It is inevitable to avoid social gatherings and sticking to your diet at the same time. So, what can be done? Making healthy choices and keeping a good control over portion size can help you stay on the track.
Few suggestions to steer clear of hidden fat and calories :-
Appetisers - Choose one that has more of vegetables, fruits or fish/chicken/paneer. Eg lettuce cups, edamame , grilled paneer or chicken or fish plater. Avoid fried or breaded appetisers, which are high in calories.
Beverages- Avoid smoothies which are high in sugar, cream and made up of full fat milk . Also avoid carbonated drinks or high in sugar syrup cocktails or mock-tails which are high on calories.
Soup - Chose vegetable or cottage cheese/ fish/chicken broth based or tomato based soups and avoid creamed soups , pureed soups which contains cream.
Bread - Avoid muffins, cupcakes, cheesy toast , patties and croissants have high in fat and calories, so it is better to skip the bread basket altogether.
Salads - Even salads can be high in calorie if they have heavy cream or mayonnaise based dressing. For instance avoid taco, meat ,cheese and deep fried shell in salads.
Sauces - Skip pasta with white sauce dressings or any starter with creamy sauce. Have tomato based sauces as they are comparatively lower in calories. Avoid korma curries among Indian dishes as they are high in calories.
Dessert - Prefer ordering fresh fruits , sorbet or fruit custard or sugar free yoghurts over other creamy or fried desserts. Always share your dessert as it becomes easy to cut down on portion size.
Healthy options : -
Mexican cuisine
- Fajitas made with grilled meats and vegetables
- Burritos or enchiladas with protein filling (chicken/shrimp/lean meat)
Japanese cuisine
- Sushi made with tuna, tofu, shrimp or vegetables
- Miso
- Teppanyaki dishes (meat, fish or vegetables)
Chinese cuisine
- Stir fried chicken, vegetables , paneer , steamed rice
- Steamed whole wheat dim sums with clear soup
Indian cuisine
- Tandoori or grilled vegetables or chicken / fish
Be mindful of two common challenges , firstly , the urge to order more food and eating more than the desired portion size. Secondly, don’t get carried away by the taste and end up overeating, and order a side dish such as grilled veggies to add bulk to your main course.
In a gist , it is important to try eating your meal mindfully and by making conscious choices about what you consume and developing a habit of ordering healthier foods.