When you’re trying to eat healthier, you might avoid going out to restaurants for lunch or dinner since it can be more difficult to control portions and ingredients. Fortunately, with some minor menu adjustments, there are several ways to make dining out diet-friendly. Here’s how to stay healthy when you go out to eat. 

4 Ways to Make Dining Out Healthy

1. Eat Smaller Portions 

Even if not listed on the menu, restaurants may offer half or quarter-sized portions of entrees. If not, ask them to box up half of the meal. You can enjoy the leftovers the next day and will have one less meal to cook.

If you dine with friends and family, share large salads and entrees. Eat a piece of fruit, whole-grain crackers, or carrot sticks before you leave so you're not ordering on an empty stomach.

2. Get Sauces on the Side 

Though they often don’t taste heavy, sauces can contain high sodium, sugar, and fat content. Soy sauce, for instance, can have over 5,000mg of sodium per serving.

Similarly, ranch and blue cheese dressings contain heavy creams that have as much as 15 to 20 grams of fat per tablespoon. Skip the sauces, condiments, and dressings, or ask for them on the side. 

3. Drink Water

Sodas, sweetened teas, and juices contain sugars that cause insulin levels to rise, making you feel hungrier and more prone to overeating. Skip sweet drinks and go for water instead. If you drink a glass or two of water before the food arrives, you’ll feel fuller and be less likely to overeat. If you order wine, choose from the reds, since they do not raise glucose levels as much as white varieties.

4. Substitute Vegetables or Whole Grains

While browsing the menu, look for opportunities to swap out certain ingredients for veggies and whole grains. For example, you can order a turkey burger on a lettuce wrap instead of a bun, or get a veggie pizza with light cheese on a multigrain crust.

Cut down on carbs by replacing rice with quinoa and ordering a side salad or cooked vegetables in lieu of fries or potatoes.

Enjoy a healthy lunch or dinner out on the town by dining at JC Supper Club. This barbecue restaurant offers chicken, fish, shrimp, and steak dishes, including lighter grilled options, to clients throughout St. Louis, MO. Call (314) 755-1923 to make a reservation or place an order for pickup, and visit the website to browse their full menu.