Why is it that most of us are under the impression that eating out at a restaurant or a fast food place is automatically unhealthy for us? The truth of the matter is that there is no reason for this to be so. Nowadays many people are becoming more and more health conscious, which is a good thing, but they allow this to determine where they eat, which is a bad thing.
Now this may sound like madness but if you take the time to invest in yourself, in other words educate yourself as to how it is possible to enjoy the freedom to eat where you want and not feel guilty about it then you are automatically granting yourself more freedom and still enjoying the luxury of eating out without it having a negative impact on your health.
Here are a couple of pointers to help you to achieve this:
- Starter surprise – Have you ever considered ordering a starter as your main course and if it is not enough, perhaps another? This way you do not feel obligated to eat a full portion meal and many times the starters are the most tasty items on the menu.
- Speculating sauces – Always put a bit of thought into the type of sauce which you choose to go with your meal. Cream based sauces come with far more calories so why not choose something tomato or herb based instead. The same principle applies to soups.
- Think fruit and vegetables – Instead of chips, why not opt for steamed vegetables when you can and you may want to opt for a fresh fruit salad if you are considering a dessert.
- Look light - Many restaurants and chain groups are waking up to the need for what is known as a light menu due to the increased demand for healthier foods. Many of these establishments offer slimmer friendly food and once you have tried it you will realize that this part of the menu is just as, if not more, tasty than many of their other menu items.
- Consider portion sizes – With the tendency of people wanting more for less, many of the restaurants have upsized their portions which subconsciously forces the man on the street to eat more so as not to waste. However, if you know that you will have actually eaten enough by the time you are halfway through your meal, why not ask for the other half of the meal to be placed in a take away container for you to take home with you?
- Grilled is good – This rule applies at any restaurant but is ever more so applicable when it comes to the fast food outlets. When you are faced with the option of grilled or fried, opt for the grilled as it comes with far fewer calories and cholesterol. Chicken and fish are always good options here and at no taste sacrifice and they are lean on the protein count.
- Diagnose your drinks – Far too often we are so busy watching our calorie intake when deciding what to eat that we completely forget to spare a thought about what we choose to drink. Soda drinks and alcoholic beverages can be just as jam packed with calories and other negative effects, a good choice here is to go with good old water and know that you are making the healthy choice.
- Salad saviors – Most restaurants and many of the fast food outlets have taken to having the salad option on their menus nowadays and these portions are normally large enough to fill even serious hungry stomachs but when going for this option try to get your salad dressing served on the side, this way you are responsible for the amount you choose to use and the calories which you add to your meal. Try to stay away from the creamy dressings as they are full of calories.
There is no reason why one should not be able to enjoy the ambiance of eating out, so long as you apply the same eating habits as what you would should you be eating at home, the answer truly is simple, everything is open to you in life so long as you are willing to take responsibility for your own actions.
This is a principle which I promote very seriously, in fact it is part of both my Mentoring Program and Kaizen Wealth as it is applicable to every aspect of ones life and that is probably why it is such an intricate part of my life as a Wealth Creator.
Why don’t you share some of your tips, in the comment section bellow, on how to eat out and stay healthy with the rest of the wealth creators?