Eating Outside While on a Low-Fat Diet
Even the most determined of dieters will face temptations when they go out with friends or family. Eating Outside While on a Low-Fat Diet. What do you do when the rest of your group wants to eat pizza? Or maybe everyone is having beer and steaks? Do you just order a salad and nibble it like a bunny or do you close one eye and break your diet just that once?
These are tough decisions to make. The difficulty of compliance is directly proportional to how restrictive the diet is. For example, it’s very difficult for paleo dieters to eat outside because most restaurants do not prepare food the paleo way. There are many no-no ingredients in the paleo diet that should be eaten at any cost. No exceptions.
he low-fat diet, however, is much more lenient. It only states that you can’t consume more than 30 percent of your calories in fat. It doesn’t state what type of fat and there are no foods that are not allowed in this diet. So, you can consume some fat but you can’t go overboard.
This essentially means that you must know the portion sizes and exactly how much fat you’re consuming. You will also need to choose your food wisely. For example, if you’re at a fast food outlet, you can order a burger and just eat the patty. You will have to skip the fries and other side orders. It’s not ideal, but at least it will not be inconvenient for you.
One rule of thumb will be to skip the fried foods. They come in many names such as “cooked in vegetable oil”, “tempura” or “sautéed”. Avoid foods that are deep fried or coated in bread crumbs. Stick to food that is oven roasted, baked, barbecued or grilled. You will not be getting the fat from the oil in your diet.
If you’re at a restaurant, you can always place a special order and see if the chef is willing to prepare the dish for you. If everyone is having fried chicken, you can ask for grilled chicken. In most places, they will be glad to accommodate you.
Avoid creamy food items or dishes drowned in sauces such as salad dressing. Steer clear of the dips served with appetizers and cream based soups such as clam chowder.
Avoid dairy products too. Cheese based dishes and milk shakes are examples of foods that are rich in dairy and which contain saturated animal fats.
If you’re wondering what to eat, stick with:
- Fajitas – Stick with meat and veggies. Avoid the cheese and sour cream.
- Grilled foods are always a good choice.
- Salads without dressing. You can have salad that has some meat and egg in it but not too much. Make sure the salads do not contain fatty foods such as cheese, bacon, dressing, etc.
- Stick to water or green tea when it comes to drinks. Diet sodas are fine once in a while. These are way better than beers, milk shakes, cocktails, etc.
It can be tough to be on a diet and go out for a social gathering. Ideally, it would be best to give most social gatherings a pass while you are on a low-fat diet. Since you should only be on a low-fat diet for about 4 to 7 weeks, it’s not too long a stretch. Your social life will not be severely affected.
In fact, once you have lost weight and you look and feel better, your social life might actually get better. There are sacrifices to be made if you wish to get the body you desire. Make the necessary sacrifices and once you reach your goal, you can relax a little and eat what you like, when you like… in moderation, of course. Nothing tastes as good as being in shape feels.
