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Food » Food Shopping & Restaurants » 7 Tips for Eating Out on a Diet
June 24, 2010
1. Stay away from the buffet.
Buffets encourage overeating by allowing you to go back for food as many times as your legs will carry you. Avoid them if you can help it.
2. Water down your drink.
You'll save money and calories if your order water instead of a fountain drink. Ask for lemon for added taste. At restaurants where you serve your own drink, order a small cup and fill it half to three-fourths full of water. Then, fill the rest with whatever you want. You'll still get the flavor without the all the syrupy taste and extra calories.
3. Skip the appetizer.
With portion sizes the way they are, an appetizer is essentially a meal. If you have an appetizer, split it with at least one other person - the more people, the better. Kindly ask the waiter not to bring out any more complimentary bread or tortilla chips after the first batch.
4. Eat your fruits and veggies... first.
Have a salad or a fruit bowl before your entrée. Not only does this provide you with nutrients your meal might otherwise lack, it fills you up so that you're less likely to overeat later. It will also keep you from feeling deprived if you're used to eating appetizers.
5. Order a non-traditional meal.
If the restaurant allows it, order a kids meal. Since today's kids meals used to be the standard for adults, ordering one probably won't leave you hungry. Have an appetizer as your meal if you're not allowed a kids meal. Soup, salad and breadsticks is a classic combination - just go easy on the breadsticks.
6. Save it for later.
Never feel obligated to finish a meal at restaurant. You may have paid for the food, but you also paid for a pleasant dining experience. Request a carryout box when your meal arrives and put half of the food into the box right away. This stretches your money over two meals and keeps you from having to monitor how much you eat.
7. Split dessert.
Desserts are no exception to the outrageous portion craze. Order as many spoons or forks as there are people and dig in to divide the calories. Or, order fruit or skip dessert altogether.
References:
7 Tips for Eating Out on a Diet
by Brie WallaceJune 24, 2010
1. Stay away from the buffet.
Buffets encourage overeating by allowing you to go back for food as many times as your legs will carry you. Avoid them if you can help it.
2. Water down your drink.
You'll save money and calories if your order water instead of a fountain drink. Ask for lemon for added taste. At restaurants where you serve your own drink, order a small cup and fill it half to three-fourths full of water. Then, fill the rest with whatever you want. You'll still get the flavor without the all the syrupy taste and extra calories.
3. Skip the appetizer.
With portion sizes the way they are, an appetizer is essentially a meal. If you have an appetizer, split it with at least one other person - the more people, the better. Kindly ask the waiter not to bring out any more complimentary bread or tortilla chips after the first batch.
4. Eat your fruits and veggies... first.
Have a salad or a fruit bowl before your entrée. Not only does this provide you with nutrients your meal might otherwise lack, it fills you up so that you're less likely to overeat later. It will also keep you from feeling deprived if you're used to eating appetizers.
5. Order a non-traditional meal.
If the restaurant allows it, order a kids meal. Since today's kids meals used to be the standard for adults, ordering one probably won't leave you hungry. Have an appetizer as your meal if you're not allowed a kids meal. Soup, salad and breadsticks is a classic combination - just go easy on the breadsticks.
6. Save it for later.
Never feel obligated to finish a meal at restaurant. You may have paid for the food, but you also paid for a pleasant dining experience. Request a carryout box when your meal arrives and put half of the food into the box right away. This stretches your money over two meals and keeps you from having to monitor how much you eat.
7. Split dessert.
Desserts are no exception to the outrageous portion craze. Order as many spoons or forks as there are people and dig in to divide the calories. Or, order fruit or skip dessert altogether.
References:
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-Natural Frugality, 7:05 pm CST on September 7, 2010
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