Sticking to a healthy lifestyle can be fine when you are preparing your meals at home. Leaving tempting junk food at the supermarket and cooking with fresh, healthy ingredients saves the dilemmas’ we often face when eating out. Restaurants, road-trips and holidays are all great fun but can offer foods that are calorific and full of rubbish. Of course, there are ways around such dilemmas so you can live life to the full whilst maintaining your figure.
Firstly, do your research. Check out restaurant menus on the internet or look up eating outlets at service stations prior to travelling. That way you will be prepared as to where to find the healthiest options. If you are travelling for a long period of time, pack a cooler with you containing healthy foods such as fruit, whole meal sandwiches and bottled water. Throw a few pieces of fruit into your bag if you are using public transport or on your feet. That way you won’t be tempted with fatty snacks when you’re feeling peckish. Similarly, keep a bottle of water handy to sip on; often we mistake thirst for hunger so ensure that you keep well-hydrated when on the go.
In restaurants, always try to order meals that are grilled, poached, steamed or baked. These cooking methods use little cooking oils or fats and usually have a lower fat and calorie content than the alternative fried, sautéed or stuffed foods. If you want to order a meal but would like the chef to cook it in a healthier manner, don’t be scared to ask. The restaurant industry is built upon customer satisfaction and preference so it should never be a problem. Besides, if you don’t ask, you don’t get!
Try to choose fish or lean meats on the menu. Meat such as pork tends to be fatty and won’t help the diet. Chicken or oily fish are perfect protein sources and can be cooked in a healthy way that won’t add unwanted calories. When choosing your side dishes, always try to opt for salad or vegetables. Enjoy the flavours they possess whilst safe in the knowledge that what is filling you up is full of vitamins instead of sugar or fat. Watch out for salad dressings with large quantities of calories and sugar in them – ask to have without or on the side of salad dishes. Similarly, make sure vegetables are steamed or baked to avoid hidden fats. If your meal comes with fatty fries, ask the waiter to substitute them for steamed vegetables or sweet potatoes.
There are some menu words that should prompt your alarm bells when on the lookout for unhealthy choices. Phrases such as ‘cream sauce’, ‘buttered’, ‘breaded’ or ‘battered’ all mean a meal high in saturated fats, sugar and calories. Avoid them like the plague!
When your meal arrives, the chances are it will be a pretty generous size! The size of portions in restaurants has increased throughout the decades and many now provide meals far larger than needed for the average human. To combat this, try to make a conscious effort to eat slowly and deliberately; people who eat their food quickly often eat far more than they need. Remember it can take up to twenty minutes for your stomach to inform your brain that it is full, so take a break after eating to allow your brain to catch up! It may be that you don’t need those extra few mouthfuls or a dessert to follow if you feel satisfied. Also, don’t be embarrassed to leave food if you are full. With the portion sizes as they currently are, it would be a struggle for some to finish everything on their plate.
Consider making even small changes to your dining out habits that can save you plenty of concealed calories and prevent unhealthy decisions. Avoid eating the skin on chicken, don’t add unnecessary table salt to your food and try to resist digging into complementary bread rolls or sticks whilst waiting for your meal. If instead you wait that extra ten minutes for your food without snacking you will not only gain more enjoyment from it but will have also saved yourself excessive calories. Sipping on water will help curb your appetite until your meal appears, and will also help rehydrate you and maintain healthy digestion of the food you are about to eat.
So what’s the deal with dessert? If you can’t resist, perhaps opt to share one. You’ll get a taste of what you crave without consuming the full amount of calories. Instead of a calorific cheesecake or brownie, go for a sorbet, plain ice cream or fruit. They’re normally far more fresh and light and a perfect way to end a meal than with sickly, fat-laden cakes or pastries.
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