it very enjoyable. Unfortunately, with so many tempting dishes on offer, you can easily end up consuming a more fattening meal than you would have prepared for yourself.

It is good to treat yourself to a restaurant meal once in a while, but before you book plan ahead. Here are a few tips to help you eat a healthy meal when dining out.

Choose a healthier restaurant - Many restaurants nowadays advertise healthier options. Some have special low calorie or low fat menus, and don't be afraid to ask for something that may not be listed.

Dressing on the side - A good way to cut down on the calories and fats that are included in salad dressings, is to ask for it to be supplied on the side. In that way you can limit the amount of dressing you use on an otherwise healthy salad.

Choose places that cook with olive oil - Most restaurants will use butter and other cheaper fats, but olive oil is healthier, so ask what they cook in. Ask that your meal is prepared with no lard or butter.

Omit items - If you must have a burger, choose a regular one, and hold off on all the extras. Leaving off the cheese could save about 25g of fat.

Avoid buffets - Buffet dishes are the ones that are easy to make, and are often fried or pasta dishes, which are fattening. However, if you feel you have the willpower to only select the healthy choices, go ahead.

Enjoy your meal out, but be sensible. Don't only be careful about what you order, but the size of the portions as well. It is a good idea to request a 'to go' box when your meal comes, so that you can put half of your food in it for the next day. In that way you will not eat too much.