Eating Healthy When Eating Out

More than ever, Americans are eating meals away from home and spending almost half of their food budget on foods eaten outside the home. In 2004, American restaurants reached $440 billion dollars in sales, up from $280 billion in 1994. Eating out can be a challenge for many people who are on a weight loss program or those who are trying to eat a heart-healthy diet. The reasons for the challenge, as well as some strategies for overcoming it, are described in this article. It is important to remember that these strategies are presented only as guidelines for people interested in eating heart-healthy foods. None of this information is presented in the form of what people “should” or “should not” be eating. Each person makes that choice for him or herself. People interested in additional information or dietary recommendations are encouraged to contact a licensed or registered dietitian.

Heart healthy dining out strategies

There are a few strategies that you can use when eating out to ensure that you will eat a more heart-healthy meal:

Begin by planning ahead and choosing a restaurant that offers heart-healthy options. For example, call the restaurant in advance and ask about their menu, if substitutions can be made for a meal and whether they are willing to prepare foods to meet your dietary needs.
If you frequently dine out, develop a list of restaurants in your area that meet your nutritional goals. Try to avoid those restaurants that may be challenging such as buffets or all-you-can-eat establishments. Most restaurants are happy to adjust their menu items to meet your needs. Dining out can also be a wonderful opportunity for increasing the variety in your diet. For example, if you usually don’t eat fish at home, choose a sushi or seafood restaurant.

Once you have chosen a restaurant, the next challenge will be making a selection from the menu. Ideally, the meal should be flavorful and enjoyable as well as nutritious and heart- healthy. Therefore, when making a selection, consider the calorie, fat and salt content as well as nutritional value of the foods to be consumed. For example, an order of fried onion rings as an appetizer will provide a lot of calories, fat and salt, but not much nutrition. Instead start with a small tossed salad (with a low fat dressing or vinaigrette on the side) or a broth-based vegetable or bean soup. These selections will provide plenty of heart-healthy nutrition and fiber without the added fat or salt.

Once you have navigated through the restaurant selection and menu choices, you will be faced with the last challenge: serving sizes. The menu portions of food served at most restaurants are usually much larger than the recommended serving sizes. Some strategies to controlling serving sizes are:
- Ordering your entrée from the appetizer section of the menu
- Sharing an entrée with a friend
- Asking the waiter to only bring half the entrée and wrapping-up the other half to take home