Now I'm not suggesting that everyone sign-up for an Iron-distance triathlon. I am, however, recommending that those of you who wish to lose weight and/or improve your body composition use extreme caution when dining at restaurants.
Similar to when eating at home, it's best to order meals comprised of whole foods. Be sure to load up on vegetables, include a lean protein and maybe even a whole grain starch as well. To help with your decisions, here are some helpful tips to use when dining out:
- Salads: When ordering salads, limit the majority of it's ingredients to fresh, leafy vegetables and a lean protein. Avoid "crispy" croutons or noodles as well as dried fruit. Always ask for dressing on the side and when possible create your own by combining a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil with balsamic vinegar.
- Small Plates: Everyone loves sharing tapas! But small plates make it easy to lose track of calories. A good rule of thumb is to limit your meal to 2 or 3 small plates and try to combine vegetables, a protein, and a starchy carbohydrate to balance out your meal. Stay clear of fried tapas and those drowned in oil as these options are often times loaded with bad calories.
- Sweet-Potato Fries: 3 words...Don't. Do. It. Even though whole sweet potatoes are a better option than white potatoes, after being cut into strips and deep-fried they're still FRIES! Because of the calories from fat and sodium (when salt has been added), fries of all kind are bad. Always opt for the steamed vegetable instead!
- Restaurant Lingo: Every restaurant seems to create their own version of the following terms so it's best to ask for clarification just to be sure. But generally speaking, items that are grilled, roasted or smoked tend to be healthier options than those that have been glazed, smothered or fried.
