Restaurant Dining

Okay, so I covered eating at the office, but what about dinner? I have already established that we are all busy, so what do you do for dinner?

Well, you could go out to eat. You could spend 10-15 minutes commuting to your restaurant of choice, then possibly wait 5-45 minutes for a table, wait another 5 minutes before the waiter acknowledges you, order your food (and possibly alcoholic beverages?) and wait another 15 minutes before your food comes - filling up on bread or appetizers in the meantime, then finally get your plate of food - a full 35-75 minutes after you swore you were "in a hurry" and needed food. I'm sorry to tell you, you can eat much, much faster at home.

Most recipes take far less than 30 minutes to prepare, and most recipes are going to be FAR superior in regard to your health than any restaurant out there!

But okay, fine, this post is about actually eating out in the restaurant, so what are you to do? This is something that will be a struggle for most, but is very doable with the right tools at your disposal. First, and always, always do this, limit the bread. Try to have a healthy snack before taking off to the restaurant, so you are not starving sitting at your table with bread sitting in front of your face. The bread, it might look healthy, it might look harmless, even, but it's not - bread is often packed with calories - especially if that bread is not of the whole wheat variety. When examining bread, think about this - does it look the way you see it while it's growing in the fields? If the answer is no, then that definitely means it has been highly processed, and that can never be a good thing for you as a consumer of food. So rule of thumb, skip the bread, and skip those hidden calories; ask the waiter to remove it altogether if the temptation is too great.

Next, limit the beverage intake - whether this means the soda or the alcohol! One ounce of alcohol often holds upwards of 65-100 calories (depending on the type) and one ounce of soda typically has 12 calories - and these calories can add up extremely quickly (especially if the drinks are flowing). Opt for water instead. Want to appear more refined, but not have the wine? Opt for sparkling water - still zero calories, and they serve it in a wine glass as well.

Okay, so you managed to skip the bread and skip the empty calories of the beverages - I do trust, that in skipping the bread you also somehow were able to skip the appetizer? Appetizers are often the worst food you can get in a restaurant - this is because it was designed to be a small portion (very small) for multiple people at a table - not just one or two people munching on it. Appetizers often have well over 1,000 calories, and sometimes 2,000 calories - more than a days worth of calories for most people! Why would you sit down and order a full pizza before your meal? You wouldn't, so skip the appetizer as well - it does nothing for you, except pack on the pounds.

So you made it unscathed to the main course - now what do you do? Well, there are simple things you can do in any restaurant - first, order the grilled chicken (or salmon or shrimp when possible). Grilled almost always is instantly more healthy than "fried". Shrimp and Salmon are low calorie alternatives to other meats, and should be considered whenever possible. Are you at a steak joint? Order the sirloin - one of the leanest of meats. Italian? Might I suggest going with the red sauce over the creamy? Red tomato sauce is, again, almost always healthier than the white counterpart. Does your Salmon come dripping in butter? Ask the waiter how the food is prepared - either ask for the "sauce" of anything left off, or on the side - this way, you can dictate if you want the added calories or not. Remember, butter is pure fat - do you really want to sit down and eat melted lard? I didn't think so.

Okay, so all that is fine and dandy, but that grilled chicken platter could still be packed with 1,500 calories or more, so NOW what are you to do? There are two options here, but they are essentially the same - split the meal (and by that, I mean with someone who didn't order anything - not split half their meal to you, and half your meal to them and eat it all, that did nothing to eliminate the exuberant amount of calories on the table and going into your body). If you don't feel like splitting, then take half of the meal home - or fill up on the broccoli side (you did get the vegetables and not the butter laden mashed potatoes, didn't you?) and eat only a small portion of your meat (if it is shrimp or salmon, you should be fine eating half of the meat portion at most places - again, assume it is not dripping in butter - ask for that on the side, right?), and then take the rest home - I'm sure the dog, or the babysitter would be happy to have some left over steak or chicken or fish! Otherwise, eat it the next day - a small portion for lunch, or the remaining portion for dinner.

Not strong enough to not eat the full plate of food while it's staring you in the face? Ask the waiter to remove half - simply cut the meat down the center and ask him to bring you a box - after all, out of sight, out of mind.

Remember these basic tips and you will cut your caloric intake in the restaurant by more than half. But remember, if it's a special occasion, every once in awhile to over indulge yourself is NOT a bad thing ... just don't make it a habit and you will be fine, and feel better for it.

But do remember, for the most part, the restaurant is not a faster choice - when you consider drive time and waiting that is involved ... eat at home, more healthy and what you make is what you get (no hidden calories from oils or butters in your meal, unless YOU put them there). You will save time, money, and be healthier for it. There are numerous places online that offer free, healthy recipes, do some research and you will start eating right - soon, you'll forget all about the restaurant experience and you won't miss it at all (okay, maybe a little bit) - but if you do continue to be wined and dined, remember the tips above - it's a small difference in the moment, but will go a long way in giving you a longer, happier, healthier life.