So you are going out for dinner this weekend and all you can think is what can you eat to stay on track and stick to your goals.  The menus can be confusing and you feel like there are no healthy options.  What to do?  Don’t panic, I am here to give you your step-by-step plan to eating out with no stress!

1. Look-up the menu before you go out

Check out the menu at home where you can make sound decisions without the influence of restaurant sites, smells and feels.  It can be overwhelming when you are reviewing a new menu and feel unsure of what to choose.  This is when we tend to just revert to old habits or choose something blindly.  When you review the menu at home, you can take your time, look things up if needed and feel confident in your choice before heading out.

Extra Tip:  Many menus have their nutritional info available online now so look this up in advance to assist in your decision making process. When looking up a restaurant look for words like “organic breakfast” “farm-to-table” or “grass-fed burger”

2. Eliminate Temptation

If you have a weak spot for bread or chips baskets or  then take them out of the equation!  When you are seated at your table, ask the server to skip the bread so you don’t have to fight with your inner will power.

3.  Start off Right

Start your meal with a glass of water with lemon and side salad.  This will get your body to fill up on the good stuff rather than devouring a massive portion on your main.  Forces on savouring your  food.

Extra Tip: Watch out for salad topping and dressings, keep the dressing on the side and dip your fork into the dressing them grab the salad.

4. Ask Questions

Don’t be afraid to ask questions.  Ask lots of questions about preparation, accompaniments and options.  There is nothing to be shy about when it comes to this.  Most restaurants will try to be very accommodating and they can only do that if they know what you want. Ask with confidences but don’t be bossy or rude about it.

Extra Tip: Look for words like grilled, broiled, steamed or baked.  Avoid words like fried, battered, smothered, creamy, crispy, stuffed and blackened.

5. Dress it up Your Way

Always ask for dressings and sauces on the side.  Avoid anything cream based altogether and instead opt for a vinaigrette.  Or Olive Oil and lemon.  Mix the dressing in your salad by dipping your fork and then grabbing a piece of lettuce.  There is always way too much dressing provided and we tend to add on more than we need when we pour it.

6. Eye Ball Your Portion

Before you dig-in eye-ball the portion size.  If you know it’s more than food than what you should be eating, Immediately ask to box half of it.  This will eliminate the temptation and keep your calories in check.

7. Double Your Appetizers

As an alternative to ordering a main, you may want to opt for two appetizers.  Sometimes the appetizer menu offers more healthy choices then the main.  You also don’t need to worry about your portions that way.

8. Substitute for Veggies

Check with your server what comes on the side of your dish and ask to substitute for veggies.  If you get two sides, double up on those greens!  Although restaurant portions are always larger than life, the vegetable portions tend to be itty bitty!  So go ahead and ask for more!

9. Drink Lots of Water

Skip the calorie loaded cocktails or carbonated beverages and drink that water!  Drink water throughout the meal will help keep you hydrated and combat the salt overload from the restaurant dishes.

10. Take your Time

Eat your meal slowly and savor each bite.  Give your mind and stomach a chance to recognize that you are eating and pay attention to your body’s signals when you start to feel full.  Also, always start with your lowest calories items (veggies and salads) and make it your mission to finish those before moving on to anything else.

I hope this helps with your next dining experience and don’t forget that you can enjoy life while sticking to your goals; it just involves some simple planning and thinking ahead!

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