| Eating out is a regular part of modern day | | | | warning if the restaurant doesn't allow you |
| life. Indeed, with our hectic lifestyle, | | | | to add your own dressing - many salad |
| dining in restaurants is almost compulsory. | | | | dressings are heavy in fat. |
| Juggling between a busy work schedule, being | | | | |
| a part time taxi service for your children | | | | 3. Check the Children's Menu |
| and visiting friends there seems to be less | | | | |
| and less time to be able to eat. So we | | | | Even if the main restaurant has healthy |
| naturally turn to eating out. Anything from a | | | | options, many children's menus haven't moved |
| "sandwich to go" to a fast food snack right | | | | with the times and will be full of pizza |
| up to a full restaurant meal, maybe to | | | | slices, deep fried chicken nuggets or even |
| celebrate an anniversary, birthday or just as | | | | fried mozzarella. Double check what is |
| a treat. | | | | offered on the children's menu and don't be |
| | | | afraid to ask for substitutes if it isn't up |
| Some restaurants mark healthier options on | | | | to scratch. |
| their menu, but they're still in the | | | | |
| minority. So what do you do if you want to | | | | 4. Eat Healthy Portion Sizes |
| eat healthily but don't want to opt for yet | | | | |
| another salad? | | | | Sharing dishes are becoming more common. You |
| | | | may be able to share a "platter for two" |
| 1. Read the Restaurant Menu | | | | between three of you. Some starters may be |
| | | | large enough to share even if they're not |
| Even if healthy dishes are specially flagged, | | | | specially marked as being shared. Italian |
| you can get a clue from the description. | | | | restaurants often offer the same dish as a |
| Cream or cheese sauces could be high fat, but | | | | starter or a main course. You may find that |
| if they're only drizzled over the main course | | | | the "starter" size is actually big enough for |
| then maybe not too much damage will be done. | | | | your main. |
| Check how the food is cooked: broiled will be | | | | |
| less fatty than deep fried, for instance. | | | | 5. Check Ethnic Restaurants |
| High sugar content is less easy to judge, | | | | |
| except in the really obvious situations like | | | | Chinese, Indian and other ethnic restaurants |
| a Chinese sweet and sour dish. But if | | | | often encourage the sharing of dishes. The |
| something is glazed, that may well be a clue. | | | | flavors make an exciting alternative to yet |
| If necessary, ask your waitress for more | | | | another pizza or burger. Experiment with a |
| information. Most of them will be glad to | | | | selection of dishes, share rice between two |
| help out. | | | | of you and expand your food horizons at the |
| | | | same time. |
| 2. Go Easy on Fried Foods | | | | |
| | | | Whilst eating healthily at restaurants isn't |
| You've chosen the healthy option of a broiled | | | | always as easy as we'd like, it is certainly |
| fish fillet but what about the fries that | | | | possible and doesn't have fall into the |
| accompany it? Most restaurants will let you | | | | boring category. Indeed, you can use eating |
| swap those fries for something else on the | | | | out to widen your food repertoire and |
| menu but obviously it's your job to remember | | | | experiment with dishes that you wouldn't have |
| to ask. Even salads may need to come with a | | | | the time or patience to create at home. |