5 New Restaurant Survival Strategies

5 New Restaurant Survival Strategies

Many of the foods we eat today, from drive-thru snacks to sit-down dinners at chain restaurants, are far, far worse for our waistlines than we could ever imagine. See, food marketers have spent the past few generations devising ever more creative ways to pack our food with fat, salt, and sugar in an effort to hit the bull's eye on our tongues. In fact, we now consume an average of 300 calories a day more than we did in 1985. You can stop that. Simply follow these restaurant rules to trim calories and fat effortlessly. Trust us, you'll never notice the difference...well, except in the size of your waistline.

 Order À La Carte

Your best bet at nearly any sit down restaurant is to skip the regular menu choices and piece together your own custom-made meal. Nowhere is that strategy more important than at Chili's. Create your own combo with a mix of grilled shrimp, chicken, or sirloin, then tack on a healthy side like black beans or seasonal vegetables. It's one of the only ways to come out unscathed.

Omit the Oil

There's nothing more dangerous than an apathetic sandwich maker with a bottle of oil, but unfortunately that's what you'll find behind many deli counters. At Blimpie, for example, many sandwiches get oiled whether you ask for it or not, so if you decide to stray from the Turkey and Cranberry Sandwich, be sure to specify "no oil." Otherwise, you're facing 120 calories per half ounce, and there's no telling how much of it will wind up on your lunch.

Avoid the Pot Pie

.Seems innocuous, right? A pie made out of vegetables? Too bad those vegetables are bound together with a creamy sludge and held upright by a buttery pastry crust. At Bob Evans that amounts to 862 calories and more than your entire day's intake of saturated fat. You can expect similar numbers elsewhere.

Keep It Simple

The rule of menu nomenclature: The longer and more embellished the name of the food, the more fat, sugar, and sodium it contains. For example, IHOP's French Toast carries 640 calories, but the Strawberry Banana French Toast carries 1,060. Similarly, a Hamburger at Applebee's delivers 790 calories, while the fancier Steakhouse Burger with A.1. Sauce swells to 1,190. Stick to basic dishes you know and love and you'll come out ahead almost every time.

Slow Down

A study published last year in Psychological Science discovered that the mere sight of a fast-food sign can make you feel rushed, which can lead to impulsive decisions and poor nutritional choices. Sidestep your impulses by planning your choices ahead.