Do you eat at restaurants a lot? We sure have been lately and it’s really a struggle most times to make really good healthy food choices. We pretty much go to the same places over and over so I don’t have too many different options to choose from. We also don’t usually plan ahead which I feel makes it hard and I just choose something quick that I think might be better for me over something else. By the way, I consider places like Applebees, Chili’s, etc. fast food as well. I truly wish I could cook but that is not something that comes easy for me unless I follow recipes to a T nor is it something that truly interests me. Hubby and I do enjoy cooking together at home (well he’s the mastermind behind ALL of our meals) but it’s fun and much healthier that is for sure.
So when it comes to dining out, I know the best thing to do is to go online first to check out menu choices and try to pick what to have before even arriving at the restaurant. But that isn’t always possible. I have had the book called Calorie King for quite some time that I refer to often to check out calories, fat, etc. to see what choices might be best for me. I have the 2008 edition but I hear the new 2010 edition has much more including nutrition guides. The book is small and can be easily carried in a purse or kept in the glove compartment of your car.
A book that I don’t yet have a copy of that also shows you the best food choices to make is Eat This, Not That. I have had my eye on this book for a while and wouldn’t mind adding it to my collection. I had no clue the author, David-Zinczenko had so many other similar books. The Cook This, Not That! and Drink This, Not That! ones have caught my eye.
Lastly, I have had the opportunity to review Oxygen’s Pick it Kick It book (complimentary copy sent by the company) which was written by Diane Hart, Oxygen magazine’s
executive editor and was taken from their wildly popular column of the same name. I absolutely love all the simple healthy food choice substitutions the book offers especially when it comes to dining out. One of my favorite sections is the one called Is Your Salad Making You Fat? Do you really know your way around the salad bar? I sure have a long way to go when it comes to that but I’m glad to know that I am making many good choices. And there are quite a few homemade dressing recipes in the book too. Pick It Kick It also includes information on nutrition labels, portion control, easy ways to cut fat and calories, reducing sodium and sugar content, and eating for maximum energy and better health. Diane Hart says, “Eating right doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive – it is a simple matter of making the right choices and that comes from knowing what foods are better than others.”
My friend Sahar has one of the books to give away and her contest ends tonight so get over there quick!
Do you find it difficult to make healthy food choices when dining out?
I have gotten to the point where I don’t even like to eat out anymore. Just because I don’t know what’s put in it! Good post, thanks for sharing! : )
Thanks Jenny! I really would like to get back to eating at home on a more regular basis. We need to just plan our meals again and make them ahead of time for late gym nights especially.
Thanks for the mention 🙂
My pleasure! Always have loved your blog.
We rarely eat out because we prefer eating in (healthier, yummier, and much more affordable).
Have you tried Allrecipes.com? I’m a “follow the recipe” kind of cook too – and I love that site!
I hope we can get back to eating more at home and planning ahead for those late gym nights anyway. I’m sure I have been to allrecipes.com but I’ll have to go back and peek to see what I might be able to cook.
I also have The CalorieKing book, and I find it very helpful, but it’s still so challenging to eat healthy when you’re going out to eat. I feel like I owe myself to eat whatever I want (like at Chilis –> Ribs!). Such a tough thing to overcome!
~Sophia
Fit&FabLiving
Oh yea it’s such a challenge still when eating out but I try my best every time. Sometimes I don’t win the battle but sometimes I do OK.