Eating Out When You’re On a Diet

It’s a dilemma many dieters face: is it possible to eat out while you’re trying to lose weight? Or do you need to stay in while friends are out living it up? Some diet plans are so rigid that there’s no room for eating out anyway – like the cookie plan or the cabbage soup diet.

In a few cases, it might be appropriate to avoid eating out. Perhaps you’re in the first few days of your diet and trying to get off to a really good start – or perhaps you’re trying hard to get back onto the dieting wagon. Usually, though, I believe that if eating out is part of your “normal” life, then you definitely should continue to eat out when you’re on a diet. Otherwise, you won’t really be changing your eating habits for good.

So how can dieters eat out without undoing all that hard work?

Don’t Arrive Hungry

If you’re already starving when you arrive at the restaurant, it’s going to be much harder to make sensible choices. Have a light snack before you go out, if necessary – especially if you’ll be eating later than your usual meal-time.

Focus on Starters

The “starters” menu can really help when you’re on a diet. If you’re having two courses, it’s almost always healthier to have a starter and entree rather than an entree and a dessert. At restaurants where you know the serving sizes are generous, you might opt for just a starter (perhaps with a side salad) as a smaller meal.

Check Calorie Counts

Some restaurants provide nutritional information, and others don’t. If you’re going to a chain restaurant, it’s worth checking their website in advance – look to see if they provide calorie and fat counts.

You may find that there are specific “light” options on the menu: here in the UK, Pizza Express has recently started doing leggera pizzas that contain around 500 calories each.

What Foods to Go For

If you haven’t got any calorie information to help out, safe bets include:

Vegetable soups (avoid “cream of”)
Fish – grilled or poached
Tomato-based sauces on pasta
Chicken – remove the skin to save a lot of calories

You’ll want to avoid anything with batter or pastry, or which has been fried. Do ask your waiter how dishes are prepared, if the menu doesn’t make it clear, and request dressings to be omitted or served on the side so that you can control how much you add.

The Salad Trap

Many dieters go straight to the “salads” section of the menu, but this can be a mistake. It’s easy to pack calories into a salad with oily dressings, mayo, cheeses, bacon bits, croutons, and other calorie-dense items. Salads which are based on potato or pasta are also unlikely to come in as diet-friendly options.

Alcoholic Drinks

For some of us, it’s not the food we consume when we’re out that takes a calorific toll – it’s the alcohol. A small glass of wine contains around 100 calories, and a pint of beer is about 200. A single shot (25ml) of spirits is 50 calories – and that’s before you add a mixer. Alternating your alcoholic drinks with glasses of water isn’t just good for your diet, it’s likely to prevent a hangover the next day!

Dessert or Not?

For many people – and I include myself here! – a meal out simply doesn’t feel complete without something sweet at the end. Unfortunately, desserts can easily back in upwards of 500 calories – and for a slab of cheesecake or an ice-cream sundae, that could shoot up to 1,000 or more. If you’re a small woman, that’s most of your day’s allowance!

If you can’t resist dessert, try:

Having a coffee instead
Splitting a desert with a friend
Opting for sorbet, frozen yoghurt or fruit

Do you find yourself turning down invitations because you’re worried about blowing your diet? Or do you manage a good balance between enjoying yourself and limiting the calorific damage? Let us know in the comments.

Written by Ali Hale

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