Dining Out Dos and Don'ts

Dining Out Dos and
Don’ts
Simple
strategies and tools to help you make wise choices.
Article By: Leslie Fink, MS,
RD
Some people trying to lose weight steer
clear of restaurants to avoid the large portion sizes, bottomless bread baskets
and all those high-calorie entrées. But shunning restaurants altogether isn't a
realistic approach to weight loss — and it's unnecessary. You can eat out
and lose weight. When possible, it's best to plan ahead and account for
the occasion. But even eating on the go doesn't have to derail your day. Use
these 10 tips to navigate the menus at sit-down restaurants and fast-food
joints.

1. Set a budgetDetermine how much you're willing
to eat before looking at the menu. Remember, you can save your weekly
PointsPlus® Allowance for indulgences. For even more flexibility, you can
earn activity PointsPlus values that can be swapped for food. And as long
as you eat carefully most of the time, you can loosen up a bit on special
occasions. (Just don't let every day become a special
occasion).

2. Put on your game
faceDecide on some guidelines before you go to a restaurant, and stick to
them. For instance:
Skip the all-inclusive
(prix fixe) menu and opt for à la carte selections.
Take one piece of
bread, then ask your server to remove the basket from the
table.
3. Make special requestsYou're paying good money
for that meal, so you're entitled to make special requests or slight
modifications. Why not say:
Can I have that without butter? Grilled? With the
sauce on the side?
I'd like mixed greens instead of fries with my
sandwich.

4. Practice portion controlSome restaurant
portions can be two, three, even four times the "normal" size — especially
super-sized fast food meals. Keep your portions in check by:
Ordering a salad as a starter and then splitting a
main entrée with a friend.
Creating your own scaled-down meal from a couple of
appetizers and/or side dishes.

5. Break down (language) barriersIf you don't
know what a preparation term means, ask. In general, though, the following words
translate into high-fat, high-calorie dishes:
Au gratin, scalloped, hollandaise.
Parmigiana, scampi, Bolognese.

6. Downsize the super-sizeSuper-sized fast food
meal options can be loaded with calories. Either:
Order something small, like a basic burger. After
all, the first bite tastes the same as the last.
Order yourself a children's meal.

7. Watch out for extrasThe average burger with
ketchup, lettuce and tomato isn't so bad. But one with "the works" is usually a
caloric nightmare. Skip:
Bacon, cheese and mayonnaise.
Double-burger patties and extra pieces of
bread.
8. Don't go top heavySalad bars and garden salads
grace menus across the country. But those extra toppings can sabotage your
seemingly diet-conscious choices:
Go light on croutons, grated cheese and
bacon.
Opt for small amounts of low-fat or nonfat dressings
on the side.

9. Don't drink away your progressA drink with
dinner is fine, but too many sugary margaritas may wreak havoc on your
PointsPlus budget — and your resolve. Keep your appetite under control
by:
Alternating alcoholic beverages with noncaloric sodas
or sparkling water.
Not drinking alcoholic beverages on an empty
stomach.

10. Resign from the "clean plate club" You paid
for it so you have to eat it all now, right? Wrong. Downsize
by:
Enjoying half the meal and doggie-bagging the
rest.
Pushing your plate away when you're
full.
Eating slowly. Remember, it takes 20 minutes for your
body to recognize that it's full.