4 Golden Tips to Stay Stuck to Your Health Goals while Eating in a Restaurant

Eating in restaurants brings fun to our lives. The pleasant glowing lighting, equally pleasant music if any, the polite behavior of the restaurant staff and of course, the delicious food served to us without making any efforts are a few of the features of restaurants due to which we find restaurants so delightful. But it has a downside. According to studies, eating out is associated to overeating and wrong food choices. So, what if you want to stick to your fitness goals, but also want to enjoy eating out? Here are a few tips.

1. Read the Menu Beforehand

Restaurants like those in the famous chain of restaurants “Golden Corral” provide menu on their website. This comes in handy, as you can read the Golden Corral menu before you visit the restaurant and can decide what healthy dishes you can order. Normally you’re likely to order unhealthy foods when hungry. The sight and smell of food can make it tough for you to stick to your health plan, particularly if you’re hungry.

In that case, if you decide what to order before reaching the restaurant, your job of going as per your plan becomes much easier and you’re less likely to regret later.

2. Consider Having a Healthy Snack before You Arrive

If you’re hungry when you arrive at the restaurant, you’re quite likely to eat too much. To prevent this, you can avoid arriving hungry by eating a healthy snack before you get there.

For example, you can eat a fruit or healthy and tasty veggie like carrots and tomatoes, or a low-calorie, high-protein snack like yogurt. This will make you feel more full and prevent you from overeating.

3. Drink Water Before and During the Meal

Water is a great drink that you can have before and along with your meal, particularly if you drink it in place of artificially sweetened drinks.

Replacing sugar-sweetened drinks with water can help you reduce your calorie and sugar intake.

A study has shown that individuals on a diet who had 500ml (17 oz) of water half an hour before a meal consumed fewer calories and lost 44% more weight than those who didn’t.

4. Try Eating Carefully

Eating carefully means making wise food choices and giving your full attention to the eating process. Instead of starting eating as soon as the dishes are served, consider savoring the flavors and aromas of the food and also the feelings and thoughts you get while eating.

Such mindful eating has bee linked to healthier food choices in restaurants. It can also help improve your self-control and stop you from overeating.

If you follow these tips, you can enjoy eating the yummy food in restaurants and maintain your health goals at the same time. Bon appetite!