Dining Out

I don’t know about you, but to me the holidays don’t just mean parties and get-togethers, but dining out as well! The holidays are a great time to catch up with my favorite people by enjoying some tasty and fun restaurants in the area. Each holiday I head home to Florida, where some of my favorite restaurants are! Even though going out to eat sometimes equates to unhealthy food, there are tips that you can follow to make your dining experience tasty and enjoyable

When choosing a restaurant:

• Choose places that offer dishes with vegetables and salads
• If you’re going out for ethnic foods try more often for: Greek, Vietnamese, Japanese, and Indian
• Look up nutrition stats on-line before hand for an idea of which options are healthiest

When at your restaurant of choice try:

• Asking for whole grain bread, pasta, and rice instead of white
• Ordering foods that use the following cooking techniques: roasted, baked, broiled, grilled, and steamed. These options are cooked using less fat.
• Avoiding foods that have the words fried, sautéed, and creamy. These options are high in calories and fat.
• Watching your portion sizes. Ask for a to-go box earlier in the meal, or split your dinners and appetizers
• Adding vegetables to any of your meals: Choose veggie pizza, vegetable soups, salads, sandwiches with extra veggies, and veggie burritos, or ask for some on the side!
• Choosing veggie burgers, or healthier side options if eating fast food.

And most importantly:

• Enjoy the experience! Dining out is supposed to be enjoyable, so if you;re craving your favorites have them while being mindful. Split your meals or get half of it to go. Then you’ll also have a perfectly portioned meal for another day. Win!

When dining out I like to split meals with people, as me and my mom did last night. We ventured to a delicious Indian restaurant and decided to try their recommendations, so we split each dish making sure to include veggies and lean protein in the mix.

We opted for Naan with veggies and cilantro to start

Followed by Chicken Tikka Masala (chicken with veggies) and Dal Makhani (lentils & kidney beans) served with basmati rice.

The food was delicious! We had our fill, packed up our take-home boxes and were able to enjoy some for lunch today. Yum!

When dining out choose dishes that you enjoy, but be mindful of your choice! Add veggies, choose lean protein and split your favorite dishes! Have it Your Weigh

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