Restaurants are setting you up to fail: Low-calorie dishes can have boatloads of sodium. Even savory dishes like ribs can pack almost 100 grams of sugar.
And now a recent study shows that a full 92 percent of restaurant entrees across the country have more calories than an average adult should eat in one sitting — a whopping 1,205 calories.
But you can beat the odds, according to Prevention magazine, published by Rodale Inc. of Emmaus. Here's how savvy nutritionists dine out without overdoing it.
SWITCH SIDE DISHES
1. Often it's not the main element of the meal that's the problem — it's the sides. A 6 oz. grilled chicken breast has just 260 calories. A pair of eggs over easy has just 180. But that mound of hash browns or mashed potatoes on the side?
But you can beat the odds, according to Prevention magazine, published by Rodale Inc. of Emmaus. Here's how savvy nutritionists dine out without overdoing it.
SWITCH SIDE DISHES
1. Often it's not the main element of the meal that's the problem — it's the sides. A 6 oz. grilled chicken breast has just 260 calories. A pair of eggs over easy has just 180. But that mound of hash browns or mashed potatoes on the side?
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| Top 3 health tips: Ways to eat out without gaining weight |
Those can add well over 400 calories to your meal. So always ask to swap out heavy starchy sides, says Georgie Fear, author of "Lean Habits For Lifelong Weight Loss." At breakfast, replace hash browns with a side of fruit, whole-wheat toast, or grilled tomato slices. At lunch and dinner, nix rice or mashed potatoes in favor of any veggie you can get your hands on.
SLURP SOUP
2. One study from Penn State found that starting with a broth-based soup led people to eat 20 percent fewer calories during lunch than non-soup eaters. Plus, compared to traditional appetizers, soup offers big calorie savings: A cup of the average miso soup has less than 100 calories (sometimes as low as 50!). A dinner roll, by comparison, has around 150 calories, and just 14 measly tortilla chips has about 300 calories — that's before you add the butter or guac!
HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE
3. Restaurants will dole out as much tap water as you want for no charge — so take advantage of that. Research shows that drinking water before meals can help you fill up, eat less, and lose weight. Don't think that zero-calorie diet drinks will work in water's place, though: A recent study showed that people who drank water with lunch lost more weight than people who drank diet soda.
www.prevention.com
SLURP SOUP
2. One study from Penn State found that starting with a broth-based soup led people to eat 20 percent fewer calories during lunch than non-soup eaters. Plus, compared to traditional appetizers, soup offers big calorie savings: A cup of the average miso soup has less than 100 calories (sometimes as low as 50!). A dinner roll, by comparison, has around 150 calories, and just 14 measly tortilla chips has about 300 calories — that's before you add the butter or guac!
HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE
3. Restaurants will dole out as much tap water as you want for no charge — so take advantage of that. Research shows that drinking water before meals can help you fill up, eat less, and lose weight. Don't think that zero-calorie diet drinks will work in water's place, though: A recent study showed that people who drank water with lunch lost more weight than people who drank diet soda.
www.prevention.com
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