What To Look For In A Restaurant Diet Menu

Just because you are on a diet, hoping to lose weight, doesn't mean you can't enjoy an evening out at a restaurant.

The key is knowing how to read the menu and ask the right questions. Here are some tips.

1. Look for Weight Loss/Healthy Choices

Many restaurants will indicate on their menu that certain items are good for those on a diet. They may have a little logo next to the item, or a star, or they may even have an entire section called “Low Calorie.” This is the thing to look for when you are dining out. The choices here will usually work for just about any diet. As an example of what some chains do, the Applebee Chain of restaurants in California indicates the WeightWatchers(tm) points next to some of their dishes.

2. Examine the Salad Menu

You may be tired of salads, but the great news about a salad is that it adds almost no weight and gives you much needed fiber. So when you are dining out, a delicious salad can be an enjoyable way to fill up without filling out. You do want to be careful about the salad dressing and the extras, such as fried chicken on top of the salad. One way to handle this is to ask for the extras, such as the dressing, on the side. Then you can appropriate how much dressing you want. An oil and vinegar dressing is always a good choice.

3. Watch out for Artificial Sweeteners

Some restaurants may advertise low-fat desserts that look, and taste fabulous. But they may also be loaded with artificial sweeteners that are not that good for your health. Don’t be fooled by the menu. This is a place to ask the waitperson a question: What is it sweetened with? If you don’t recognize the sweetener, stick with a simpler dessert, such as fruit.

4. Make Your Own Dish

You’d be surprised how easy it is to request a change from a dish that is on the menu in the restaurant. For example, they may have your favorite fish drenched with a butter sauce, and you could ask them to prepare it grilled instead. You may find that they have a baked potato filled with cheese and butter, and you can ask them to serve it to you plain, with some yogurt on the side. The options are endless, and most restaurants are eager to please the patrons. My favorite was when I was a vegetarian, but I missed the food of my childhood, so I ordered “Hot Dog, with mustard and sauerkraut, but … hold the hot dog.” I totally enjoyed my roll, mustard and sauerkraut, as well as the odd looks of the other patrons.

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