Women who routinely eat at restau rants or buy take-out food have higher-calorie diets than those who often eat at home, according to a study at the Univer sity of Memphis. The study points to the conclusion that eating in restaurants tends to be a high-calorie occupation.
How can you keep the calorie count low if you eat out a lot? In addition to making mindful choices from restaurant menus, here are some other strategies.
When you know you’ll be dining out or getting takeout, try to adjust the day’s other meals accordingly. Don’t starve yourself in anticipation of that meal. But try to make lower-than-usual calorie choices throughout the day.
When you’re ordering, consider getting two appetizers instead of an appetizer and an entree. Often the entree is more than you want to eat but because it’s on your plate, you end up finishing it anyway.
If you frequently eat out, consider these “routine” meals rather than “special” meals. If you have customer lunches 5 days a week, or a take-out dinner most evenings, these are routine events. What’s the difference? If we look upon dining out as a special event, we tend to indulge. But if dining out is routine, it means your low-calorie choices need to be routine. Other times, there will be abundant opportunities to sample special foods.