Eating away from home in a healthy way

Many Europeans, who have a life too busy to be able to buy or cook, eat out or take food prepared away from home more often. It is common to have breakfast on the way to work, eating in a cafeteria or dining at a nearby restaurant or order food. The more you eat out, the more important to choose the dishes properly to lead a healthy diet. Here are some tips to help you.

Size Matters

A key issue when it comes to eating out is that rations can be quite abundant. The higher the ration, the easier it is to eat more than necessary. The fact of paying the meal can lead to wanting to finish what you have on the plate. What you can do is ask for a greater portion of vegetables, as will fill you without providing just calories. Get used to notice when you have eaten enough and stop when you do not want-or if not, ask only what you want to eat, for example, do not ask for incoming plate (first) and dessert. If you eat with friends, why not sharing the rations? In this way, you can taste many different dishes without committing excesses.

Make your meals count

We should all try to take at least 5 portions of fruit and vegetables a day, so when eating out, be sure to take this into account. You can find vegetables in soups, salads and side dishes, include them in your choice. If you are going to take a dessert, why not choose one fruit? Natural juices and fruit smoothies can also contribute to the account of fruit and vegetables.

Quality and quantity

Red meat such as cows or sheep is a good source of iron, like duck. However, all these types of meat can be very fatty, so it is best to choose low fat cuts, remove the fat or ask the meat to be grilled. Today's pork is bred to be lean meat, and chicken and turkey meat is low fat.

Fish

Fish is a good option. You can toggle the blue fish-salmon, sardines, mackerel and tuna, rich in omega-3 fatty acids, with a white fish like flounder, cod and hake. Currently, the intake of these fatty acids in the diet is inadequate for many people. Many people found it difficult to cook the fish, therefore, must take when going to the restaurant. Ideally, it is cooked grilled or in oven.

Starches

Ask for bread, rice, pasta or potatoes, and foods that are more satisfying. In general, choose rice or boiled potatoes, instead of fried. If you really want it, you can spread butter or margarine on bread, but in moderation. Margarine’s a fatty acid composition is healthier than the butter, but has the same number of calories. As for the pasta, sauces are the best if they have a tomato that containing cream. Try the bread, rice and pasta, which contain more fiber and nutrients than refined products.

Sauces and condiments

Always test the food before adding salt or other seasonings, the chef have spiced dishes. Ask for sauces separately, so you can take only the amount you want. For salads, choose dressings with olive oil, rapeseed or nut, because they are rich in mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids which are beneficial, instead of mayonnaise or creamy dressings.

Eggs and dairy products

Eggs and dairy products like cheese, milk and yogurt are very nutritious, but like meat, are best consumed in small quantities. Therefore, cheese should be consumed in moderation, and not as an appetizer, as a main dish and take only one egg instead of two for breakfast and not very often. If you are concerned about your fat intake, you can choose fat-less dairy products.

Legumes

Legumes (chickpeas, lentils and beans) are often ingredients of traditional soups and stews, so why not order these dishes when eating out? Legumes are an excellent component of the diet because they provide fiber and make us feel full longer because they are digested slowly.

And a good glass of wine

For many, the pleasure of eating is to enjoy a good glass of wine or a beer, which has nothing wrong. However, it is extremely easy to exceed that limit. For reference, adult women should consume a maximum of two alcoholic beverages per day and adult men, three. To maintain consumption of alcohol within these limits, alternate alcoholic beverages with water or a soft drink, which also helps prevent possible dehydration.

"Special occasion" factor

If you eat out regularly by necessity, can no longer be considered something special, and it is more sensible to think about health by looking at the menu. However, when there is a special occasion such an excellent restaurant that wanted to try for years, nothing happens making an exception and choosing what you want. Note that what matters is the overall balance of the diet along weeks or months.

So remember: the key message is a lot of variety, everything in moderation … and enjoying the meal!

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