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Who doesn’t enjoy going out to eat for a meal? I know that every time I get offered a trip to a restaurant or just don’t feel like cooking myself, nothing even comes close to having a delicious meal cooked for me with the foods of my choice. Sadly, though, in America, health and caloric intake seem to be the opposite of a priority and, instead, are replaced by taste and portion. That, my fellow fitness enthusiasts, is a recipe for disaster…literally!
Before I come under attack from the flexible dieters and the ones who “enjoy their meals away from home”, understand something. I too preach the idea that any meal at a restaurant can fit into a day of eating as well as the idea of not worrying when having a treat. However, I think it is safe to say that everyone reading this article has, at some point, opted for a less tasteful and more macronutrient friendly dish. We read the pasta menu and salivate at the word alfredo, but found plain red sauce and broiled fish on our plate instead (I know, it’s a brutal sacrifice sometimes.)
I’m not here to argue that restaurants are the devil and should never be visited. I just know that there are multiple people who try to be “good” sometimes or are on a strict diet. These same people find themselves frantically searching the menu for something that they will enjoy but won’t break the calorie bank. With that, I want to provide a list of tips to remember when dining out to help remain within caloric range.
1. Don’t be afraid to make requests
This is the first huge mistake that people make. I know, he or she does not want to be a nuisance…and asking a steak house to use no butter when broiling a filet mignon is frowned upon in 50 US States. But one must understand that their meal is being PAID for! If someone is going to go to a restaurant and pay for a meal, he or she should not be afraid to make a request for something to be done the right way.
Ask for meats to be grilled with little, if any, additional fat. Also, ask for vegetables to be steamed and all sauces/condiments to be served on the side. When ordering a potato, ask for it plain and simply baked. It is a very easy process (I promise you) and any server will have no problem forwarding your message to the chef.
2. Eat with your mouth and stomach, not your eyes.
Ah, my most common mistake. Yes, restaurant food is delicious and nine times out of ten; I make it a point to be very hungry when being lead to the table. With that said, if I am on a diet and I see a portion come out that clearly exceeds my caloric requirement, you better believe that I will not eat the whole plate.
It isn’t deprivation; it is having the ability to express self-control. That, plus the fact that everybody on this planet knows that American restaurants serve portions that exceed full, daily calorie requirements. I’m not saying that I’ve never cleaned a plate when dining out before, but I surely felt overstuffed afterwards. There is no need to clean a plate when it is not beneficial or desirable.
3. Look for keywords in the dish description that reek havoc on macros.
Believe it or not, there are ways to tell what some entrees will consist of just by the presence of a couple of words. For example, “sautéed” foods contain heavy amounts of a source of fat added to the dish. Another group of relatively obvious words that hide tons of fat are cream, blush, alfredo or…cheese. Any of these words usually followed by, “sauce” are screaming F.A.T. right at you.
A fat-disguise that seems to go unnoticed that I’d like to shed some light on is “wine sauce”. Any dish that contains a wine sauce is going to contain a vast amount of butter. Whether it be red or white, be sure that you left some extra fats that day. The last term used on restaurant menus that I think deserves mention is glaze. If you’ve ever been to a seafood restaurant, I’m sure you’ve seen a glazed filet of some sort. Anything with a glaze is more than likely sugar-loaded and thus, a heavy carbohydrate source.
4. Breakfast spots will rack up the fat count.
I know…it’s a sad, sad fact. Who doesn’t love to go hit their neighborhood diner or local breakfast spot and get a nice omelet, a side of breakfast meat, some toast and a mountain of home fries? I’ll tell you who—those who aren’t looking to get their day’s worth of fat in before 10 AM.
Butter is great in so many ways for restaurants. It is a cheap ingredient, provides a non-stick surface and adds countless amounts of flavor to all sorts of food. The best way to keep a good customer base is to pump out delicious dishes, so any place that butter can find its way in, it will sure enough be present! That goes for eggs, hash browns, toast, meat, bagels, breakfast sauces (gravy) and even pancakes/waffles.
Butter isn’t the only bad guy. Of course, we all know that breakfast meats aren’t exactly the leanest of cuts. A side order of bacon will provide you with at least 10-15 grams alone, ham or sausage will give you even more and pork-roll will more than likely double that. Add the fat in the meat to the butter that it is cooked in and you are surely swimming in a pool of it!
Now, let’s put them all together. Take the butter and throw it down in the pan to prevent the (whole) four eggs from sticking. Add the bacon, and an omelet will begin to take shape. But what’s an omelet without any cheese? When I say “any”, I really mean up-ends of three slices. That right there is a solid 55-60 grams of fat before the side meats, toast and home fries.
5. Do you really need dessert for one?
Melted double chocolate whipped truffle volcano blast cake and triple churned cookie dough of peace ice cream. Sounds amazing, right? I mean, you’re out to eat…you’ve been good all week…why not just indulge? Look, people…this is why Kyle and I stress the utilization of flexible dieting. I would put money on the fact that if you were to have something sweet and savory on most days of every week after micronutrient sufficiency is met, this 17-word dessert could easily be shared with the table.
That way, instead of racking up an extra 1,400 calories and feeling guilty for the rest of the week, you can get a taste of the decadent dessert and remain within caloric range. You see, I’m not saying never order dessert…what kind of dinner doesn’t end with a dessert? I AM saying to either use moderation when ordering or be prepared to pass the spoon.
So, when dining out…
Next time you decide to take your significant other out, join your family or head out with the crew for a meal, keep these things in mind. It’s not an end-all-be-all checklist for ordering at a restaurant. Hell, I’ll be the first one to tell you that I order alfredo everywhere I go. With that said, I am able to keep my macro bank closed for most of the day, saving room for some indulgence. Those of you that are looking to go out, have fun and not go bankrupt on your diet, be aware of how restaurants work and don’t dine with an absent mind!
Before I come under attack from the flexible dieters and the ones who “enjoy their meals away from home”, understand something. I too preach the idea that any meal at a restaurant can fit into a day of eating as well as the idea of not worrying when having a treat. However, I think it is safe to say that everyone reading this article has, at some point, opted for a less tasteful and more macronutrient friendly dish. We read the pasta menu and salivate at the word alfredo, but found plain red sauce and broiled fish on our plate instead (I know, it’s a brutal sacrifice sometimes.)
I’m not here to argue that restaurants are the devil and should never be visited. I just know that there are multiple people who try to be “good” sometimes or are on a strict diet. These same people find themselves frantically searching the menu for something that they will enjoy but won’t break the calorie bank. With that, I want to provide a list of tips to remember when dining out to help remain within caloric range.
1. Don’t be afraid to make requests
This is the first huge mistake that people make. I know, he or she does not want to be a nuisance…and asking a steak house to use no butter when broiling a filet mignon is frowned upon in 50 US States. But one must understand that their meal is being PAID for! If someone is going to go to a restaurant and pay for a meal, he or she should not be afraid to make a request for something to be done the right way.
Ask for meats to be grilled with little, if any, additional fat. Also, ask for vegetables to be steamed and all sauces/condiments to be served on the side. When ordering a potato, ask for it plain and simply baked. It is a very easy process (I promise you) and any server will have no problem forwarding your message to the chef.
2. Eat with your mouth and stomach, not your eyes.
Ah, my most common mistake. Yes, restaurant food is delicious and nine times out of ten; I make it a point to be very hungry when being lead to the table. With that said, if I am on a diet and I see a portion come out that clearly exceeds my caloric requirement, you better believe that I will not eat the whole plate.
It isn’t deprivation; it is having the ability to express self-control. That, plus the fact that everybody on this planet knows that American restaurants serve portions that exceed full, daily calorie requirements. I’m not saying that I’ve never cleaned a plate when dining out before, but I surely felt overstuffed afterwards. There is no need to clean a plate when it is not beneficial or desirable.
3. Look for keywords in the dish description that reek havoc on macros.
Believe it or not, there are ways to tell what some entrees will consist of just by the presence of a couple of words. For example, “sautéed” foods contain heavy amounts of a source of fat added to the dish. Another group of relatively obvious words that hide tons of fat are cream, blush, alfredo or…cheese. Any of these words usually followed by, “sauce” are screaming F.A.T. right at you.
A fat-disguise that seems to go unnoticed that I’d like to shed some light on is “wine sauce”. Any dish that contains a wine sauce is going to contain a vast amount of butter. Whether it be red or white, be sure that you left some extra fats that day. The last term used on restaurant menus that I think deserves mention is glaze. If you’ve ever been to a seafood restaurant, I’m sure you’ve seen a glazed filet of some sort. Anything with a glaze is more than likely sugar-loaded and thus, a heavy carbohydrate source.
4. Breakfast spots will rack up the fat count.
I know…it’s a sad, sad fact. Who doesn’t love to go hit their neighborhood diner or local breakfast spot and get a nice omelet, a side of breakfast meat, some toast and a mountain of home fries? I’ll tell you who—those who aren’t looking to get their day’s worth of fat in before 10 AM.
Butter is great in so many ways for restaurants. It is a cheap ingredient, provides a non-stick surface and adds countless amounts of flavor to all sorts of food. The best way to keep a good customer base is to pump out delicious dishes, so any place that butter can find its way in, it will sure enough be present! That goes for eggs, hash browns, toast, meat, bagels, breakfast sauces (gravy) and even pancakes/waffles.
Butter isn’t the only bad guy. Of course, we all know that breakfast meats aren’t exactly the leanest of cuts. A side order of bacon will provide you with at least 10-15 grams alone, ham or sausage will give you even more and pork-roll will more than likely double that. Add the fat in the meat to the butter that it is cooked in and you are surely swimming in a pool of it!
Now, let’s put them all together. Take the butter and throw it down in the pan to prevent the (whole) four eggs from sticking. Add the bacon, and an omelet will begin to take shape. But what’s an omelet without any cheese? When I say “any”, I really mean up-ends of three slices. That right there is a solid 55-60 grams of fat before the side meats, toast and home fries.
5. Do you really need dessert for one?
Melted double chocolate whipped truffle volcano blast cake and triple churned cookie dough of peace ice cream. Sounds amazing, right? I mean, you’re out to eat…you’ve been good all week…why not just indulge? Look, people…this is why Kyle and I stress the utilization of flexible dieting. I would put money on the fact that if you were to have something sweet and savory on most days of every week after micronutrient sufficiency is met, this 17-word dessert could easily be shared with the table.
That way, instead of racking up an extra 1,400 calories and feeling guilty for the rest of the week, you can get a taste of the decadent dessert and remain within caloric range. You see, I’m not saying never order dessert…what kind of dinner doesn’t end with a dessert? I AM saying to either use moderation when ordering or be prepared to pass the spoon.
So, when dining out…
Next time you decide to take your significant other out, join your family or head out with the crew for a meal, keep these things in mind. It’s not an end-all-be-all checklist for ordering at a restaurant. Hell, I’ll be the first one to tell you that I order alfredo everywhere I go. With that said, I am able to keep my macro bank closed for most of the day, saving room for some indulgence. Those of you that are looking to go out, have fun and not go bankrupt on your diet, be aware of how restaurants work and don’t dine with an absent mind!
