The Right Way to Eat Out

A typical conversation when close to dinner time in my home:
Me: "Well babe, what do you want for dinner?"
Kevin: "Um, yes." (meaning, my husband does in fact want dinner)
Me: "How 'bout rice and chicken? How 'bout tomato soup and grilled cheese? How 'bout hamburger helper? How bout..." (my list gets less nutritious as I progress)
Kevin: "How 'bout Papa Murphy's?"

We all do it, and we all know we shouldn’t. Eating out is hard to resist. The choice is really ours, and if we have reasons for doing it, talking ourselves out of it is tough (if you want to be argued out you should watch Michael Moore’s “SuperSize Me”). In my personal opinion and in the opinion of most dietitians I've met or heard, there is no real correct way to eat out. Money-wise, it is not cheaper long-term, as shown in many studies (see this article for comparison cost of homemade burger vs. fast food burger). And health-wise...well, we all know it's definitely not healthier. However, in our day-to-day decisions, many other factors sway us either to eat out or not to eat out: time, fuel costs (trips to restaurants), quality (taste and freshness), education (would you like to learn to cook?), and maybe even family values (prepare and share meals) if we currently live with a family.

If we can't talk ourselves into eating at home, there are many things we can do when faced with a menu. Here are some tips:

- Hold the mayo: In fact, hold all the sauces. They are big calorie contributors.
- Drink water: Alcohol and soft drinks add a huge chunk of calories that are hard to see. Nearly half of the extra 200-300 calories Americans get everyday now are calories from drinks. We all don't get enough water anyway!
- Go for the grill: Grilled meats instead of breaded or fried, you know its more healthy.
- Order first: So that you are not swayed by others' orders that sound delicious, probably are delicious, but are less healthy options.
- Eat mindfully: Pay attention to your body and stop when you are full! Studies on the French have shown that because they eat slowly and enjoy their food, they are a less obese people.

These are just a few tips to help. There are more great tips out in the world wide web (this article gives healthy choice tips for each type of restaurant), but its up to you (and me!) to make the choice to eat what we know we should.