When you try to limit your eating, or go on a diet for lack of a better term, you typically try to refrain from eating out. That’s because restaurants provide too much temptation and, let’s face it, restaurant nutrition isn’t typically conducive to losing weight. However, you can make good food choices while eating out. To do this, ask the waiter or the manager of the establishment for the food nutrition facts of the menu items they serve. When you have the food nutrition facts you can make decisions that stay within your particular eating plan and still enjoy a meal out.
What Do You Look For?
If you do request food nutrition facts at a restaurant you will be given a paper or card that shows the calorie, fat, and carbohydrate contents for various menu items, as well as other information. If your goal is to order low fat, then this paper or card will tell you exactly which menu items you can order. You can add a ton of calories, fat, and salt into a meal just by the condiments or sauces, so always ask for these to be served on the side. If a salad looks fattening on the food nutrition facts, it probably includes a high fat dressing which you do not have to order.
What if They Don’t Have Nutrition Facts?
When there are no available food nutrition facts, you can still make a smart ordering decision if you now some basic facts about nutrition. For example, you should already know that a double cheeseburger with bacon is not the best menu item when it comes to trying to lose weight. A smart option might include a grilled chicken sandwich with a small salad or baked potato without sour cream.
Most restaurants, though, will provide you with food nutrition facts. If they are not in the open, you will just have to request a copy. Perhaps restaurants are afraid that leaving the food nutrition facts along with the menu might cause a rapid drop in orders of the unhealthy options. Most people would change their minds instantaneously if they knew before ordering exactly how much fat and salt was in a menu item they normally enjoy.