Mindful Dining At Restaurants
Mindful Dining At Restaurants
What
is mindful eating?
Mindfulness means focusing on the present moment,
while calmly acknowledging and accepting your feelings, thoughts, and bodily
sensations.
So when we go out for dinner outs we are confused and
then we tend to over eat.
We should always do a mindful eating when we are out
so that no extra weight gain happens after dinner out.
So read below
to know how you can manage mindful eating my all mindful dining.
If you're not familiar with the menu,
read it before you get to the restaurant.
You're more likely to make unhealthy
choices when hungry or distracted.
The sight and smell of food can make
sticking to a plan more difficult, especially if you are
hungry.
Choosing your food before you arrive
makes it easier to avoid snap decisions you might regret later.
2. Have
a Healthy Snack Before You Arrive
If you're hungry when you arrive at a
restaurant, you may end up eating too much. One way to prevent this is to eat a
healthy snack before you get there.
A low-calorie, high-protein snack
like yogurt could make you feel more full and help
prevent overeating .
3. Drink Water Before Your Meal
Water is a fantastic choice
for drinking before a meal. This makes your stomach little full and avoid
overeating.
4. Check How Food is cooked
and Prepared
The way food is cooked can have a
significant impact on the amount of calories it contains.
Look for food that has been steamed, grilled, roasted
or poached. In general, these cooking methods equate to less fat and therefore
fewer calories.
Foods that are described on the menu as pan-fried,
fried, crispy, crunchy or sautéed will usually contain more fat and more
calories.
5.
Order Your Meal Before Everyone Else
Other people can influence our decisions without us
really noticing.
In social situations, people tend to mimic each other
subconsciously, and dining out is no exception.
People's menu choices and eating behaviors can be
highly influenced by the choices of other people at the table.
If you're eating with a group that is likely to order
something that doesn't fit into your healthy eating plan, make sure you order
first.
6.
Slow Down and Chew Thoroughly
Chewing your food thoroughly and eating slower could help you eat less. It can also make you
feel full more quickly.
When you're eating, try counting a minimum number of
chews per mouthful to stop yourself from eating too quickly.
Putting your utensils down between mouthfuls is also a
good way to slow down and give your satiety signals some time to kick in.
7. Bring all your senses to the meal
When you're cooking, serving, and eating
your food, be attentive to color, texture, aroma, and even the sounds different
foods make as you prepare them. As you chew your food, try identifying all the
ingredients, especially seasonings.
8. Come to the table with an appetite but not when ravenously hungry
If you skip
meals, you may be so eager to get anything in your stomach that your first
priority is filling the void instead of enjoying your food.
9. Always mind the portion
If you eat any high
calorie item or sweet beverages then mind the portion size. Don’t overindulge.
Can Mindfulness Curb Restaurant
Overeating?
Supersized portions and high-calorie dishes in
restaurants are often blamed for contributing to obesity epidemic. People tend to carry more
body fat if they eat out frequently, and they tend to consume more calories and
fat in restaurants than they do when eating at home, studies suggest.
Eating 200 or 300 extra calories in a restaurant once
or twice a week may not seem like a big deal, but those calories can add up. The
restaurant is a high-risk food environment. There's a pretty good chance if you
eat out frequently you're likely to gain weight over time.
How can people fend off these extra calories? We can
stay away from restaurants altogether, of course, but for most of us that's not
a viable—or particularly appealing—option. A small new study, offers another
potential strategy: mindful eating, a series of dining techniques that stress
close attention to the enjoyment of eating and feelings of hunger and fullness.
Healthy restaurant choices
Instead Of |
Try |
Pasta
with butter, cheese, or cream sauces
(such as Alfredo sauce)
|
Pasta
with marsala sauce (made with wine) or marinara sauce (made with tomatoes,
onion and garlic) or Piccata (lemon-based sauce for either chicken or veal
dishes)
|
Cappuccino
coffee/Gelato (ice cream)
|
Mint
or chamomile tea/Fruit Ice
|
Fried
rice / Fried noodles
|
Steamed
rice / Noodles
|
Jumbo
cheeseburgers
|
Grilled
chicken, sliced meats / burger without cheese / grilled chicken breast
sandwich without mayonnaise
|
Bacon
and cheese sandwich
|
Whole
wheat sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onion, mustard and ketchup
|
Fried
chicken
|
Grilled
Chicken with garden salad (reduced fat dressing
|
Fried
chicken pieces
|
Chicken
fajita pitas
|
French
fries
|
Baked
potato with vegetables or low – fat or
fat- free sour cream topping
|
Potato
chips
|
Pretzels,
baked potato with low fat sour cream
|
Ice
cream shakes / sodas
|
Veg
Juice or fruit juice with pulp & no added sugar or low – fat or fat free
milk or a diet soft drink
|
Ice
cream
|
Low
fat, flavoured yoghurt
|
Croissants
|
French
bread
|
Chocolate
mouse
|
Chocolate
fat- free pudding
|
Crème
caramel
|
Peaches
in wine / fresh fruit
|
Flour
tortillas
|
Corn
tortillas
|
Fried
spring rolls
|
Fresh
spring rolls (rolls filled with vegetables and served with sweet and sour
sauce),
|
Fried
rice
|
Steam
rice
|
Chicken Tacos
|
Roasted Chili-Corn Salsa, &
Lettuce
|
Do Remember following
points for Mindful Eating in Restaurants
·
Think twice before ordering – break those autopilot habits we
have around eating
·
Make each calorie count – eat only what you really love
·
Think before you eat – take a moment to ask yourself how hungry
you are on a scale of one to ten
·
Slow down – it takes 20 minutes for our brain to get the message
that we are full
I hope my this blog help you all next time you eating
out. So do have MINDFUL EATING when eating out to avoid unnecessary weight
gain.
If any queries – you can message in
comment section.
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