Congratulations on taking steps to eat healthier, especially at restaurants! When it comes to maintaining resolutions, you are not alone in losing motivation as the weeks go by. Whether it’s lack of a specific goal, overly ambitious goals or lack of support, a large percentage of individuals find it difficult to stick to those New Year’s resolutions as the weeks go on. The good news is that your resolutions are achievable, and choosing just one small thing to focus on is a great strategy for long term success.
While it’s hard to pinpoint the MOST important step you can take to eat healthier at restaurants, we would suggest you pick just one of these tips to focus on and go from there. As that one strategy becomes a habit, you may want to consider choosing a second to focus on. One small change is sustainable and can add up to big benefits over time:
- Order vegetables – Choosing a side of steamed vegetables is a good strategy to increase vitamins, minerals and fiber in your diet, and the variety of options at restaurants can make it an easy first step to eat more healthfully while you have fun trying new foods.
- Order whole grains instead of refined – Many restaurants now offer whole grain pasta, brown rice, quinoa and more. Swapping one of these for the usual refined options can be an easy way to increase fiber, iron and B vitamins while helping to prevent blood sugar spikes and cravings down the road.
- Order lean proteins – Leaner poultry, cuts of beef, seafood, tofu and legumes are all easy to find on restaurant menus and can reduce calories and fat in your meal while satisfying with loads of protein.
- Order the Healthy Dining choice – These dietitian-recommended menu choices make eating healthy at restaurants a no-brainer and include ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins for the nutrition you need and the flavor you want.
Whether you’re adding one extra vegetable to your plate or just an extra serving of whole grains to your diet each week, every little step towards a healthier diet helps.
What healthier choices are you making at restaurants this week?