With a little planning and know-how, you can dine out and watch your waistline. Slim-Fast (www.slimfast.ca) shows you how to make the right choices and still enjoy your local eateries.

. The number one strategy when eating fast foods is to watch the portion sizes. The “super sized” or “combination” meals might be easy on your wallet, but they can be double or even triple the amount of food that you would normally eat - and that means double or triple the fat and calories.

. If you’re really craving a ham- burger, look for the smallest size or order the children’s meal. Skip the fries.

. Order water instead of a soft drink.

. Look for foods that are grilled, roasted, steamed or baked. Some restaurants highlight menu items that are low fat or calorie-conscious. Grilled chicken sandwiches, wraps, plain baked potatoes, chili and lean deli meat sandwiches are all good choices.

. Make up for what you’re missing. Fast foods are typically low in fibre, calcium, vegetables and fruit. So ask for fibre-rich whole wheat bread or pizza crust, opt for low-fat milk instead of pop and go for a small side salad instead of the fries.

. Plan ahead. If you know you’re going to eat out, surf the restaurant’s website ahead of time to check out the nutritional value of different menu items.

Choose a salad-based meal, but use only a small amount of the dressing or ask for a low-fat dressing. One single packet of regular dressing often packs in more fat than the salad itself and can add 35 per cent more calories to the meal.

Credit: www.newscanada.com

Trackback URI | Comments RSS