I’m a dietitian — here’s how to eat out without wrecking your diet
Nothing derails a diet like a night on the town.
Glasses clink, appetizers are ordered and before you know it you’ve imbibed and eaten like a 17th-century noble with gout and a broken heart.
Why is dining out so detrimental to dieting? Courtney Smith, a registered dietitian, diabetes specialist and founder of the Keys to Nutrition, explains to The Post that the goal of satisfying customers often comes at the expense of their well-being.
“Restaurants intend to make you happy and to make you a return customer,” Smith says. “To do this, they often utilize cheap ways to enhance the flavor of the food — salt, sugar, heavy cream, etc. When you see how much of these ingredients they’re adding, most of us would not use that amount at home.”
Smith also calls out portion sizing as counterproductive to living lean: “You may have noticed when you’re eating out that the portion sizes are very large. As Americans, we eat with our eyes. If restaurants gave us the recommended portion size, most of us would balk. We want our money’s worth and if they give us more, they can charge more, but these excessive portion sizes are a big reason why we consume more calories when we eat out.”
Despite inflated portion sizes and gluttonous amounts of flavor enhancers, Smith assures that it is possible to enjoy a night on the town without a tomorrow full of regret.
Read on for her list of tips and tricks for staying on track when eating out.
Go in with a game plan
For Smith, the first step to success is choosing a restaurant with healthy options and planning your order before you go.
She tells The Post, “When you’re out with your friends, you’re distracted and trying to catch up, there can be pressure to order and peer pressure to hop on the train of what others are ordering. We’re lucky these days that everybody typically has their menu online. With my clients, I always suggest that they look at the menu beforehand and make a healthy choice before they go out.”
Choose before you booze
Knowing what you will order before you have an alcoholic beverage is also crucial to maintaining a healthy diet.
“Often when we’re being social we might have a drink or two. Once the alcohol is on board we’re typically not going to go for the healthy salad or vegetable. Because alcohol increases appetite and lowers inhibition we’re going to choose the burger and fries,” Smith tells The Post.
She also recommends alternating each alcoholic beverage with a glass of water to maintain proper hydration.
Skip the apps
When you arrive hungry, want to share or the food is taking too long, few things hold more allure than an appetizer or the complimentary bread basket, both of which can put you in the danger zone.
Smith explains, “Appetizers are often high calorie, high fat and possibly fried foods that we all order. I find that’s where a lot of restaurant calories come through.”
She notes that restaurants utilize bread to keep customers happy while they wait, but you can plan ahead to banish the basket, “You always have the option of asking your server not to bring bread to the table.”
No, you do not want fries with that
Smith tells The Post that when it comes to sides, “Always replace the french fries with a side salad or the vegetable of the day, which is usually steamed. Not all but most places will have this option.”
Smith’s suggestion supports the USDA’s recommendation of filling half your plate with fruit and vegetables.
If you choose a salad over fries, half the battle for health is won! To really go the distance with your diet, Smith recommends ordering the salad dressing on the side to control the amount you’re consuming and to skip heavy dressings like Caesar or ranch in favor of simple vinaigrettes. “These dressings are typically oil- and vinegar-based and oil is a healthy fat compared to the creamy, high saturated fat dressings,” she notes.
Pack it up before you dig in
Smith recommends planning ahead for portion control by requesting a to-go box when your food hits the table.
“There is no rule that you have to wait until you’re done eating to ask for that to-go box. Request it when the food comes and immediately put half in it. I find that if you don’t ask for it you just end up eating the whole thing even though you didn’t intend to,” she tells The Post.
Smith notes that the to-go box trick saves customers money as you’re essentially getting two meals out of your dining experience. Similar to the to-go box trick, sharing a healthy entree with your friend or date ensures proper portion control.
