Perhaps you saw today’s headline: “Want Healthy Food? Don’t Eat Out.” As a PhD nutritionist and author of Eat Out Healthy, the article was not at all surprising to me. Restaurant meals are VERY large (and therefore, very high in calories) – many have as many calories as we need for the ENTIRE day! And, yes, chefs add about as much sodium as one needs for the whole day in just ONE MEAL.

Yet, we love to eat out! And, many people, including myself have to eat out because we travel for work. So…what’s a person to do?? Keep these tips in mind:

• Quit the Clean Plate Club! The guy in the back of the kitchen doesn’t know how many calories you need – everyone gets served way too much! Remember, if you eat just 100 calories more than your body needs….you’ll put on 10# in a year. That’s just a couple of bites!
• It’s “Waste” or “Waist.” If you leave food on your plate, yes, you will be wasting food. BUT, if you eat it more than your body needs, it becomes part of your WAIST! So, it’s a waist/waste either way!
• Pick and Choose. Instead of choosing one food from each section of the menu, be selective. What are you craving today? Pick just one of those cravings for today!
• Downsize and Share. Share an entree or a sandwich with a friend. You might want to add an extra salad, fruit cup, or dish of veggies.
• Simplify. Most dishes contain more toppings than you would probably add at home. Why not ask for the menu item to be prepared without butter, oil, cheese, mayo, etc? Each reduction will prompt a calorie savings – and will probably save plenty of grams of sodium, too.

Yes, restaurant meals are high calorie, but it doesn’t have to be a death sentence. Adapt and adjust and you can still eat out healthy! Check out Dr. Jo’s Eat Out Healthy videos on youtube.