20 Small Restaurant Swaps That Add Up to Weight Loss and Better Health

In this article: 

• The average American eats at least one meal away from home more than half the days of the week. 
• Restaurant meals tend to be higher in calories and fat than home-prepared meals, but you can make healthier choices. Small changes can add up to significant results over time. 
• Here are 20 tips to try for healthier meals with smarter portions.
• There are also cuisine-specific tips for eating healthier at Mexican, Italian, Chinese, Japanese, and Indian restaurants.
• Lark can help you establish healthy habits for long-term changes with 24/7 coaching towards your health and weight loss goals.

Are you eating out today or this week? You’re not alone! Americans spend more than half their food dollars on food prepared away from home. The typical American eats at least one meal out more than half the days in a week. 

Restaurant meals can be challenging if you’re trying to manage weight or eat healthier. On average, meals at restaurants - including sit-down, casual, and fast food - are higher in calories, fat, sugar, and sodium than meals prepared at home. 

Still, if eating out is part of your regular routine, you can keep it up and stick to your healthy intentions. If you can make 1-3 small changes per meal to add nutrients or reduce calories or portions, you can still enjoy restaurant meals while staying on track with health and weight loss goals. Here are tips for eating out and staying healthy, followed by swaps you can make at many ethnic-style restaurants.

1. Order ice water or sparkling water instead of soda or a fruit drink. You’ll save 100 calories per 8-ounce cup. Ask for a lemon wedge if you like
2. Choose unsweetened tea instead of sweet tea. Hot or iced herbal, black, and green tea are naturally low in calories. Add a squeeze of lemon if you like
3. Try or black coffee with a splash of milk instead of flavored coffee, coffee with cream, or coffee with sugar. Almond, skim, and oat milk are all good options. Try cinnamon or cocoa powder for a flavor twist
4. Order a small drink with extra ice. If you really want a sugar-sweetened beverage like a soda, order the small size and ask for extra ice. You can save hundreds of calories and 30-60 grams of sugar compared to a large drink with light ice
5. Avoid bread before your meal. Ask your eating companions if it’s okay to skip the bread with butter or oil, chips and salsa, breadsticks, dinner rolls, or other high-calorie freebies. If they insist on having them at your table, ask the server to place them out of your reach
6. Share an entree with a friend. You’ll naturally have half the calories. If you’re still hungry, order an additional side salad or a bowl of vegetable soup
7. Look for lower-calorie dips. Instead of creamy dips like ranch, spinach artichoke, and blue cheese, try marinara sauce and salsa
8. Dip vegetables for appetizers. Wings, French fries, and chips are high in calories and fat, and low in nutrients. Ask for raw vegetables like carrots and celery to dip
9. Swap starchy sides for vegetables. Ask which side dish comes with the meal. If it’s fried or mashed potatoes, rice, or pasta, ask if you can have vegetables instead. Seasonal vegetables and side salads with dressing on the side are often good choices
10. Order vegetables plain. Ask what the vegetables are cooked in or what sauce they come with. Ask for vegetables grilled, steamed, or made without butter or oil
11. Order broth-based soups instead of creamy ones. Skip broccoli cheese soup, cream soups, and chowder. Look for chicken noodle, vegetable, minestrone, tomato, and bean soups
12. Ask for extra lettuce and tomatoes. Ask for more vegetables when ordering handhelds like tacos, burgers, and sandwiches.
13. Be mindful of condiments. Many condiments and spreads can be higher in calories, fat, or sugar than you realize. Mayonnaise, “special sauce,” creamy mustard, honey mustard dip or spread, and sweet and sour sauce are examples. Lower-calorie choices include mustard like dijon, spicy brown, or yellow mustard, hot sauce, salsa, and low-sodium or light soy sauce
14. Ask for dressing on the side. You can slash calories by hundreds when you get a side of dressing instead of having it poured over your salad before it comes to the table. Dip your fork in the dressing before putting the fork into the salad to get flavor without so many calories
15. Order lighter dressings. Low-calorie, light, low-fat, and fat-free dressings are lower in calories and fat than creamy, full-fat dressings. Vinaigrettes can be high in calories and fat, but they’re oil-based dressings with healthy fats. Keep portions in check
16. Ask for toppings on the side. Croutons, shredded cheese, bacon bits, and crispy onions are common toppings that you can get on the side of your salad or soup.
17. Look for roasted, broiled, or grilled protein. Fish, chicken, and veggie burgers are common options. They’re healthier than steak, ribs, and sausages. Also, order skinless grilled chicken instead of fried chicken. Fried chicken, crispy chicken, chicken nuggets, and chicken strips are sure to be high in calories and fat, while skinless grilled chicken has filling protein
18. Ask for sauce on the side or choose lighter sauces. Chicken or fish cooked in creamy sauces like lemon butter or creamy dill sauce can be high in fat. Ask for your protein plain, with sauce served on the side. Marinara sauce, for example, can have less than half the calories as Alfredo sauce.
19. Get dessert for the table. Most restaurant desserts are bigger than a single person needs. Order one satisfying dessert for your table, and savor a bite or two
20. Pack half your meal immediately. Ask the server for a box you can use to pack up half your meal before you start eating. Eat what remains on your plate while you’re at the restaurant, and save what you packed up for another meal

Cuisine-Specific Restaurant Swaps

Here are some ideas for ethnic restaurants.

How Lark Can Help

With smart choices, you can eat out and stay on track. Lark can help. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for encouragement, nutrition and physical activity coaching, and habit tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications. 

‍Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark today!