Healthy options

Turn your meals more nutritious by switching aerated drinks with water and opting for whole grain bread sandwiches For many people, eating out is a way to relax and socialise. But when we eat out, we tend to overdo it. And if you are a fitness connoisseur and watching your weight or concerned with healthy eating, dining out can give you a jitters. The good news is that usually there are healthier options at every restaurant, even at fast-food places.

• Plan in advance before you go out to eat. It will be much easier to make healthy choices if you have already decided the place and the food you will order.
• Try not to arrive at the restaurant overly hungry. It’s harder to make healthy food choices when you get too hungry.
• Sandwiches are tempting and can add a lot of calories to your breakfast. Do ask your server for whole-grain options.
• Prefer having fresh juices instead of packaged one, as they have hidden sugar in it.
• One can start the meal with soup and salad. Salad is a one dish that pleases health conscious the most. Ask the chef for olive oil and vinegar for your salads.
• Do not go for dishes that are labelled as deep friend, pan fried, creamy or in cream sauce as they are usually high in calories.
• Skip the bubbly affair and drink the water with your meal instead of aerated drinks. Soda is a source of hidden calories. Try adding a little lemon to your water or ordering unsweetened iced tea. Avoid the margaritas, pina coladas, and other exotic coktails. They include sugary additions that only add calories. Opt instead for a glass of wine, a light beer or a whisky.
• Ask the chef for the healthy changes in the cooking techniques such as ordering vegetables and main dishes to be served without the sauces.
• look for lean meats, fish, poultry, and vegetables prepared in a lower-calorie, lower-fat way and avoid higher-fat preparations. Choose baked, broiled and grilled items more often. Avoid items that are fried, or in creamy sauces.
• live counters are a blessing and a great healthy corner at any restaurant. At live counters, you can always sauté your vegetables, add your own seasonings and herbs, and skip the oil totally. Tandoori is any time way better than settling for oily and fried snacks. Tandoori dishes use lesser oil than the other ones.
• Enquire about fat packed salad dressings, spreads, cheese and sour cream before placing the order. You can also ask for a ketchup or mustard and add it yourself according to your taste.
• Prefer having wheat chapati rather than butter naan or rice. Try having more of raita with your meal, as curd has good digestive guts in it.
• Rich desserts can send you into fat and calorie overload. lower calorie options include fruits, fruit sorbet, or fat-free frozen yogurt, but it’s still important to keep portions small.
• Do not eat in rush. Enjoy your meal with your friends and family and eat at leisure. Mindful eating relaxes you and so, you do not end up overeating as well as digest better. 
• It is advisable to decide your calorie budget before — but don’t starve yourself, it’ll only encourage temptation.
• Replace unhealthy options with healthy options. If you know a sauce is going to be loaded with calories, ask that it be brought on the side. You tend to eat less that way. 

Contributed by the co-owners of Pamphilos Kitchen and Bar