Would you like to enjoy your time outside while simultaneously cutting back on calories? Read on to find out more.
Making Healthy Choices While Dining-out
Here are a few ways to make healthy food choices and to eat less while dining out.
Request Customisation – Less Oil, No Sugar…
Less oil, no added sugar, less salt, no butter, less cheese, less mayo-based sauces……let the waiter know your requests.
It’s better to be very specific about your customisation than to give a general request. For example, if you are having Rotis (flat bread), request that butter or oil need not be smeared on it rather than just saying “no oil”.
It helps the waiter understand your specifications better.
Don’t Go Hungry
When we are hungry, we tend to eat more than what we usually consume.
If you’re going to the restaurant past your regular meal time, it’s better to have a quick bite (preferably protein as it keeps us feeling full much longer) before you go and cut down appropriately in the meal that follows.
Read More: 14 Indian evergreen superfoods for healthy you
Prioritize the Order of Dishes
If you’re keener on trying out the dessert, go for it before the mains. We are merely likely to cut down on the mains when we’ve already had the dessert if the dessert is what we really want. If we have the main dish before the dessert, we’ll most probably have larger portions of both dishes.
Water – The Best Filler
One of the most effective ways to eat less.
Start your meal with a glass of water. Take sips between bites.
Water, a drink with negligible calories, gives a feeling of fullness and reduces our overall food intake.
Food or Ambience?
We often come out just for a change of scenery, to feel refreshed or to try something new.
The focus of our outing doesn’t always have to be the food.
Bask in the ambience of the restaurant, the people with you, the conversations that flow and whatever interests you at the place.
The food won’t matter a lot and you may end up having much less than you otherwise would have consumed.
Cooking Method
Opt for steamed, boiled, baked or broiled dishes over fried and creamy dishes to reduce fat and overall calorie consumption.
À la carte Over Buffet
The more the number of options available, the more we’re likely to eat. Ordering from a menu gives us time to plan our meals and maintain our usual portion sizes.
Dine Out for a Specific Dish
You could have your meal at home and come out just for a specific dessert or tea. Home-cooked meals are considered healthier than restaurant food as we can regulate the choice and quantity of ingredients used, as well as the cooking method.
Share the Goodness
Dining with a group of friends or family allows us to share the dish. Apart from being more occupied by the conversations around the table, we also take a smaller portion to eat.
Booze Not
Avoiding alcohol helps cut back on empty calories and regulate blood sugar levels. The dining experience will also prove to be more refreshing and relaxing mentally.
Go Light at Night
Gastric reflux and poor sleep are known to be associated with taking heavy meals at night. Try dishes low in oil, ghee, cheese and mayonnaise for dinner.
Do We Really Want Dessert?
Sometimes, we order certain dishes, especially dessert, just because we want to follow the full-course meal plan or because we’re habituated to doing so.
The question remains though.
Do we actually want to have dessert?
Do we even want to eat anything more?
This applies to other parts of the meal as well, depending on the dish of our interest.
Do we really want it?
Savour Later
Eat some for now and save the rest for later.
Bottomline
- Having food away from home is rapidly increasing across the world
- Smaller portion sizes and appropriate food customization can help reduce calorie intake
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