For even the most diligent of dieters, eating out in restaurants can lead to a major overload in calories, and heart-harming saturated fats. While indulging in decadent foods every now and then won’t undo your healthy-eating efforts, sharpening your menu-reading savvy is a must for frequent restaurant-goers. In a study released by the RAND Corporation earlier this year, for instance, researchers found that 96 percent of main entrees sold at the country’s leading chain restaurants contain more calories, sodium, and saturated fat than the U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends consuming in an entire day.
Thanks in part to newly implemented national requirements about posting nutritional information at chain restaurants, many eateries have begun introducing healthier entrée options in recent months. What’s more, another 2012 study (published in the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior) determined that those watching their weight can stave off weight gain even when dining out frequently. The key, according to the study’s authors, is to bring the same smarts to eating out as you do to whipping up your own meals. Here’s how to order with aplomb:
• Start with a broth-based soup like minestrone or chicken—not only lower in calories than the creamy variety, it’ll help fill you up and keep you from overdoing it once your entrée arrives.
• If you’re ordering a salad, skip the bacon bits, croutons, and cheese and ask for the dressing on the side. Dip your fork lightly in the dressing every few bites instead of drowning the greens.
• When it comes to meat, poultry and fish, reach for grilled, broiled, and roasted dishes, and avoid anything saucy, pan-fried, deep-fried, battered, buttered, or breaded.
• Split a dessert with your companions, and opt for items like sorbet or chocolate-dipped fruit.
