Eat out confidently while sticking to your healthy eating plan!

If you are like me, then you would know the struggle of eating out. If you are losing weight, trying to keep you daily calories down or are generally looking after your health, then you know that restaurants serve a lot of unhealthy and incredibly tasty food. The problem is that you don’t exactly know what goes into the food you order.

What oils are the chefs using? How much salt/sugar is being added? These are all questions that we generally ignore while scanning the menu filled with tasty (and potentially high calorie, high carb) meals.

If your minds instantly point to “well the only thing I can choose is salad” – then you are wrong! There are many options that you can select, how are my top tips to navigating restaurants and eating out while on a healthy eating plan or diet.

• Be sure to scan the menu and find out if the restaurant offers ingredients that you like, such as beetroot, ginger, garlic, sweet potatoes. See something you fancy but its not offered in a dish that you want to order? Ask your waiter to check with the chef – perhaps you want to order the grilled fish with a side salad with added beetroot.
• Ask the waiter if the kitchen will be able to offer steamed vegetables, these are great as no extra oil, salt and other additives will be given to you!
• Find a protein you like, such as a fish, steak, chicken, haloumi; and see if the kitchen can prepare the protein free from oils. This can be grilled or steamed for instance.
• Steer clear from those fries! You do not need the extra calories.
• While sushi may seem like a healthier option, these little bites of goodness can pack a calorie punch. Pick sushi pieces that are rice free, such as sashimi.
• Stay away from soda’s, wine or other calorie filled beverages. Stick to water, water and lemon or caffeine free tea. All of these options are kind to your gut.
• Always ask for dressings, sauces and added extras on the side! Restaurants have a bad habit of overloading the food with unnecessary sauces.
• Feeling like a dessert? Skip the starter, go light on the main and share the dessert! Try to avoid going big on all meals and rather enjoy the tastes of the meals.

Do you have any other tips that you use to get by? Share them with us!