Can't Cook Your Meal At Home? Effective Tips To Maintain A Balanced Diet If You Are Eating Out

Eating out more than in? Whether it’s work lunches or weekend dinners, navigating restaurant menus for a balanced diet can be tricky. Fear not! Here are smart strategies to stay healthy on the go.

Include dishes like upma, poha, chilla, dosa, pancakes in breakfast (Image credit: Freepik)

Eating healthy is not rocket science, and while cooking all your meals from scratch is a sure-shot way to understand what you’re putting into your body and make healthier choices, it’s not always possible, especially if you can’t find the time to cook. However, with some easy steps, you can ensure that your meals are nutritious without much effort. 

Huda Shaikh Khan, clinical dietitian, nutritionist and certified diabetes educator, who also shares nutrition tips on Coto, a women-only social community platform that seamlessly blends digital entrepreneurship with community interactions, shares her top tips to ensure that each meal is an ideal balance of nutrition and flavour:

• Arrange your meals: Making a schedule for your meals helps you see what you'll be eating each day of the week and prevents you from making poor decisions at the last minute. 
• Stock up on healthful foods: Make sure you have enough whole-wheat crackers, fruits, veggies, unsalted nuts and seeds, makhana, roasted chana, peanuts, and other nutritious items on hand. 
• Maintain a healthy digestive tract by drinking adequate water throughout the day. Constipation, bloating, and acidity can be problems if you eat out a lot. 

If you usually eat out or order in, here’s how you can make your meals healthier: 

1.    For breakfast: Opt for non-greasy, baked, minimally sweet or sauteed options. Steer clear of sugary cereals, packaged juices, refined flour and spicy meals. Include dishes like upma, poha, chilla, dosa, pancakes (wholewheat, no sugar), no-added-sugar muesli and milk, fruit, eggs on toast, yoghurt cups, chia pudding etc.

2.    For lunch and dinner: Begin your meals with at least half a plate of sauteed vegetables or salads. You can also opt for soup (without cream or cheese) to fill you up in the beginning. Opt for veggie-based entrees or baked/roasted/grilled paneer, chicken, fish, tofu etc.

3. Opt for non-greasy meals and avoid cream, sauce, or heavy gravies. For example, if you want to eat pasta as a meal, choose a vegetable option instead of a creamy white/pink sauce. 

4. For sides, choose salads instead of fries or fried chicken/paneer.

5. At restaurants, request smaller portions wherever possible. If not, eat only half the meal. Get the rest of the meal packed, and you can eat that for your next meal.

6. For desserts, choose chia pudding, fruits with yoghurt, or if you crave something cold, a sorbet. 

7. At fast food joints, choose sandwiches and wraps without mayo, cheese and heavy sauces. Try to include more vegetables in your meals and replace fatty sides with healthier salads or fruit bowls. If allowed, order from the kids’ menu as these will be smaller portions of food that’ll satisfy your cravings while ensuring fewer calories enter your body. 

8. If possible, opt for subscription boxes via healthy meal delivery platforms to ensure that you get nutritious, balanced meals at your doorstep.