7 Ways to Eat Better While Eating Out

By: Mike T. Smith

People are so busy these days and it can be nearly impossible to
prepare a good meal at home. Especially parents, where a typical
Saturday afternoon can be soccer practice at 11:00 and then
karate lessons at 1:15 P.M. Sometimes it is all you can do is
stop at a fast food place just to grab a bite to eat in between
commitments. After all you may not have time to get home and
prepare a meal yourself and your little ones.

For optimal health it is indeed better to avoid these places
altogether but there are simple adjustments that you can make to
make the best of a bad situation.

1) Substitute: Most fast food chains cater to children so there
is some type of kids' meal. A lot of these places are now
offering substitute for certain side items and drinks. For
example, at Chick-Fil-A you can opt for a milk and fruit instead
of the traditional fries and soda. This would decrease your
child's calorie intake by over 400 calories. Other fast food
restaurants do substitutions similar to this I just used
Chick-Fil-A as an example.

2) Skip the bread: If you're at a restaurant where they give you
free bread ask your server not to bring it. Bread is full of
calories and fat as it is often slathered with butter. Too often
people get full on bread before they even receive their meals.

3) On the side: If you go to a restaurant such as a Chinese
restaurant get your sauce on the side. For example sweet and
sour chicken is covered with sweet and sour sauce but it only
takes a minimal amount just to get the taste. In my humble
opinion too much sauce on anything really takes away from the
dish itself. You can also ask your waiter or waitress to put
your salad dressing on the side of your side salad.

4) Don't supersize: A lot of people supersize because it makes
sense economically. I'll have to agree it does because on
average you will get about 40% more food and drink at roughly 7%
of the cost. But you also get more calories and fat. Plus the
regular meals are already way more food than your body needs at
one time anyway.

5) Take your time: You know it takes 20 minutes for your stomach
to send the signals to your brain saying, "I'm full! You can
stop now."? This means if you get that full feeling in your
stomach and you are still eating it is too late because you have
already overeaten. It's not hard to adjust. There are little
tricks you can start implementing today such as chewing your
food thoroughly, enjoying conversation with others, and putting
your fork down between bites. This will slow down how fast you
eat and you will also enjoy your food that much more.

6) Pick Your Poison: It is better to eat at home but if you
absolutely must eat out you should be a little more picky about
what you eat. For instance if you decide to indulge in one thing
you can cut out something else in the meal. if you have fries
make it a rule to not have the hot fudge sundae for dessert.

7) Awareness: Ask for a nutrition guide at the restaurant you're
at. Most of them now have them by the front door or the counter.
Look at everything that comes along with what you are about to
consume. You'll be surprised and at times a little disgusted.
Chances are it will not seem worth it to you.

About the author:
Mike T Smith has been actively pursuing better health for over
15 years. He has been sought after by others because of his
knowledge in attaining and maintaining optimal health. For free
tips on how to attain a healthier lifestyle or to reach Mike
personally visit his blog at http://www.mikethomassmith.com/blog