5 Ways to Eat Out with Ease

The West Hartford Team • June 2, 2023

You should never have to stop the things you love just because you’re trying to lose weight. And eating out is no different! In fact, learning how to eat out while losing weight is important for developing tools for long-term success.

At Awaken180°, we encourage you to eat out and even drink alcohol while you lose weight, teaching you strategies to get through any restaurant, party, or travel situation. Our team will even act as a concierge service for you and call your favorite restaurant to provide you with the 5 best options to order to stay on track.

Here’s how we think about restaurant dining as well as some examples of how to approach some of your favorite cuisines.

Look to order proteins and vegetables at your favorite restaurants. Try to avoid words like “crusted”, “crispy”, “fried”, “tempura”, and “breaded”, which usually means the protein will have breading on it.

Portion sizes can be tricky, especially since all restaurants tend to serve in varying sizes. However, you can always estimate protein portion sizes using your hand. The palm of a hand is often four ounces for women and six ounces for men. Typically, a restaurant serving of vegetables is about 1 cup. We always recommend trying to order double vegetables while at a restaurant.

For the most success, look at the menu online and pick out what you’ll order before you get to the restaurant. We’re more likely to make good choices before we are hungry and smell the aromas of the restaurant. If you’d also like to learn more about how a specific item is prepared, it’s helpful to be able to call the restaurant in advance so you don’t feel too embarrassed to ask extra questions when you’re at the table.

If you’re tempted by things like chips, bread, or fries, ask the server to not bring them to the table or leave them off of your dish. Even if they don’t have a better option, it’s better to have them excluded to make the meal easier and less tempting for you.

The next time you go to your favorite restaurant, try the options listed below!

Mexican Restaurants

Fajitas and taco salads are always great options. Fajitas will often be a perfect combination of meat and peppers and onions. Enjoy with Pico de Gallo or guacamole.

If you’re easily tempted, ask them to leave out the chips, beans, rice, or tortilla. You may be able to get a side of celery, peppers, or cucumbers to dip in their salsa!

Bar/Pubs

Burgers or steaks are great options at a bar or pub. With a burger, ask for a lettuce wrap in place of the bun. Keep the lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle, and use yellow mustard for a great topping!

A salad with apple cider vinegar and olive oil makes for a great vegetable side here.

Asian Restaurants

Hibachi (without rice) and Sashimi are great options here. You’ll also be able to find steamed vegetables or edamame as your veggie sides.

Be cautious of sauces here – teriyaki sauce is mostly sugar, but wasabi and soy sauces are great low-sugar options! 

Italian Restaurants

Stay away from the pasta and look toward the entree section here for a wide variety of meats and vegetables. Chicken options are often breaded, but can be done grilled – simply ask!

Ask what vegetables you can substitute for pasta – you’ll be surprised by the variety of great options!

Steakhouses

Steakhouses are so easy! Enjoy the best cut of steak, as a 6-8oz portion size is ideal. Or, choose grilled fish or chicken with lemon and butter. Instead of potatoes, choose an additional serving of vegetables.

No matter what restaurant you go to, you will be able to find great options out there! We love helping you find the perfect meal, so please reach out to your coach for help finding your perfect meal at your favorite restaurant.