We eat out for all sorts of reasons – to celebrate a special occasion, to entertain an important client or simply to catch up with friends and have a great time. Therefore you are being a little unrealistic not to eat out just because you’re trying to lose weight. However, eating out need not “blow out” your waistline. There’s no doubt dining out can be a minefield if you’re not careful but by following a few essential tips you can still enjoy the pleasures of the table and the glass and keep in great shape.
Water with wine
Don’t worry, this doesn’t mean to commit a crime by adding water to your precious glass of sauvignon blanc. However, to ‘operate’ two glasses, one with water, one with alcohol, is a clever way to cut down unwanted kilojoules. So quench your thirst with water and savour your wine.
Modify the menu
Most restaurants will be happy to modify menu items to suit your requests. You could ask for sauces and dressings to be served separately then you can add as little as you want. Request risottos and pasta dishes be made without cream. Most fried foods could easily be char-grilled if you’re prepared to sacrifice the batter and breadcrumbs. Ask for vegetables to be lightly steamed and sprinkled with lemon juice and freshly ground black pepper rather than smothered in butter.
Be assertive
If you are unsure about how a dish is prepared or what ingredients it contains, don’t be afraid or embarrassed to ask. Most waiters are passionate about food and love explaining the menu to interested diners. Remember that many consider this as an extremely important part of their job.
Control the quantity
Sharing food from large platters in the centre of the table is a great way to control the quantity of food you consume yet still allows you to experience a vast variety of taste sensations. So often we ‘clean the plate’ just because it is put in front of us and half the time we eat far more than we need. Another way to reduce the quantity of food is to order entree size servings especially of pasta and rice dishes instead of main course servings and have a side salad as an entree.
Remember set menus and banquets can be a trap as they tend to encourage overeating and often include high-fat menu items. You can feel pressured to eat the 5 courses because, after all, you’ve paid for them.
Sweets to share
It is possible for the sweet tooth to indulge in dessert without overdoing it by sharing your favourite dessert with your friends. Remember the most pleasure is gained from the first mouthful so let everyone else order a dessert and you order an extra spoon.
Saving up for the big night
Finally, eating like a bird during the day so that you can save kilojoules and eat like a beast at night is false economy. Some people justify their overindulging in the evening by the fact that they’ve hardly eaten during the day but in fact this practice is counter-productive. By skipping meals during the day your metabolic rate decreases, making it more difficult to burn up kilojoules. The other problem is that when you’re really starving, your eyes are bigger than your stomach and you tend to order much more than you can comfortably eat. It’s much better to eat your regular diet throughout the day and even have a small snack just before you go out in case your meal is delayed.
Check out our archived article takeaway turnarounds that includes info on menu choices when you’re dining out.
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