Eating Out Without Guilt

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity"

-World Health Organization

WEBSITE: What can COLORS do for your health?http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/recipes/healthy-eating/superfoods/add-more-color-to-your-diet/?page=1

Can you eat out and stay true to your healthy lifestyle?!?! YES!! Of course it take a little more effort and will-power than eating at home, but it is completely doable! For starters, when you go out to eat it is typically with friends and family. Make this the main focus of the meal, not the food sitting in front of you. Enjoy companionship over a meal instead of the other way around!!

Now, how can you look at a menu, make a choice, and still feel like you didn't cheat your diet?

1. Spend time beforehand. Most places have their menus and nutritional information online. Get on so that you can spend time making an informed decision. This will save you for making a bad decision when you start scanning over the menu at the restaurant.

2. Order an appetizer as your main dish. These are more reasonably portioned and will save you both calories and money. Tack on a side salad or soup (steer-clear of cream based soups) to round out your meal.

3. Be aware of the buzz words. "Battered", "fried", "cream sauce", "buttered", "au gratin", "breaded", "alfredo", "smothered", "batter-dipped" or "with gravy" should all be words that are avoided. With these words comes lots of extra calories!

4. Don't be afraid to modify. You would be surprised how willing places are to accommodate your requests. Ask for a fried option to be grilled, ask for sauces/dressings to be on the side, or ask to substitute vegetables for french fries. Many places also offer whole wheat options for breads and pastas (you never know until you ask!!)

5. Know your meat. OK chicken all day everyday will get old quick. Allow yourself a treat to red meat once a week and learn to love fish! Select meats that are grilled, baked, boiled, broiled, roasted, poached, and skinless. If the skin is left on, remove it yourself...this is the fattiest part! When given the choice, white meat has fewer calories than dark meat.

6. Endless meals kill diets. Well, maybe you have better than me and know when to say "when", but I keep the food coming. Knowing I paid for it, I want to get my money worth. The endless pasta at Italian restaurants are carb-lovers heaven, but the calories slowly add up and so does the waist-line. Ordering portioned-meals will keep you aware of how much you are eating.

7. Wrap it up. Ask the server to box up half your meal at the start of meal. This will keep your from overeating on their ridiculous portion sizes. I know when I go to eat, I get to the point of being full then continue picking at my meal just because it is in front of me. Out of sight, out of mind!

8. Portion control is key! Know many American meals have become 2-3 servings and are way too much food. If able, order off the lunch menu...I am still usually left with leftovers!

9. Just say "NO" to buffets. How can you resist picking up that clean plate (no one knows it's your 4th trip up there when holding a fresh plate) and filling it to the brim with food. You paid for all-you-can-eat so you are going to do that and much more. Also, with buffets comes options, lots of them! You want to try everything...chocolate cake or banana cream pie, get them both! Research shows a direct correlation between number of choices and the size of the typical person's meal.

10. Eat more. Well not at any single meal, but eating more small meals will do wonders for your diet! This will prevent you from arriving famished, and willing to eat anything in sight.

Enjoy your friends and family, and make healthy choices along the way!

Megan