Orlando dining tips for healthy eating
Develop a healthy mindset. Tell yourself: A restaurant meal should give me energy for the next four or five hours. I want to feel satisfied without feeling stuffed.
I can make better choices at restaurants, just as I’ve learned to do at home.
- It’s money well-spent if I leave this restaurant feeling full, energetic and relaxed.
- I know what I need to eat to feel my best, and that’s what I’m going to have.
Rather than:
- Eating out is a special occasion, so I’ll splurge.
- I eat well at home. It’s too tedious, depressing and embarrassing to do this in restaurant.
- For what this meal cost, I’m going to eat my money’s worth. I wonder what other people will think or say about what I eat.
Plan ahead
- Decide in advance what food groups would be appropriate as part of this meal.
- If you are going to a familiar restaurant, decide what you want beforehand and skip the menu.
- Don’t arrive at the restaurant famished. Plan to eat normal meals and snacks during the day.
Modify your eating behavior
- Practice eating slowly and leaving some food on your plate. Do this at every meal so it becomes a habit.
- While dining, ask yourself, “am I still hungry?” Allow yourself to stop when you are no longer hungry. Get in touch with your true feelings of hunger and satisfy.
- Read cookbooks. Once you know what goes into your food, you’ll feel more comfortable making choices.
- Personal growth is a lifelong project. Aim toward ongoing, consistent improvement in your eating habits.
Choose these methods of preparation for lower fat entrees:
- Grilled
- Steamed
- Baked
- Broiled
- Seared ...in its own juice
- Poached
Watch out for these words which describe higher fat preparation:
- Fried
- Pan Fried
- Crispy
- Sautéed
- Creamy Au Gratin
- Buttery
- Casserole
- Escalloped
- Hollandaise
Tips for Healthier Eating While Traveling
It may be difficult to find healthy and low fat meals or snacks in airports, on planes, or at your destination. Some airports and airlines are offering fewer choices, and with shorter flights, many airlines no longer serve meals on their flights. Consider the following suggestions to help you plan ahead when traveling.
Bring with you
- Apples, pears, bananas, peeled oranges
- Peanut butter and jam sandwiches
- Low fat granola or whole grain breakfast bars
- Low fat crackers or snack chips
- Small bags of whole grain cereals and dried fruit
- Small bags of cut-up raw vegetables
- 1 oz mozzarella cheese sticks
- Bottled water
At the airport
- Low fat refrigerated yogurt
- Grilled chicken items at the fast food stands
- Low fat muffins, whole grain rolls and skim milk from the coffee stands
- If your flight offers a meal, you can order a special menu from most airlines when you purchase your ticket or at least 12 hours in advance of your flight. You can also make special request for food allergies or intolerance. Call the airline directly to obtain information on sample menus for low calorie, low fat/low cholesterol, or a non-dairy vegetarian meal.
On the plane
- Stay well hydrated with bottled water or carbonated water. Alcohol is dehydrating.
- If you get a standard meal: skip the butter/margarine, use dressing sparingly.
- Enjoy the fruit and vegetables! Even if you didn’t get the healthiest choices, remember the portions are small.
At your destination
- Many major hotel chains are offering healthy menus to their meal services.
- If your hotel does not have a healthier menu, try to include vegetables, complex carbohydrates and fruit with your meal while limiting animal protein to small portions.
- Eat slowly until you are comfortably satisfied, not stuffed.
View other great restaurants in Orlando:
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