In my journey to a healthier lifestyle and to shed myself of the pounds, one of the things that I have found to be the most challenging is eating out. When I am at home and whipping up something in the kitchen, I know what I’m cooking, exactly what ingredients are going into what I eat, and it’s easy to formulate the calorie content. Going out for dinner and reading a menu can be like trying to find your way through the jungle. The good thing is, most restaurants now offer an online menu with nutritional information, so if you plan ahead, you can decide what you want before you get there, and not be faced with any distractions. If that isn’t the case, there are actually words that should send up red flags when you are ordering and wanting to make healthy choices, becasue more often than not, these words mean unhealthy choices.
Since SparkPeople shared those words with me today, I thought it would be great to spread the wealth and share them with you.
Watch out for these Words when Reading the Menu:
- Breaded
- Fried-Deep Fried
- Creamed- Creamy
- Béarnaise or hollandaise
- White sauce
- Crispy
- Cheesy
- Buttery
- Loaded
- Bottomless
- “Bet you can’t finish it.”
- Au gratin
- Country Style
- Volcano
As you can see there is quite a list, but luckily there is also a list of healthy words to watch for that generally indicates that the item is a healthier option. Those words are:
Healthier Words to Watch for:
- Steamed
- Reduced
- Baked
- Marinated
- Seasoned
- Fat-Free
- Whole Wheat
- Multi-grain
- Vegetarian
- Light
- High Fiber
- Fresh
- Red Sauce
- Vinaigrette
With a little plannning you can stay on track with healthy eating even when you eat out. It doesn’t mean you shouldn’t deprive yourself and never have a treat, but it means that eating out doesn’t have to derail your efforts. Also, don’t hesitate to ask for substitutions. Some restaurants may charge a small fee, but I don’t mind paying extra for a baked potato instead of having french fries. The calories and fat start adding up when you make little changes.