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Eating Heart Healthy When Dining Out: 10 Tips

It can be intimidating to walk into a restaurant when you are on a diet and trying to monitor your intake of fats and cholesterol. Is it even possible to stay on a healthy eating plan and dine out? The answer is yes. With a little advanced planning and some survival strategies, it’s actually quite possible to eat healthy while dining out. Most restaurants offer a multitude of delicious options that are good for your heart. Some even devote a portion of their menus to meals that are low in both fat and cholesterol.

In general, healthy eating involves careful consideration, planning ahead, and motivating yourself to stick to your plan. The same philosophy applies when you decide to dine out. There are healthy choices and unhealthy choices. Here are strategies to help you continue to eat healthy and heart smart:

1. If you are familiar with the restaurant, decide ahead of time what to order to avoid tempting choices on the menu. If you’re not familiar, take your time to review the choices, selecting a meal you know to be healthy.

2. Drink a full glass of water before your food arrives. To go with your meal, order water, sparkling water, iced tea, or nonfat milk. This will help you to fill up and reduce the chance of nibbling prior to the meal and overeating during the meal. If you do order an appetizer, make choices such as fresh fruit, bean or broth-based soups, raw vegetables with low-fat dip, humus with pita bread, shrimp cocktail (but go easy on the cocktail sauce, which is high in sodium), or salad with low-fat dressing.

3. Avoid temptations, such as white bread and butter, by asking the waiter not to bring them to the table. If you’d like bread with your meal, make a whole-grain selection and eat it without butter or margarine.

4. Avoid dishes made with significant amounts of cheese or cream as well as those loaded with saturated fats and salt, such as fatty cuts of meat and cured meats like bacon, ham, and salami. Instead choose skinless chicken, fish, and lean meats. Choose items that are grilled, broiled, or steamed over fried or breaded foods, which are high in trans fats.

5. Substitute healthy options, such as fruits, vegetables or a salad, for chips, French fries, coleslaw, or greasy side dishes. Fill up on these healthy sides rather than the main course.

6. Choose “light” options, balsamic vinaigrette, vinegar, or squeezed lemon as a dressings on salads. Ask your server to bring the dressing on the side then control the amount you use; resist pouring all of it on your salad.

7. When in doubt, ask the waiter to substitute low-fat options for high-fat foods. If you’re not sure how something is prepared, ask. Many restaurants are happy to accept requests for “lighter” cooking options, such as steaming instead of frying.

8. At salad bars, skip eggs, bacon bits, cheese, croutons, regular dressings, cream cheese, and other high-fat options.

9. If different portion sizes are available, choose the smaller ones or share a larger portion with a friend. You may also ask for an appetizer or side-dish portion.

10. If you elect to have dessert, keep your low-fat goals in mind. Choose sorbet, low-fat frozen yogurt, fruit, coffee, or a low-fat cappuccino. If you must have a higher-fat and higher-calorie option, consider splitting it with someone else.