Let’s all agree that we love eating out. For many of us restaurant food smells great, tastes delicious and we don’t mind spending few extra bucks for having fun and socializing with family and friends. According to a recent study by CBRE, 60 per cent of the millennials eat out at least thrice in a month, be it in standalone restaurants, domestic chains or in malls. 

If you eat out regularly, love experimenting with new cuisines and try latest eating out joints in the town – there’s nothing wrong with that, unless you stick to your healthy eating choices.

Restaurant food can be super tasty but may not be very nutritious.  And if you are throwing caution to the wind while eating out, it’s time you take charge of ‘dining healthy.’

Make it a point to have a healthy eating plan and the next time you are eating out, stick to the following strategies.

Read The Menu:

These days many restaurants make their menus available online, so check it out before stepping into the place. Menus come with detailed description of the dish, choose those food items that are gluten free, less on sugar, nutritious and with healthy vegetables and fruits. Choosing foods even before you arrive at the restaurant will prevent you from making unhealthy choices.

Eat At Home:

That’s right. Practice eating clean and have a little bit of homecooked food at home to avoid overeating at the restaurant. Ensure you are at least half full before arriving at the food joint as it will help you from ordering and eating in excess. Go for low calorie, high in protein snacks like curd, paneer that can make you feel full. If you have had a heavy lunch, plan for a light dinner.

Drink Water:

If you have the habit of drinking sweetened, carbonated drinks along with the meal, stop it right now. Drink lots of water before and during the meal avoids overeating and to cut down on the intake of calories. Studies reveal that drinking at least 500 ml of water half an hour before eating, restricts calorie intake and has contributed to weight loss of up to 44 per cent.

Chew Slowly:

Eating and chewing your food quite slowly helps you in eating less. Several studies prove that people who are fast eaters tend to eat more while those eat slowly consume less food. In fact, brain takes around 20 minutes to get satiety signals from the stomach and to tell you that you are no longer hungry. Keep your spoon or fork down while chewing the food, to get the knack of eating slow.

Start With A Salad:

If you are encouraged by nutritionists to start your meal with a soup or salad, there is a logic behind it. Soups and salads can be filling and provide body with all necessary nutrients in very few calories. Drinking soup before eating main course can reduce your calorie intake by 20 per cent. Also, share your starters and main course with others at the table or just order half portion.