September 10, 2010, Newsletter Issue #173: Healthy Dining Out Tips

Tip of the Week

Next time you plan on heading out for dinner, keep these healthy dining out tips in mind:

If you splurge at one time during the day, make up for it later on. For instance, if you enjoy a 1,000-calorie sandwich for lunch, have a light salad for dinner. This will help balance out your calories throughout the day. Overall, you will not have a significant increase in calories.Drink water. Drinking water before, during, and after your meal will help you eat less. It fills you up. If you drink alcohol, limit it to one beverage. Besides helping your calorie count while eating out, your pocketbook will thank you. Drinking less alcohol means consuming fewer carbohydrates.Eat a light snack before going out to dinner. By doing this, your appetite will decrease prior to getting to the restaurant. Eating something containing a high amount of protein -- such as peanut butter on graham crackers, a hard boiled egg, plain yogurt with granola and fruit, or cottage cheese on a bagel -- is a great idea. Order your sauces, salad dressings, and/or condiments on the side. This will give you a chance to control what you eat. Restaurants will eagerly oblige. Order seafood dishes that are prepared in a healthful manner – such as poached, steamed, broiled, baked, or grilled. Some restaurants designate these dishes with an asterisk. Some simply have an entire section titled “healthy options.” Dining out can be a healthy experience and fit well into your healthy living lifestyle. The key is knowing how to make the most out of it.

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