Eating Out!

Grilled Swordfish and Salad (no dressing)

Last night I met with a good friend for dinner and I thought it was the perfect opportunity to highlight that you can still participate in social occasions and eating out despite following a diet. The key is to make sure that whilst still enjoying your meal, you limit the damage you can do by making smarter choices.

We had dinner out in Gallipolli on Upper Street, a menu I am already very familiar with and I therefore had a vague idea what I could select that was suitable and fitted in with my goals.  To start I had a few grilled pieces of chicken breast and some salad and for my main I ordered the grilled swordfish (see picture).  This was not a cheat meal- I changed a few things round from what was being offered on the menu, asking for no risotto and no dressing on the salad. It tasted lovely and provided me with a high protein, low carb and low fat meal.

Under normal circumstances, the evening would have been a cheat night and there would have been pre-dinner cocktails, copious amounts of wine, a bread basket and desert but this did not seem appropriate or appealing so close to my goal. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable social evening and I didn’t feel like a leper locked indoors on a diet on a Saturday night. Finding the right balance and having an open mind towards a menu will provide you with the ability to still be outgoing with family and friends and at the same time not resent your food plan.

 Here are a few tips on making better choices when eating out:

1. If possible, research the menu before you go out. Many restaurants now have their menu on their website and this will help affirm your food choice and prevent procrastinating and being rushed into the less desirable option when out.
2.  Do not be afraid to change and be selective with what is being offered. The menu is not set in stone.
3.   If your meal comes with starchy carbohydrates such as chips, bread, pasta, ask for additional salad/vegetables instead of these. Avoid letting them sit at the table as this is when you will pick and one piece turns into a bowl very quickly! Out of sight, out of mind.
4. Opt for the meals that are fundamentally lean protein based such as steak (filet is the better option), chicken breast and fish.
5. Meat that is marinated and then grilled or baked is a better choice then something swimming in sauce or fried in oil.  
6. Ask for balsamic vinegar/olive oil over the offered salad dressing. Every restaurant has it and the dressings are usually high sugar and high in calories.
7.  Skip the bread basket completely if you are serious about your weight loss.
8. If you are eating somewhere and you already know they serve big portion sizes, ask for half their normal size before it comes to the table. This will prevent mindless eating ‘just because it’s there’.
9. A curry is still a curry regardless of how it is served. This is probably the most commonly discussed food options from clients when they are trying to justify eating an Indian/Thai meal socially. Accept that this will be a cheat night and enjoy it. There are too many foods off a diet plan involved in these meals such as white rice, naan breads, noodles,  poppadums’,  chutneys and high sugar, high fat, high calorie sauces so have this is a cheat and stick to your diet fully the rest of the week.
10.  If your meal out is a cheat meal, take pleasure in it and order what you want, making sure you get back on the wagon the next day.