Going Out to Eat

Probably the best way to make sure that you are eating a healthy meal is to prepare it yourself and eat it at home. Still....in the real world....that's not always possible. You find yourself away from home. You decide you would like to have a bit of a social life and go out with friends. You want to go on a date. Whatever; there are times when eating at home is just not available and you will be visiting whatever fine dinning establishment you enjoy.

Nothing wrong with that...provided you remember a few key points:

1. Restaurants try to make their food as tasty as possible. This means adding flavor like salt, sugar, FATS, and all kinds of chemical enhancements. Keep in mind that, no matter what you eat, you will probably go way over your daily allotment of calories, sodium, and fat. That's why it's not a good idea to eat out very often.

2. Restaurants provide whopping sized portions. People instinctively like to eat at places where they feel they are getting their money's worth....whether it's actually a value or not. This is evident in fast food places where you can "supersize" an order for an extra buck to get a few pennies more of fries. Don't throw out the idea of portion control just because you're eating out, it's probably more important than ever. Ask for a doggie bag. One thing I often do is order from the senior menu; the choices are generally smaller with portions, which I suppose is based on the assumption that old people don't need as much food.

3. Drink water. Not having a big glass, or two, or three of fizzy sugar water can cut your calorie count for a meal in half. Give up soda pop...your pancreas will thank you.

All in all...it's good to go out and enjoy life and eating good food is one of life's biggest joys. Make it a treat though, instead of a lifestyle.