This post is Sponsored By The Cheesecake Factory. It’s Skinny. It’s Delicious. It’s Skinny. It’s Delicious. It’s SkinnyLicious?.
When it comes to eating out my Mom is the world’s easiest mark. She will sit down with plans to eat healthy, but all is lost the minute the waiter says, “We have some amazing specials tonight!” or “Did you see our appetizers are half off?” Later, as we stumble out to the parking lot, she always turns to me and grouses, “Why did you let me eat all that?”
Hey… I get it. Eating healthy at restaurants is hard. I too have entered a restaurant or seventy with the best of intentions only to later make the “walk of shame” to the parking lot in a chicken wings/cheeseburger/chocolate cake induced stupor.
What’s that? You have too? It’s an epidemic, I tell you! Well, have no fear, folks. I have come up with five tips that can help anyone eat healthy at a restaurant no matter how amazing the specials are.
- Look For Healthy Options – Many restaurants now have a selection of healthy, low-calorie meals to choose from that taste nothing like diet food. Eat one of these surprisingly yummy items and make the walk of shame to the parking lot a thing of the past!
- Pick Your Meal Before You Go – The menu for almost every restaurant can be found online these days. Pick out a healthy meal before you leave home and avoid making a bad choice in the heat of the moment. Heck, you won’t even have to open the menu and be tempted by its mega calorie meals!
- Refuse Bread and Appetizers – Most people look at these as a “warm up” to their meal, but the reality is that these warm-ups pack more calories than a lot of entrees. Split an appetizer with your date and eat a couple pieces of buttered breads and you’ve likely had close to (or more than) a thousand calories! And that’s before your entree! Just say no to these empty calories and eat ONLY your entree. Oh, and it goes without saying, but skip dessert too.
- Shut Down Your Waiter – Don’t let these calorie pushers give you their spiel. When they start talking about their glorious specials, cut them off and say, “Thanks, but I already know what I am going to have.”
- Visualize Your Evening Ahead Of Time – Going out to eat isn’t only about stuffing your face, it’s also about enjoying the restaurant’s ambiance and the company of your friends or relatives. Is there a section of the restaurant with a view that you enjoy? Call ahead and reserve a table there. Have things you want to discuss with your dinner companions? Make a list of them ahead of time so that your conversation becomes the focus of the evening and not pigging out.
My Mom, upon hearing these tips, said “Great ideas, honey. But I raised you better than to cut off a waiter!” So maybe politely stop the waiter from starting his spiel.
What other tips do you have for eating healthy at restaurants?
Kristen McD says:
In addition to looking at the menu online, double check the nutritional information. I had a HALF salad at a chain yesterday and that sucker not only had 600 calories – but almost 1700mg of sodium.
Pattie says:
I second what Kirsten McD says — I’ve gotten into the habit of looking up the nutritional info for whatever it is I think I’ll be ordering at a restaurant. The amount of sodium in restaurant food is unbelievable.
My best tip for eating better when I eat out is that I halve the entree, sub, whatever, since portions are so big. It goes from being my dinner to being my dinner and lunch the next day.
Steph says:
if it says “cristpy” that means its fried, a no-no. if it is labeled “creamy” also a no-no. ask for sauces and dressings on the side. those waiters can be so persuasive!
jewel says:
Your mom is right. As someone who has waited tables all through my undergrad and grad school and also as a second job, I can tell you that servers see this as incredibly rude. When someone cuts us off (which actually doesn’t happen all that often) it feels like the you must not even realize that we are people. You would never do that to someone you just met who is being polite to you in other situations. Better to just nod politely (you don’t even have to actually listen). The server doesn’t really care what you order, as long as you’re happy, so after they give their spiel (which usually takes less than a minute, or more likely less than 30 seconds), just say, “Thanks! I’ll have the Pear and Endive Salad with the dressing on the side and a Diet Coke!” or whatever. Also, many restaurants have “secret shoppers” (including the sponsor of this post) and if you don’t let the server do things the way the restaurant wants, the server will be nervous the whole rest of the night that you may have been one (you would think that secret shoppers would just let the experience unfold and then evaluate, but they don’t always. For example, they will say “Oh, no dessert, don’t even show us the menu.” and then score you a zero for offering the dessert menu). The restaurants often give much weight to these scores and people are even fired over them. Don’t ruin the server’s night by making them worry like that! Mostly though, it is just rude.
Rachel Langer says:
Oh curse those secret shoppers! I always sweat it out that I am going to fail one of those things when I forget to feature that butter-laden-steak.
Casey says:
Great tips…but I have to say – skipping dessert is great, but not if I’m at the Cheesecake Factory! LOL – there is no way I’m skipping dessert at that place!
liz says:
ask for a box when the meal comes, so you just put half or more away… if you don’t see it, you won’t pick at it!
Me says:
This works great for me!
Procrastamom says:
Here’s a tip: Don’t live in Canada where there are no Cheesecake Factories (*sob*).
Rebecca says:
Eat healthy well balanced meals at home and splurge when you go out. You deserve it for eating healthy and right at home. And ask for seconds on the bread and pour on extra olive oil and Parmesan cheese
Irene says:
I’ve found I can keep myself from eating the large portions most restaurants serve by promising myself I can eat the leftovers tomorrow. If it tasted good, I always used to eat everything because I told myself it was “too good to let it go to waste.” Now I think about how nice it will be to have the leftovers for lunch the next day, and I ask for a box the minute I feel full. I also try to divide up the food on my plate almost immediately after being served, so I can see how much I plan to eat now and what I plan to take home.
TracyKM says:
My big tip is to read Gary Taube’s “Why We Get Fat”. Calories don’t matter; it’s the amount of carbs that matter. If you eat low carb, you can eat how ever much protein and fat you want. It’s awesome. Fat doesn’t make you fat. Carbs tell your cells to hold on to fat (that is a VERY simplified definition).
Rachel Langer says:
As a (part time) server, I know all to well the trap of delicious looking, artery clogging food. I WOULD say however, that instead of being your enemy, your server is your greatest asset. Restaurants WANT people to come and enjoy them, even for their healthy food. Most servers are drilled on the ingredients of their dishes. If you tell them right off the bat that you are eating healthy, they will most likely know the best options, and be able to romance a few choices for you. I always have my healthy choices at the ready, because if my regulars leave happy and without regret, they will come back to see me! Just be clear about the experience you want, and your server will likely do all they can to provide it for you. Obviously not if you’re headed into a restaurant called Fried Fred’s, but within reason.
Also, most people are under the impression that salads are automatically a better side than fries. I’m here to tell you that if you order the regular salad, the fat content in the dressing (combined with any crispy noodles or croutons) almost ALWAYS rivals the fries for lack-of-health. Caesar salad is especially bad. If you want a healthy alternative for a side, go with steamed veggies, or as for a light dressing option or oil and vinegar on the side. This is the only way to make that salad for fries sacrifice worth it.
Hope that’s helpful. If you’re ever in Vancouver, come see me and I’ll order you healthy and delicious food that will make you a regular!!