15 Tips for Eating Healthy at Restaurants

Eating at restaurants can be an enjoyable way to treat yo’ self. It’s a reason to go out; it’s an opportunity to try a new style of food; and it allows you to be lazy and not cook.

Whenever we go out to eat, I’m not overly concerned with eating healthy, because life is too short not to indulge every once in awhile. With that said, I also don’t completely ditch my food philosophy—I more so try to balance nutrition with splurging. I didn’t always have this level of self-control though.

When I was younger, I remember getting seriously hooked on greasy fast food. The more I ate it, the more I obsessively craved it. It was an impossible, vicious cycle. Over the years, I’ve learned that limiting how often I go out makes a huge impact on my ability to eat healthy. Because let’s be real, going out to eat tends to make healthy eating more difficult, for reasons like…

• You don’t see what’s going into your food like when you cook at home, so you don’t realize how unhealthy the food really is.
• There are mouth-watering dishes you can’t not try, despite them having enough calories for an entire day of eating.
• You’re automatically in the mindset of treating yourself (because you deserve it), which gradually snowballs until you’ve developed a food baby.

Since we don’t go out all the time, I feel comfortable with trying less-than-healthy dishes without any guilt. (It’s not going to completely derail my health goals.) However, in order to keep my self-control in check and maintain my happy weight, there are certain habits I’ve found help myself stay on track.

If you eat out pretty often, or simply don’t want every time you go to a restaurant to sabotage your healthy eating efforts, try a few of the following tips for eating a little better the next time you head out.

1. Choose a restaurant that you know has healthier options.

Set yourself up for success by visiting places you know offers smarter options. If you aren’t sure, glance at their website to see what’s on their menu before heading out the door.

2. Avoid all-you-can-eat buffets.

Buffets are my nemesis. There are so many tasty options, and I always feel the need to “get my money’s worth.” There’s a time and a place for buffets, but I don’t actively seek them out, because eating as much as possible tends to come with the territory.

3. Look for food that’s baked, steamed, roasted, or grilled.

There are keywords that tell you a lot about a dish. Look at how it’s prepared, and avoid words like “sautéed” and “fried” if you’re trying to be healthy. These dishes tend to have a lot of oils and unhealthy fats soaked into the food.

4. Ask how the food is prepared if you’re not sure.

There’s no harm in asking your waiter details about a dish if the menu is vague. If they don’t know, they can find someone who does. People with food allergies have to do this all the time. You have every right to know what you’re eating.

5. Request to sub a salad or steamed veggies for fries.

I love fried food as much as the next person, but do your body a favor and eat some veggies instead. This is hard for me to say because I LOVE fries (more so because they’re a delivery system for ketchup), but if I’m already eating a heavy main dish, I don’t usually miss the fries if I choose a salad or other lighter option instead.

6. Get sauces and dressings on the side.

Restaurants tend to drench food in sauces and dressings, which can be unnecessary because we don’t even want that much sometimes. When in doubt, ask for it on the side so you can control the amount on your food.

7. Don’t assume salads are better.

The worst is when someone is actively trying to eat healthier, so they order a salad thinking they’re making the smart decision. Although salads can definitely be legit, always check the ingredients. Restaurants tend to load them up with enough stuff that they become unhealthy. Couple tips: try oil-based dressing versus creamy; ask for grilled chicken versus crispy; etc.

8. Choose marinara over sauces made with cream, butter, or cheese.

Creamy, cheesy sauces taste like pure heaven, but they tend to be packed with a lot of fat (and oftentimes, saturated fat). If you want to lighten up your meal, going with a tomato-based sauce is an easy solution.

9. Order a small salad as your appetizer before the meal.

If you’re not planning to get veggies with your meal—or maybe you just really love veggies—get a house salad before your main dish. It’s a great way to start feeding your appetite before the heavier main event arrives.

10. Ignore the bread basket or chips and salsa.

The complimentary snacks that come before your meal are the best, but they’re sooo easy to fill up on…because they’re just sitting there all delicious-like. Try to limit yourself to only a little bit, if not avoid it all together. If you have no self-control, just ask your waiter to not bring you any.

11. Eat slowly.

Taking more time to eat your food helps you recognize when you’re getting full. By simply slowing down your chewing, how fast you’re taking bites, and so on, you might find you need less of your meal to be satiated.

12. Drink water.

This goes along with eating slowly. Making sure you drink water throughout your meal is an effective way of feeling fuller faster. I’m not saying chug glass after glass so you don’t have room for your food, but a little H20 can help you fill up on slightly less food (without sacrificing your enjoyment in the meal).

13. If you get a large portion, save part for later.

Restaurant serving sizes are all over the place. More times than not, I find my meal is bigger than my stomach can handle. Boxing up leftovers (or setting aside half from the beginning) can keep you from over-eating. Plus, I’m all about leftovers for lunch the next day.

14. Don’t drink your calories.

One of the simplest ways you can eat healthier at restaurants is to avoid pop, alcohol, and other sugary drinks. Stick to water or unsweetened tea for a super basic drink. Or, if you want something more interesting, get one drink and say no to refills.

15. Skip dessert.

When going out to eat with different groups, I’ve noticed something: some people never get dessert (like me), while others get it pretty much every single time. I’ve found that treating dessert as an occasional treat (rather than a routine splurge) helps me not over-indulge. If you can’t kick the habit, maybe try a post-meal cup of coffee instead, choose a lighter option like sorbet, or share with those you’re with.

And that just about covers it. Although it might not seem worth it to make such little changes, every little bit helps! Especially if you go out to eat all the time, picking up some of these habits can make a big difference in the long run.

After all this talk about restaurants and food, now I’m thinking a Friday night out should be planned…

Bon appétit!

Do you go out to a lot? Or do you tend to cook at home the majority of the time? 

How do you balance healthy eating and splurging when eating at restaurants?