By a Registered Dietitian and Online Nutrition & Weight Loss Coach

Eating out is a part of life! But it’s pretty easy for a few meals out a month to lead to 10, 20 or even 30 lbs gained over the year.

A burger, fries and slice of cheesecake at the cheesecake factory is about 2,000 calories, and thats before you add on bread or drinks!!! One meal like that a week will lead to 10-20 lbs gained in a year.

That’s because a chef doesn’t cook like you would. They don’t care about your weight - they want their food to taste AMAZING so that you want to come back! 

If you want to lose or maintain your weight instead of gain it, meals out are a big place that you should look. 

Tip #1: Take Control of your Restaurant Choices

A menu is a suggestion of the options that a restaurant has. Make it your own. Ask if you can sub the side of fries for steamed veggies. Ask for the chicken to be grilled instead of pan fried. Ask for them to not bring the bread/chip basket. 

You are the customer, you are paying for this meal. Have it how you want it. 

Tip #2: Minimize your meals out to control restaurant calories

I know, I know, this is an eating out guide! But if you can take out a few meals out, it’ll make it so much easier. Convenience options for home like frozen Trader Joes meals, or meal delivery services can help tons with having a quick meal that is cheaper than takeout and way fewer calories.

Check out my meal kit reviews for Sunbasket, Gobble, Hello Fresh, and Freshly. I quite like Blue Apron but haven’t had the chance to write a review for them yet!

Tip #3: Know your restaurant cooking terms

Look for steamed, boiled, or baked when looking at a menu. Sauteed = covered in oil. So does pan fried. Crispy = deep fried. Breaded = added carbs. 

Tip #4: Have a list of healthy restaurant options

Have your go-to list of places with good options, and what you like at each one. I have this saved on my google maps with notes for each, so I can just look at the area and know where is nearby. When someone asks “where should we go eat?” now you have an easy list and can suggest a place that you know has good options. 

Don’t feel like you need to do this all at once. Take it one place at a time, and eventually you’ll have a robust list!

Tip #5: Plan out what you will order in advance

Look at the menu in advance and choose what you will order. It makes it much easier when you get there if you know what you will get, and you won’t be influenced by your hunger or smells of the restaurant.

Tip #6: Drink up to reduce water weight gain

Get water when you sit down! Have a full glass before you place your order, and another before your food comes. Research shows you’ll naturally eat less, and this will also help combat the higher sodium from a meal out. If you have alcohol, have a glass of water for each drink.

Tip #7 Don’t go to a restaurant hungry!

If you don’t eat anything all day until dinner out, you’re going to be starving and not make the best decisions.

The 800 calories you saved skipping breakfast and lunch aren’t going to balance out the extra 1500 you had at dinner because you were hungry.

Focus on protein and veggies at your other meals (like an egg white veggie scramble for breakfast and chicken salad for lunch) to make room for the higher calories at dinner without being hungry.

Making a slightly earlier dinner reservation time can also help, since you won’t be starving when you sit down.

If you want to know what specific foods you should get at different types of restaurants so you can lose weight and not accidentally have a high calorie meal, get my restaurant cheat sheets! These healthy eating guides can be saved to your phone so its convenient to know what the most nutritious choice is for your meal!

Here’s an example of one of the 18 guides! I love eating Mexican food, and there are so many fresh and balanced meal choices on the menu! But also a lot of pitfalls that are easy to fall into