8 tips for healthy eating when at a restaurant

When you are following a healthy eating plan, eating well at home is relatively straightforward.

You can stay focused on what groceries you have in the house and make sure you are making good choices for your meals and snacks.

Eventually there there will a good chance that you will need to eat out at a café, pub or restaurant.  So today we have put together our tips to help you eat out without undoing all of your hard work.

8 top tips for sticking to your weight loss plan when dining out:

1.When sharing with friends (such as going out for Thai) it’s easy to overeat. So when you serve yourself, just do it once rather than going back for seconds (or thirds). Read more about portion size here.

2. Check the menu in advance so that you have an idea of a couple of healthier options that are available. That way you won’t get into the restaurant and end up ordering something under time pressure that you later realise isn’t the best option for you.

3. Instead of a dessert, you could treat yourself to a nice cup of coffee or a herbal tea instead. Or split a cheese platter with someone else instead of a sweet creamy cake.

4. Alcohol can see your calories skyrocket, and your resistance for dessert goes out the window. Decide in advance what you will have (and how many) and stick with that. Choose sparkling water or plain water between alcoholic drinks.

5. Speak with your waiter if you want to make changes to your meal. Most are only too happy to oblige if you ask to swap the chips for some extra steamed veggies.

6. If you are eating at a restaurant where your fellow diners are having two or three courses, you can always choose to skip one course, or order entrée size for both of your first two courses.

7. Hopefully you have learned a thing or two from the Healthy Mummy so that you know to do things like: swap white bread for wholegrain; skip the chips and load up on veggies; avoid soft drinks and sweet cocktails that are loaded with sugar; for a low calorie option avoid anything deep fried, crumbed or with a creamy sauce.

8. Split a dessert with a friend rather than getting your own. You can still enjoy the taste but your calories are cut in half.

Want to cook special desserts for family and friends that can be enjoyed as part of your healthy eating plan? Our Guilt Free Chocolate Treats and Baking Cookbook is packed with great recipes.