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Grab a Bite?
Eating Heart-healthy When Dining Out
By Kelly Burgess
Jennifer Hardesty does her homework. Before going out to eat, even to a fast food restaurant, she researches the menu offerings and decides in advance what she is going to eat and how it fits into her heart-healthy diet plan.
Hardesty from Metairie, La., is on Weight Watchers. While Weight Watchers is well known as a weight loss program, its focus on lots of fresh vegetables and fruits, high-fiber foods and lean proteins sources mirrors the dietary recommendations of the American Heart Association. Hardesty started the program after a couple of health scares that put her in the hospital – high blood pressure and chest pains. Although her heart checked out fine, the scare pushed her into a decision to lose her excess weight and start eating more healthfully overall.
According to Lynn Laboranti, a registered dietician and continuing education specialist for Nature Made, Hardesty's approach to eating out is a smart way to stick to a healthy diet plan while enjoying the social aspect of eating. "Eating out is an enjoyable experience and one that is a big part not only of our culture, but cultures all over the world," says Laboranti. "The key, as it is in virtually every other area of our life, is moderation. We have to moderate our eating no matter where we do it and learn to make smart choices all day, every day."
To combat some of the problems inherent in restaurant eating, Laboranti says planning ahead is the best first step and can begin first thing in the morning. "Usually, with a sit down type dinner, you know a day or so in advance that you're going," says Laboranti. "Plan your day to balance your food choices. If you know you're going to eat more at dinner than usual, cut back in the morning and at lunch. Don't skip these meals, just make sure to make very healthy choices that can balance what you may be eating that evening."
