Eating out is an indulgence that everyone should afford themselves from time
to time. Yet doing this while trying to stick to a diet is sometimes a challenging
task. Many fast food and eat-in restaurants are beginning to offer more of a
variety of healthy choices on their menus, making it easier for customers to
make smart choices when ordering their meals, but it can still be hard to determine
the right one. This series of articles will look at the many ways in which you
can eat well and stick to your diet regimen while enjoying the treat of having
someone else do the cooking and the post-meal clean up!
When it comes to fast food, the choices are generally less healthy, yet at
these establishments, small changes in what you normally order will help cut
down on calories, fat, salt and sugar. This is a hot topic in the latest Cabbagetown
blog, and there are many great internet resources related to this. Consider
the following suggestions:
- Go light on the sauce: There are lots of hidden calories in mayonnaise,
sour cream, salad dressing and other sauces. Go easy or remove them altogether.
- Choose the chicken: When in doubt, order a grilled, baked or broiled
chicken - Not fried or breaded. You do not have the be an expert in internet
marketing Toronto to know this one!
- Veg out on the sandwich: Ask for tomato, lettuce, onion, or other veggies
on your sandwich.
- Swap out the fries and onion rings: Order a side salad or baked potato.
An order of large fries can be at least 500 calories a serving!
- Pass on the soda: Opt for water, juice, fat-free milk or low-fat milk
instead of high-fat shakes and sugary soda.
- Opt for regular sizes: It may seem like a good "value" to
buy big, but there are lots of extra calories and fats in those extra-large
portions. Go for the regular size.
- Go for whole-wheat: Whole wheat buns have more fiber than white bread.
Some restaurants offer wheat buns as an alternative - All you have to do is
ask.
- Thin-crust it: Go for a thin-crust pizza with veggies instead of a thick-crust
with
meats and extra cheese. Fewer carbs means fewer calories.
- Treat yourself: Go for low-fat frozen yogurt, fruit popsicles, sorbets,
and sherbets
rather than ice cream or cookies. Sprinkles are also better than caramel or
chocolate
sauces (and the multitude of colors makes this a very fun choice).
- Skip the sides: Eating a burger or sandwich by itself is often filling
enough. If you do
want a side, consider ordering a fruit cup or side salad with light or low fat
dressing.
- Avoid double meat and bacon: A serving size of meat is 2-3 ounces
about the
size of a deck of cards. You're probably getting well over that with a
single meat
patty. Bacon is also high in calories and fat.
Whether you are eating out or staying home, plans for your meal can be faithful
to your diet if the proper food choices are made. Generally, making these smart
and healthy choices while you are dining out or ordering take-away food will
save you money. If you are ordering less food, it follows that your bill will
reflect your choices.
In today's tough economic times, everyone is looking to save money in
all areas of daily life. Making these smart food choices at restaurants will
save your money, so that you can go shopping for a Parkside Village condo, or
finally take that plane ride to check out the real estate in Puerto Vallarta
Mexico!
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