How to Eat Healthy at Restaurants: 5 Tips for Cleaner Eating

Are you trying to stick to a clean diet but need convenient places to eat during your trip? Learn about how to eat healthy at restaurants.

Committing to healthy eating doesn’t mean you have to stop enjoying a relaxing meal at your favorite restaurant. Eating healthy is a lifestyle choice, which means you should be able to maintain your healthy habit reasonably.

If you want to eat out while keeping your commitment to healthy eating, here are 5 tips on how to eat healthy at restaurants

1. Plan Ahead

There are many healthy restaurant options to choose from and most restaurants have a section on the menu for health-conscious eaters.

Do your research and check out the menu of the restaurant before you arrive. You can also search online for the healthiest restaurant meals to get an idea of what you should order. If you plan ahead, you’ll be able to enjoy eating out while staying healthy.

2. Get Sauces And Dressing on the Side

Those delicious sauces and dressings at the restaurant are typically jam-packed with unhealthy ingredients and high in calories. When you are focused on eating healthy at restaurants, it’s best to ask for the sauces and dressings on the side.

By doing this, you can control the amount of sauce or dressing you are eating, which helps you enjoy your food without over-indulging.

3. Make Healthy Swaps

It’s common to ask for food swaps at a restaurant and asking for healthy food swaps is no exception.

Request veggies instead of fries, fruits instead of carb-loaded desserts and if you see an organic food option, be sure to add it to your plate. Swap out fatty meats for lean cuts and water or unsweetened tea for sugary drinks. You can also request double or triple the vegetables to make sure your plate is mostly healthy.

This is a great habit to create for when you are clean eating at restaurants.

4. Eat a Healthy Snack Before You Arrive

Eat a healthy snack before you dine out so you are not hungry when you arrive at the restaurant.

Your impulse to order high-calories foods increases if you order a meal while hungry. Eating a healthy snack is also beneficial in case you have limited healthy options.

You’ll eat less of the unhealthy foods while still enjoying your meal and your company at the restaurant.

5. Eat Half of Everything

In some cases, the restaurant you are dining at may not have the best healthy options. While there are many clean eating at restaurants, for some the theme is decadence so healthy options are limited.

Committing to healthy eating does not mean giving up everything, it means implementing moderation into your daily food choices. If you find yourself dining in a restaurant without any healthy options, a good trick is to eat half of everything.

You can ask the waiter or waitress to bring half your food to the table and pack up the other half in a to-go box. This way, you can have whatever your heart desires, including dessert, without over-indulging in high-calorie foods.

How to Eat Healthy at Restaurants: The Bottom Line

By following these tips on how to eat healthy at restaurants, you’ll be able to enjoy a nice meal out while sticking to your healthy eating plan.

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