Dining out: a Weight Loss Perspective

For as much as I advocate cooking food at home from scratch I realize that it can become a boring chore. It is perfectly OK to dine out if you are on a weight loss program. You just need to know which restaurants to attend and what to eat.

The general rule is to go through the menu with your weigh loss goal in mind.
Here are some points to consider while dining out:

1. Chinese restaurants. Avoid white rice and deep fried food (including dough-wrapped food). The food to eat in Chinese restaurants are soups and mixed salads.

2. Avoid going to buffets unless you can control the portion size and eat lots of vegetable and fruit salads. Do not use excessive dressings in your salads – a little bit of lemon and olive oil is enough.

3. Visit vegetarian restaurants to be on the safe side. While lean chicken is good for you most of the restaurants add a lot of fat while cooking the chicken. By visiting vegetarian restaurants you will avoid the consumption of trans-fats. Choose raw salads, legumes and avoid the excessive salad dressing.

4. Greek restaurants. Eat salads with olives and olive oil, hummus is good too, try yogurt sauces. You can also order grilled chicken once in a while. Try to avoid dessert or share it.

5. Mexican restaurant. Avoid excessive consumption of chips – few are OK; do not order rice. Instead eat guacamole, whole beans, grilled chicken, salsa. Limit the consumption of flour-containing items.

6. Japanese restaurants. Avoid rice; eat miso soup, try sashimi instead of sushi, seaweed salads, drink green tea.

Eating For Weight Loss While Away

It is hard to be on a weight loss diet while away from home on a business trip or vacation.

Here are some tips to help you eat out during your trips without jeopardizing your weight loss diet.

1) You need to remember to make conscious decisions when ordering food at your favorite restaurant chains. This way you will not order something that you’ve always been ordering; instead you will pay attention to healthier choices on the menu and make a right choice. For example, if you go to an Italian restaurant do not order your favorite pasta dish without even looking in the menu; instead find a healthy dish that promotes weight loss; for example, a fish dish served with vegetables and a piece of lemon.

2) If you need to go to a business lunch follow the same guidelines. If you are going to eat a food ordered for the entire group, make sure you drink plenty of water before the lunch. Water will fill you up so you won’t make unhealthy eating choices.

3) If there is a grocery store close to your hotel you may consider buying vegetables, fruits as well as seeds, nuts and dried fruits (latter ones consume in moderation) so you will always have healthy snacks around.

4) Choose from the healthy menu at your favorite fast-food chains or if you can’t resist the French fries and hamburgers stay away from fast-food restaurants altogether.

5) It is easier to find healthier food at food courts because of the vast variety of restaurants that offer food for every taste. For example, you can choose one of many delicious salads at Lebanese restaurant served with chicken breast and rice and lentils or different salads with olive oil at Greek restaurant.

Don’t beat yourself up if you eat some unhealthy, fattening food while away from home. Make sure to continue with your diet as soon as you get back.

These tips are not hard to follow. They will help you make right dietary choices while away from home.