Eating out is a part of life for most of us and it’s important we don’t cut this out if we are trying to lose weight or eat more nutritiously. There are plenty of good options when eating out, we just need to be strategic in what we pick. In saying this, there is always room for less healthy eating out options in moderation too!
Healthy Take-away and Eating Out Tips
Choose meals that contain vegetables or order a side salad or side of steamed vegetables
Choose grilled meats over crumbed or deep fried
Don’t arrive too hungry, make sure you have a snack or meal within 4 hours of arriving
Take into consideration calorie content of drinks and have water with the meal
Limit options with cream, butter, cheese, high fat meats e.g. sausages, bacon, pork belly
If you know the portion sizes are on the large side, opt for an entree or share a main and a side salad with someone else or ask for a take-away container for any leftovers
If you choose to have dessert, see if you can share this with someone or opt for a tea or coffee
If consuming take-away food split meal in half, add extra veg e.g. bagged salad or frozen microwaved veggies
Healthy Pub or Bistro Meal
Better Options
Grilled steak, chicken or fish with side salad/vegetables - ask for small portion of chips or extra salad/veg instead
Roast dinner (trim/avoid any fat on meat if possible)
Crustaceans with a side salad e.g. chili mussels, oysters, grilled calamari, prawns
Salads - add/ensure protein source e.g. grilled chicken, prawns
Limit / Occasionally Only
Crumbed or deep-fried foods e.g. schnitzel, salt and pepper squid, battered/crumbed fish
High fat meats e.g. scotch fillet, sausages, pork belly, untrimmed pork or lamb chops, burger
Creamy pastas e.g. carbonara
Healthy Asian Style Take-away and Eating Out
Better options
Stir fry chicken/tofu/prawns and vegetables with noodles or steamed rice
Broth based soups with vegetables and protein e.g. Pho, Tom Yum, chicken and corn, miso
Vietnamese rice noodle bowl with protein and salad or Thai paw paw salad with prawns
Vietnamese rice paper rolls
Sushi roll with lean protein filling e.g. tuna or grilled chicken or prawn + vegetable filled roll e.g. avocado cucumber or tofu and vegetable
Limit / Occasionally Only
Fried rice
Deep fried foods e.g. spring roll, fried dim sim, battered squid, prawn toast
Coconut milk/cream dishes e.g. laksa, green curry, red curry, yellow curry
Healthy Indian Take-away and Eating Out
Better options
Vegetable, lentil or bean-based curries, dahl
Steamed rice or roti
Tomato or stock/gravy-based curries e.g. vindaloo
Prawn, fish or chicken curries
Limit / Occasionally Only
Deep fried foods e.g. samosa, pakoras
Butter or cream-based curries
Lamb or fatty meat curries - can have in small amounts and combine with a veggie curry
Naan
Healthy Mexican Take-away and Eating Out
Better options
Burrito bowl or 2 small tacos or smaller size burrito with beans +/- chicken, choose between cheese, avocado or sour cream, non-creamy dressing
Fajita with chicken
Limit / Occasionally Only
Doubling up on cheese, avocado, sour cream
Creamy based dressing
Nachos Burritos or bowls with corn chips or fries inside
Healthy Italian Take-away and Eating Out
Better options
Tomato based pasta e.g. seafood marinara, puttanesca, chicken and vegetable
Thin crust vegetarian pizza or vegetable with ham or chicken
Minestrone soup
Caprese salad
Order pasta or pizza with a side salad or side vegetables
Limit / Occasionally Only
Meat lovers or multiple cheese style pizzas
Processed/cured meats
Creamy pasta e.g. carbonara
Pesto pasta
Healthy Fast Food Options
Better options
Subway with either chicken teriyaki, ham, chicken strips, turkey or roast beef with any salad, cheese or avocado, non-creamy dressing/sauce on grain or wholemeal bread OR similar style from cafe or bakery
Nando’s grilled peri peri 1/4 chicken with small spicy rice and salad
GyG Mexican as above, sushi as above
Limit / Occasionally Only
Large burgers e.g. Whopper or Big Mac or fried chicken e.g.
KFC Large/meal upgrades with drinks
Subway with high fat meats e.g. salami, bacon, meatball, schnitzel, creamy sauces
Fried snack foods e.g. dim sims, chiko roll, potato cakes, chips, wedges
Pastries e.g. pie, sausage roll, pasty, quiche
If you’d like a personal nutrition plan, head here to book in with one of our 5 Dietitians either in person or online!