Outsmart Restaurant Dishes

Food is a huge part of our lives. Especially when it comes to my friends, there is nothing I love more than bonding over coffee, one of those giant Starbucks cookies, and lots and lots of chatting.

As nice as it is to get out of the house and have someone else cook, restaurant dishes can be full of calories. (Delicious) extras like creamy salad dressings, butter, fries, and fruity alcoholic drinks make restaurant meals more appealing, but not so great for our waistlines.

Here are a few tips to outsmart those restaurant dishes.

Share! Tell your waiter/waitress you’d like to split one of the main entrees with a friend. Sandwiches, burgers, and pasta dishes are often much larger than a normal serving size would be. Share with a friend, and you’ll almost always still be satisfied.

Request salad dressing on the side, or ask for an alternate kind. While salads are usually a good choice, creamy dressings often sabotage your attempt at a healthy meal. Request a vinaigrette option over a ranch or other creamy dressing. Also, ask them to keep your dressing the side. You’ll most likely use a lot less than they would in the kitchen, if you spoon it on yourself.

Go bun-less! Save yourself around 120 calories by asking for your burger or chicken breast without a bun.

I always find myself picking at my food after I’m done. Bad habit? Yes. Here’s the solution: when you’re satisfied with what you’ve eaten, ask your waiter to take your plate away! Umm, how simple is that? Place your napkin on top of your plate or cross your silverware on top to give them the hint. Another option for super-sized dishes? Ask for ½ of the dish to be wrapped up right away when you order.

Beware of sneaky dishes that sound healthy, but are far from it. Unfortunately, some restaurants think they need to load up salad with bacon and full-fat dressings in order for them to taste good. Aside from the dressing recommendation made above, look out for salads with ‘crispy’ (aka fried) chicken, bacon, and lots of cheeses. These gigantic piles of ingredients are often more caloric than other entrees.

Lastly, beware of beverages! If you choose to go for something fruity or calorie-filled alcoholic mixers, have a water on the side. Or go with water from the get-go! Ask for a lemon and you won’t even feel like you’re missing out.

Does that look like a baseball serving size to you??

much love, tara