This is one of the most common queries that people who want to get on a diet often ask – “Is it okay to eat out while losing weight?” Though experts recommend sticking to home-cooked food when trying to shed extra pounds, dining out once in a while is something we would recommend because it helps you to satisfy cravings as well as reset the metabolism. But do schedule eating out to align with your cheat meal because too many trips to restaurants can hamper your progress, particularly if you are not careful about what’s coming on the plate. For someone who has started on a diet plan, it can be a dicey situation where you don’t want to pass the opportunity to socialize and get together with family and friends while eating out, but do not want to get off the weight loss wagon by indulging in guilty food. But we, at Rati Beauty, do not want you to stop having fun, and also would encourage you to treat yourself after a full week of adhering to the diet and exercise strictly. However, as a beginner, you might be confused on what to eat while dining out and want to cautiously pick the right options in order to avoid sabotaging a whole week’s progress. Whether you like Indian, Mexican, Chinese, Thai, Lebanese, when dining out, there are myriad healthy options for those counting calories and watching weight. To help you out, here’s a list of 8 Things To Order When Eating Out. But first, a few tips while ordering food:
9 Expert Tips While Eating Out:
1. They serve large portion sizes in restaurants, so do practice mindful eating, and go for a second helping only if you are not full.
2. Luckily, there are restaurants that cater to the needs of the health-conscious junta. Do not hesitate to ask what’s in your food, it’s the food that you would be eating and would be paying for, so have every right to ask questions about the ingredients and cooking style. Avoid anything with transfat, heavy cream, or high-calorie ingredients.
3. Avoid the bread basket. While waiting for your food to arrive, avoid picking on things in the bread basket because you can easily pile on extra calories (most of them are made with refined flour) and they do not make you full either.
4. Avoid deeply fried food – steamed, boiled, shallow fried, grilled are some good options.
5. Avoid eating at fast food joints, even their salads are far from healthy.
6. Starting the meal with a bowl of salad or soup can cut down significant calories from the main meal.
7. Eat desserts slowly, by the third bite, you would push the plate away.
8. Make sure there’s a protein source on your plate – it can be chicken, fish, tofu, paneer, beans or anything that spells PROTEIN. This single macronutrient would keep you fuller and help burn significant calories.
9. Order food in a bowl – Research says that eating from a small bowl can help cut portion size and calories as well. Also, replacing a large meal plate with a bowl would trick your brain into eating less calories – it would make us feel fuller with a small amount of food.
8 Things To Order When Eating Out:
1. Chickpea Salad: This salad makes a complete and satisfying meal with protein from chickpeas, healthy fats from avocados and olive oil, and ample nutrients from veggies like cucumber, tomato, bell peppers, etc. Also read: “9 Interesting Ways to Eat More Vegetables for Weight Loss.”
2. Broccoli Chicken Bowl: Order yourself a full bowl of goodness with complex carbs from brown rice, protein from chicken, and vitamin C and other nutrients from broccoli.
3. Whole Wheat Pasta: Who says you cannot have pasta while trying to lose weight? Just make sure it’s a whole wheat pasta with complex carbs.
4. Grilled Paneer: Absolutely yum – grilled paneer tastes delicious with minimum amount of seasoning.
5. Spicy Cauliflower Rice: From pulao to biryani, restaurants are offering cauliflower in different variations – you can even order spicy Mexican cauliflower rice off the menu.
6. Thin Crust Pizza: Opting for a thin crust pizza would mean that you are cutting out the extra calories (less of refined flour, less salt), and get more toppings like veggies.
7. Lentil and Quinoa Salad: Nutritious, weight-loss friendly, lentil and quinoa salad will keep you fuller for longer without upsetting your progress.
8. Dark Chocolate Ganache Truffle: Dark chocolate is full of antioxidants, curbs cravings for sweet treats, boosts metabolism, and also helps in reducing stress – and no one’s gonna stop you from ordering dark chocolate ganache truffle as a dessert.
Summing up, here’s one more tip – you don’t have to finish everything on the plate, if you feel fuller, and have leftover food, you can pack a doggy bag. Also, do download the Rati Beauty app for your weight loss diet plans.
9 Interesting Ways to Eat More Vegetables for Weight Loss
12 Ways Dark Chocolate can Help you Lose Weight
