Weight Loss on the Menu

If you think dessert is the only part of the menu you need to be wary of when dining out, think again. In a culture of gigantic portion sizes, dining out can be a recipe for disaster when it comes to sticking to your goals for medical weight loss in Phoenix or Scottsdale. Entrees, appetizers and even healthy-sounding side dishes are often lurking with unsuspecting calorie contents—but that doesn’t mean you need to forego the eating out experience.

Whether you are stuck in a pinch and need to grab some dinner, are meeting friends for a night on the town or are scheduled for a business lunch, at some point as you try to lose weight in Phoenix and Scottsdale you are going to be faced with a menu. By being prepared with a little bit of culinary knowledge and a positive attitude about the dining experience you can leave that side order of guilt on the table as you return home feeling good about your medical weight loss efforts.

Dining Tips for Weight Loss

The best thing you can do for yourself when making plans to go out to eat is to choose a restaurant with a wide variety of options. The bigger the menu, the greater the likelihood that there is something on it you can enjoy.

If you aren’t able to pick the restaurant, find out ahead of time where it is you’ll be going so you have a chance to study the menu before you get to the table. Most restaurants make their menus available online, so have a look.

When you get the menu, remember to pay attention to key terms, which will send out red flags that foods are high in fat and calories. Avoid ordering menu items that have the following description terms:

• Au Gratin: Means cheesy.
• Basted: Cooked in animal fat. Sometimes butter, sometimes lard.
• Batter dipped: More like batter smothered.
• Broasted: A fancy way to say pressure cooked and fried.
• Breaded: Another way to indicate fried, except it is also loaded with extra calories from bread crumbs.
• Crispy: Breaded and fried.
• Cheese sauce: The word “sauce” doesn’t make cheese any healthier.
• Cream sauce: Ditto.
• Sautéed: In what? The answer is usually butter or cheese.

As you peruse the menu, keep an eye out for words like baked, broiled, poached and grilled, as these are all healthy cooking methods that don’t add fat or extra calories. Also, tomato-based sauces or items that are cooked “in their own juice” are going to be much healthier than cream and cheese based dressings and sauces.

Don’t hesitate to ask your server to make some alterations to the item, like leaving the sauce on the side, or asking for your chicken to be grilled instead of fried. Many restaurants are happy to accommodate health-conscious diners!