Health Tips

With back to back meetings, doctor's appointments, soccer games, shopping trips and everything else on your plate, it is no wonder that you might not have time to pay attention to what is on your plate at restaurants. Planning ahead is a requirement to ensure that you don't overeat, make bad decisions and pay for it later. Pay attention to these tips now to avoid the consequences later!

1. Understand that you have the ultimate control over how you eat the food that you order at restaurants. Even though the menu might list the ingredients the way the food is normally cooked, who says it can't be modified to suit your tastes? Ask for your chicken to be cooked in less butter, check to see if there is an option for whole wheat bread and pasta and ask for your veggies to be steamed instead of cooked in butter. It is your money, so spend it how you want it spent!

2. Restaurant servers are trained to entice you to order appetizers and desserts and even accept a second basket of chips when the first is not even empty. Simply inform your server before he or she refills your basket that you would not like a refill. If you decide to order from the dessert menu, ask for half of it in a box to go or share it with a friend.

3. Avoid foods that are cooked with the terms 'fried', 'crispy', 'battered', and 'saucy'. Ask for your chicken to be grilled or roasted even if the description doesn't call for it. Remember, it is your choice.

4. Plan ahead. Most restaurants have websites that list their menus and nutritional information. Use it! Before leaving your house, check out the websites since most printed menus don't list this information. Decide what you will order before you get to the restaurant so you are not tempted by the nice colorful photos on the menu.

Be aware of the foods you eat when you are eating out and ask for what you want!

by Kim Farmer