Eating healthy all the time can be tough when you're a busy and social babe, but eating out doesn't have to be the diet blow out we all know it can be. We've put together our top 10 tips for staying on the healthy straight and narrow even when thrown into the lions den of temptation!
1. Read the menu before you go.
How many times have you sat down to a meal with your girlfriends and been asked what you would like to order 3 times before you've even looked at the menu? Every. Time. Read the menu before you go and that way you can properly asses the healthiest options. We're all far more likely to make the wrong decision when we're rushed or distracted and there is nothing worse than food envy!
2. Have a snack or light meal beforehand
Ever heard the saying "never do the grocery shopping on an empty stomach"? Well the same goes for eating out so avoid sitting down at a restaurant absolutely ravenous! Before you leave for dinner, have a light snack like a soup, salad, protein ball or protein smoothie.
3. Pay attention to how the food is cooked
This one seems obvious but stay away from anything fried and look for options that are grilled, poached or oven baked. If it's not obvious from the description, just ask the waiter!
4. Choose your poison wisely and in moderation
If you've got to have a drink with your dinner remember to choose wisely and think of it as a dessert, you're Gin & Tonic can actually contain more sugar than a scoop of ice-cream! Choose a clear spirit like vodka or gin with soda water and a fresh citrus fruit, (Gin, soda and orange instead of tonic is actually amazing!) or a single glass of delicious red.
5. Drink up on the H2O
Drinking water with your meal is a great way to slow you down and fill your belly without over eating so keep the waiter refilling your glass busy!
6. Order two appetisers instead of a main
Can't decide what you want on the menu? Get two meals then! And by two meals we mean from the appetiser section not a pizza and a pasta... Although that would be heavenly...
7. Share with a friend
On the topic of indecisiveness, if you really feel like an appetiser and a main, share it with a friend and split the portion down the middle!
8. Request the sauce to be on the side
Yes, we agree. A delicious sauce is what makes any dish sing! But that is often where all the dangerous sugars, fats and unnatural additives are hiding. Request your sauce or salad dressing on the side of the plate so you can control how much your eating.
9. Eat mindfully
It can be so easy to get so carried away chatting and catching up with friends that you don't actually pay attention to eating your meal. Be mindful of each mouthful so that your friends giggles don't drown out your tummy trying to tell you that it's full!
10. Slow down and enjoy
Fast eaters beware! You probably consume a lot more than your slower counterparts. If you don't realise you do this, try little tricks such as putting down your cutlery after every mouthful or chewing your food 5-10 times before swallowing.
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