For Newfoundlanders looking to eat consciously and healthier
it's great news that ten of the KFC locations outside of St. John's will be
converted into diners with fresh homemade food. Eating out can be cheap, and
convenient, and certainly there's no better time than summer to meet up with
friends and family for a good bite to eat. But when you're eating away from
home how can you make the healthiest choices? It can be difficult so here are a
few tips to keep in mind.
The easiest way to get quick answers about any food is to
find nutrition information for the menu items. Located on the wall, in a
pamphlet, or even online – this information will tell you the need to know on
calories, fat, sodium, and more. It's usually only available for larger chains,
so if this info isn't accessible I'd suggest looking at the description of menu
items to give you some clues. Watch for words such as fried, basted, batter
dipped, breaded, creamy, crispy, scalloped, Alfredo, au gratin, or in cream sauce.
More than likely they are high in calories, unhealthy fats, or sodium. Go for
foods that are steamed, baked, broiled, grilled, stir fried or roasted.
One of the biggest roadblocks to healthy eating outside the
home is portions. Larger portions, larger plates and bowls. All in all you're
likely to be getting much more food. An easy way to remember how much and what
foods to eat is to refer to your hands. I've mentioned this before, but it's a
very powerful tool. Eat only as much as you can fit into two hands. One palm
for meat, chicken or fish, the other for bread, rice, pasta. Fingers, or one
half the plate should be vegetables or fruit. It's easy peasy. If you've got
leftovers either bring 'em home for lunch tomorrow, or even plan ahead and
split with a friend. I've even ordered from the kiddie's side when I thought
the food portion from the regular menu might be too much. When you're at a
buffet however portions can be a bit more difficult. Best strategies here are
first scan the entire area and get an idea of the items you'd like to try. If
there is an option for plates try and choose the smaller one. Wait about 15-20
mins before heading back for round two. It takes that much time for your brain
to catch up with your stomach and decide if you are truly full.
Choose water or another calorie free beverage. Drinking too
many calories can be so easy! Which is one of the reasons the city of New York
is considering to place a ban on super size beverages in eat out centres. If
you don't like plain water, ask for a slice of lemon. It adds a refreshing
touch especially for summer.
Don't be afraid to ask for a menu modification. Ask for pan
fried fish instead of deep fried. Side salad or soup over fries. Whole grain
pizza crust over the white cheese stuffed crust. Even if these options cost a
dollar or two extra it's a dollar well spent. And plus if you've chosen tap
water as your drink of choice, well it's almost like getting this extra for no
extra cost. Ask for dips, dressings, and sauces on the side. When it's not
smothered over our food we're likely to use and eat less. These condiments can
be high on all sides of the poor nutrition equation, equalling high in
calories, fat and sodium. Less is definitely more.
The last tip is something most don't think twice about but
can take a bite out of your calorie intake. Chew foods slow. When we eat fast
we eat more. Take your time and enjoy the food, company and if you're lucky
enough to be sitting outside, the sunshine. Remember that healthy eating is
about balance and enjoying your food. If you happened to overindulge at a meal,
hey we're all human and that happens, so don't beat yourself up too much but
rather plan to choose healthier choices over the next few days.
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