How to Eat Smart at Any Restaurant

June 8th, 2010 | Posted in Diet tips | No Comments » | Share this article

Going out to eat is fun. But it’s also a situation where we hand over control of our eating choices to a menu we might not be familiar with, a chef (or line cook) we can’t see, and a bunch of ingredients we hope are good for us.

While I’m all for having a good time with friends & family at a restaurant, there are some things you should keep in mind before you go — to make good eating choices and to enjoy the experience for what it is.

Be upfront about your choices

Want to order only an appetizer instead of a main course? Feel like a couple of ‘side dishes’ instead of that big steak? Don’t be ashamed about what you’re ordering — you are in control of your dinner, and unless you’re eating somewhere that has a special a la carte fixed menu with some amazing chef’s specialties that you cannot miss, you can make your own choices and stick with them.

Restaurants use a lot of psychology in their menu to suggest what you should eat and what might be the best thing to eat. Apply your own brand of skepticism when you’re eating out, and remember — you’re a customer, paying far above what the food actually costs, in order to have it cooked well, in a good environment, with great service. Don’t be pushed around!

Seriously Assess Your Portion Size

This is especially true if you find yourself eating out at any kind of national chain — especially the ones you find near movie theatres, in malls, or along busy highways.

You really have to watch how much gets served to you at these places — generally, the portion sizes are way too much. Just make the assumption, in advance, that what is put in front of you will be enough for a meal and a half — if not more — and be ready to ask for a doggie bag, or share!

Some strange psychology goes to work when you’re served a lot of food, and depending on how you were brought up, you might be ‘conditioned’ to finish everything on your plate. That’s OK — but you have to temper that desire to not waste food with the fact that you aren’t being served a suitable portion.

If it really bothers you a ton, ask to be served a smaller portion that isn’t 1,000 calories and the size of an extra-large plate! Unfortunately, because a lot of the chain restaurants are standardized and centralized, and lack “chefs” in any real sense of the word, it’s hard to really customize your meal. Think about that the next time you’re making a decision on where to dine out!

Know the salt is going to be higher than you expect

This is the secret of pretty much every kitchen — if people really knew how much salt and fat chefs (professional chefs, too) used to season their meals, they’d be shocked. Really good chefs know how much salt contributes to great taste, and know when to add salt in order to enhance the flavor of a dish throughout the entire cooking process.

That’s all well and good — but in the end, the quantity of salt is still huge! We could worry about this forever, of course — but if you’re cooking almost all of your own meals and only eating out occasionally, this isn’t really a big deal. Reduce the amount of meals out you have and you won’t have to worry so much when the chef over-salts your pasta.

Don’t count calories when you should be enjoying eating out.

Finally, this is the key — eating out is about the experience. A lot of people really ‘temper’ their dining out experiences — and I’m practically suggesting that you do the same in this article! But while I want you to keep all the previous things in mind, you should be mindful of the more ‘emotional’ side to eating out:

• Eating out is a treat: It’s a fun experience, where you pay extra money in order to have your food served to you, an ability to chat with whoever you’re eating with, and a chance to try new things. If you aren’t getting a real sense of enjoyment from eating out — you’ve gotta change your approach!
• Counting calories isn’t fun: The way to avoid doing it? Don’t eat out as often. If you’re eating really well at home, and keeping active, and pursuing a health lifestyle — mind, body, and soul — then one meal out won’t hurt you! In fact, treating yourself to a great experience like that will keep you motivated in everything else you’re doing.

Give me your thoughts!

How do you deal with eating out, with going to restaurants, with unknown menus and the occasional too-heavy meal? Share your tips with us in the comments!