Eating Healthy When Eating Out
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Eating out can be a special treat. It can also be a chance for a healthful meal, if you know which foods to choose.
Plan ahead. If you plan to have dinner at a restaurant, choose low-fat foods for breakfast and lunch.
At the restaurant, read the menu carefully. Ask how the foods are prepared. Eat small servings of the foods.
here are some tips for healthful foods:
| Choose These Most Often | Choose Less of These | |
| Beverages | Low-fat milk 100% juice Water, plain or with lemon Decaffeinated coffee or tea |
Whole milk Soft drinks Drinks with alcohol |
| Appetizers | Fresh fruit Fresh vegetables Seafood cocktail Low-fat dips or cheese spreads |
Foods high in butter or oil Deep-fried vegetable Creamy dips Cheese spreads |
| Soups | Vegetable or bean soup Clear soup Noodle soup |
Egg soup Cheese-based soup Creamy soup |
| Salads | Salad with a lower-fat dressing (vinegar, lemon, low-fat, or fat-free dressing) | Salad with cheese or creamy dressing or mayonnaise |
| Fruits | Fresh or cooked fruit with small amounts of sugar | Fruit with cream or whipped topping |
| Vegetables | Fresh vegetable (steamed or baked) Baked potato |
Vegetable cooked in butter or oil, or topped with sour cream French fries, potato chips |
| Fish | Baked, steamed, or broiled fish with little added oil or fat | Fish with added oil or fat (fried, tartar sauce, cream sauces, or butter) |
| Poultry | Chicken, turkey, or Cornish hen (cooked without rich sauce and with skin removed) | Fried or batter-dipped coating Goose or duck |
| Meat | Lean cuts of meat with fat trimmed (and
without breaded coating), such as: • Beef Round, sirloin, chuck, or loin Lean ground beef • Pork Tenderloin Processed meat: Low-fat lunch meat |
Fatty cuts of meat, such as: • Beef “Prime” grade beef Regular ground beef • Pork Spareribs Meat with breaded coating Processed meat: Regular lunch meat Sausage or bacon Hot dogs or frankfurters |
| Bread | Whole grain bread, breadsticks, whole wheat pita pocket | White bread, biscuit, croissant, butter roll, pastry, doughnut |
| Other Grains | Boiled or steamed brown rice
Whole grain pasta, macaroni |
Fried rice, white rice, pasta not made from whole grains |
| Fats and Oils (use sparingly) |
Low-fat salad dressing Low-fat mayonnaise |
High-fat salad dressing Regular mayonnaise Butter or margarine Bacon fat or lard |
| Condiments | Herbs, spices, vinegar Low-sodium soy sauce |
A-1 sauce, soy sauce Worcestershire sauce |
| Desserts | Angel food cake Fresh fruit Frozen fruit ice Low-fat flavored yogurt Low-fat frozen yogurt |
Cake, pie, or pastry Fruit cobbler or crisp Cream or whipped topping Custard Ice cream |
Source: University of Massachusetts Extension Nutrition Education Program
