10 tips on how to make healthier choices when you go out to eat
Ask for it your way
Dining out is no time to be a meek consumer, notes Dr Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) and co-author of the book Restaurant Confidential. “You need to be an assertive consumer by asking for changes on the menu,” he says. For instance, if an item is fried, ask for it grilled. If it comes with French fries, ask for a side of veggies instead. Ask for a smaller portion of the meat and a larger portion of the salad; for salad instead of coleslaw; baked potato instead of fried. “Just assume you can have the food prepared the way you want it,” says Dr Jacobson. “Very often, the restaurant will cooperate.”
Ask to "triple the vegetables please"
Often a side of vegetables in a restaurant is really like garnish – a carrot and a forkful of squash. When ordering, ask for three or four times the normal serving of veggies, and offer to pay extra. “I’ve never been charged,” says dietitian Dr Jeff Novick. “And I’ve never been disappointed. I get full.”
Ask how the food was prepared
Get an idea of the ingredients in your dish, such as salt, butter and oil, and how much is used.
Order from the "healthy or light" entrees on the menu
Some restaurants list kilojoules and nutritional content of their meals. Check first before ordering.
Beware of "low-carb" options
Restaurant chains have jumped on the low-carb bandwagon, offering numerous low-carb options on their menu. But low-carb doesn’t mean low-kilojoule.
Share with a partner
A CSPI survey found that restaurants often serve two to three times more than food labels list as a serving.
Order a salad before ordering anything else on the menu
Scientists at Pennsylvania State University found that volunteers who ate a big veggie salad before the main course ate fewer kilojoules overall than those who didn’t have a first-course salad, notes Novick.
Don’t like it when your salad is drowning in a sea of oil? Get your dressing on the side, in a small bowl. Dip your empty fork into the dressing, then skewer a forkful of salad. You’ll be surprised at how this tastes just right, and how little dressing you’ll use.
Ask the waitor to skip the bread basket
If you must have something to munch on while you wait for your order, ask for a plate of raw vegetables.
Skip the fancy drinks
If you must order an alcoholic drink, forget the margaritas, piña coladas and other exotic mixed drinks. They often include sugary mixers. Opt instead for a glass of wine, a light beer, a vodka and tonic or a simple martini (without the chocolate liquor, sour green apple schnapps, or triple sec).