Yes, I LOVE to cook, but I also LOVE eating out at restaurants.
Clients always ask about healthy tips for ordering in and eating out so I’ve gathered some of my favorite tips.
My typical rule of thumb when eating out (and eating, in general) is to enjoy yourself fully. If 80% of the week, you’re eating “Be Well with Arielle” approved foods and recipes, then 20% of the time, I say eat and enjoy yourself without overthinking it.
Here are some tips to keep you sane, your mind on all of the more important things in life AND your eyes on those bikinis for summer.
Arielle’s Best Tips for Ordering in, Taking Out and Eating Out at Restaurants:
– Start off with salad: No matter what you’re eating (Japanese, Italian, Mexican etc) start off with a salad. Eating salad ensures that you’re getting some phytonutrients from vegetables (the nutrients that give the vegetable color, plus what makes your skin glow and has all the fiber). If you fill up on salad, you’ll be less likely to overindulge the rest of the meal and scarf down the entire dessert. Feel free to share another appetizer, but always try to start off with a salad too!
– Salad Dressing: When ordering salads, ask for dressing on the side and order oil and vinegar or a few slices of lemon to squeeze on top. Don’t dowse it with oil, though: 2 teaspoons of oil (the size of a golf ball) is the recommended amount per salad serving. (If you’re ordering in, try out my fave Mustard Vinaigrette Salad Dressing salad dressing).
– What to Order: Vegetables, beans, lentils, soups, tempeh, non-gluten whole grains like brown rice, quinoa, millet, amaranth, buckwheat soba noodles, wild fish and lots of veggies! (If you’re going to eat animal protein, opt for wild fish and shellfish, grass-fed and organic beef, pasture-raised (free range/organic) chicken and turkey, and pasture-raised eggs when possible. If it doesn’t say on the menu if it’s grass-fed or organic, ask!)
– Veggies: I say eat as much as you want! However, be mindful that restaurants usually add tons of oil, seasonings and even sugar to them to bring out the taste. Ask for steamed or “lightly sauteed” vegetables to ensure that they’re not using added ingredients and condiments. Often veggies are offered as side dishes so feel free to order 1-3 sides instead of an entree.
– Sushi: Ask for brown rice instead of white rice and avoid rolls with fried ingredients (usually referred to as “crunchy” or tempura). Lay off the soy sauce (contains wheat) and instead,, ask if they have tamari (wheat-free soy sauce). Eel Sauce and brown sauces usually have soy sauce, MSG and sugar added and “spicy sauce” is made of mayo so try to opt for another sauce. Don’t order baby fish eggs (which sometime contain MSG in them). Also – take note that California rolls are made with imitation crab meat which is made of tons of ingredients that are not easy to pronounce or digest. Like any processed food item that has various stabilizers, preservatives, sugar and added sodium, its best to be avoided. Instead, eat the fish! If you don’t like raw, ask for cooked and mix it up with sashimi (fish only) and/or maki rolls. Load up on the ginger and wasabi that comes alongside your sushi, (sometimes they add sugar to them) but ginger and wasabi are both great for revving up your digestion and metabolism! I would suggest 1-2 rolls with salad and soup as a meal.
-Breakfast: most egg sandwiches nowadays – whether you order it from the deli, Starbucks or even a restaurant, make it in microwaves from frozen, not-so-good quality ingredients. To opt for the freshest meal possible, order oatmeal or 2% or whole yogurt (plain and organic if possible) with a side of nuts. If you want to sweeten the oatmeal or yogurt, skip the sugar and use honey instead. If you’re looking for a grab ‘n go snack, I like a bar with minimal ingredients that you’re able to pronounce, like Larabars.
-Smoothie: beware: a lot of juice joints, smoothie places and restaurants douse their smoothies with fruit and added sugar. A smoothie with just fruit is a lot of fruit and a huge dose of sugar. To stabilize your blood sugar, I recommend adding in some plant or nut protein, like a scoop of almond butter or hemp protein (powder or seeds). Protein powders are hard to digest for most people. I would also add in some fresh spinach or kale or green powder if it’s offered. Here are one of my favorite smoothie concoctions that I make at home and order out: Green Berry Smoothie
-Salads: Salad places nowadays have SO many options its hard to choose! I like picking my salads based on what looks the most fresh + what ingredients are the most colorful. The more color you have in your salad (think a rainbow of colors from veggies), the more phytonutrients you’re putting in to your body which help make your skin glow and body feeling energized and happy. For protein, I suggest opting for a type of bean – red beans, chickpeas, black beans are all super high in fiber and protein.
-Mexican: A fish burrito or fish fajitas are always a good bet. When choosing burritos, even if it’s “whole wheat”, I suggest removing the tortilla since most “whole wheat” wraps are not fully whole wheat and have added ingredients. Chopped salads with beans and guacamole are always a healthy option too. Always a great idea to upgrade to guacamole as a filling instead of cheese, too!
– Italian: If you’re looking to feel fit, sorry but steer clear of the fried chicken, shrimp and eggplant parmegiana dishes! They’re usually fried with egg, flour and oil and topped with lots and lots of cheese. I would go for a chicken or fish in a marinara or tomato-based sauce (not cream or alfredo sauce) and if you want some cheese, ask for a little melted on top or parmesean cheese on the side. If you’re craving pasta, ask if they can make a half portion. Fresh pasta is the best for digestion so indulge and enjoy. Sauteed spinach with garlic is always delish as a side dish too. If you’re craving pasta and feel like making it, here is my favorite Healthy Penne a La Vodka Recipe!
– Chinese: Ask for no msg: the stuff that makes you want to eat more and more and more. It’s also the stuff that makes you super thirsty for the rest of the night! Chinese food is usually doused in processed oil and brown sauces which are full of sugar, so to play it safe and order some brown rice and fish or shrimp in a garlic sauce with lots of vegetables.
– Alcohol: Limit to 3-5 glasses per/week. Choose organic wines over beer when possible.
– Bread: Deprivation leads to overindulging in other things, so I say eat the bread! Of course if you have gluten or wheat sensitivity, be cautious. Generally speaking, I say have 1 piece with a tsp of butter or olive oil. And when you eat it, enjoy it FULLY – chew each bite until it liquifies in your mouth and swallow with a relaxed mind.
– Dessert: Life is too short not to eat dessert. Like bread, deprivation leads to overindulgence in other ways, so I say eat the dessert! But no need to order one just for you. Share it with the table and have a few bites (three) and enjoy the experience and tastes fully. Savor each bite, taste the textures, let the sweetness melt in your mouth and enjoy! Then, put your fork down and drink some water to wash it all down.
– Restaurant portions: are notoriously large. When eating out, plan to eat only half of the meal. You can share the rest with a friend or ask for a doggie bag. Alternately, consider asking for a “light” or “lunch-size” portion. See more tips below for portion control.
– Put down your fork down. Practice slowing down by putting the fork down between each bite of food. If you’re a fast eater, you’ll notice that you probably place another bite of food in your mouth even when you’re still chewing the last bite! Putting your fork down in between each bite will help you slow down, eat mindfully, enjoy your meal more and get full faster on less food.
– Water: don’t forget to drink it! Order still water (tap or spring water) room temperature without ice is recommended, or warm water with lemon is even better to aid in digestion. Some nutrition experts say don’t drink water with your meal because it hinders your digestion, I say, figure out what works for you and if you’re thirsty, drink.
Portion Control: Visual Tips
Here are some recommended visuals to make sure you’re not over eating:
Vegetables: the entire plate or less aka as much as you want
Protein (lentils, fish, beans) : deck of cards (3 oz)
Eggs (egg white and yolk): 1-2 per serving
Grains (rice, quinoa): tennis ball (1/2 cup)
Oils: golf ball (2 tsp)
Nut butter: tip of thumb (1 tbsp)
Nuts: handful (1 oz)
Fruit: fist (small/medium or 1/2 cup)
Portion Control at Home:
– Plate it. Make eating an experience. Even when you’re just preparing dinner for yourself, make the experience a nice one- plate your meal on a nice plate, put water in a glass, put down a placemat, light a candle, take a deep breath and enjoy the experience!
– Sit down when you eat. Healthy Tip 101: even when you’re going to the kitchen to just grab a handful of nuts, put them in a bowl and sit down and eat it. No need to stand up and eat in front of the fridge. You’ll most likely end up eating less because sitting makes you less anxious than standing.
– Don’t eat out of the take-out container. Put your meal on a nice plate so you enjoy it more and can spatially see everything that you’re going to be putting in your body.
– Don’t eat out of the box. Put your snack in a small bowl or other container. And then put the box or package away.
– Look at serving size. And use measuring spoons and measuring cups to make sure you’re abiding by the recommended serving size!
– Don’t forget to chew! Chewing mindfully (about 15-30 times per bite) will slow you down and make you feel full faster so you’ll be satiated on less food and can pack up the rest for lunch tomorrow!
– Chopsticks: not just for eating dumplings and sushi! Using chopsticks may actually help you lose weight and enjoy your meal even more. When you eat with chopsticks, you end up picking up smaller amounts of food, so you end up eating your meal slower. You also end up eating more mindfully AND you end up feeling full faster so it’s a great weight management tool. My fave kinds are listed here.
Mangia. Enjoy!
be mindful. be enjoyable. be well.
xo
be well,
arielle
