Emily's 6 Tips for Healthy Habits at Restaurants

I’m sorry it has been so long since I last updated!! I have been keeping busy with traveling, practice, and appearances. I hope you enjoy this little article I put together about healthy eating at restaurants…enjoy!




Emily’s 6 Tips for Healthy Habits at Restaurants!

So you want to socialize with friends and family at restaurants and still be able to stick to your diet? Well, guess what…It’s definitely not impossible! I’ve compiled a list of the 6 tips that I follow when I go out to eat and although they may be hard at times, once you get used to and live by these rules, it’ll be a piece of cake to keep unwanted pounds off and keep a lively social life!

1. Order a to-go box right away. Restaurants serve platters like plates which gives you the impression that you aren’t consuming as much as you really are. As soon as you order your meal, ask for a to-go box to come out with your meal, that way you can cut your meal in half and only eat one half at the restaurant. You’ll have some yummy leftovers for lunch the next day, and you’ll be saving yourself a bunch of calories. Both my mom and dad swear by this rule, and I know you will too once you try it.

2. Skip the dressings, sauces, and creams. If you notice “creamy” in the title of the food you want to eat, STAY AWAY! These dishes are usually extremely calorie laden, and high in fat and sodium. If you absolutely cannot resist, ask your server if you can order the dish without the sauce. You’d be surprised what cooks can do! If you order a salad, ask first if they have a low fat or low calorie version of the dressing you desire, then ask if you can get it on the side rather than tossed in with the salad. If they don’t have a light dressing, you might try having your salad “naked”. I used to douse my salads with pounds of fatty dressing, essentially cancelling out any benefits that I may have gotten from the vegetables in the salad. However, after seeing someone order a salad without dressing, I decided to order my salad “naked” too. I fell in love. My entire “salad experience” has been totally changed, I’ve figured out different, more exciting ways to spice up my salads. Anything from berries, almonds, and seeds to pepper and lemon juice have graced my salad plate, and trust me any combination is wonderful!

3. When you are finished eating, put a piece of gum in and stick your napkin on your plate. This way you won’t be tempted to “nibble” when you’re full. I’ve actually heard of people dumping their drinks on their plates when they reached their limit, and while I’ve never tried it, I’m sure this option would work as well. When I go out to eat, my dinner date/s and I usually end up talking long after we are actually finished eating, if food is still in front of me I am always tempted to eat it! So, if you are like me and you often get tempted to “nibble” while waiting for your table to be cleared, try one of these options to curb your desire!

4. Order water with your meal rather than soda or liquor. Water is amazing for you, and, if you are like most people, you don’t get enough of it in your day. Aside from saving yourself unnecessary calories, you are saving yourself some money too, as both soda and liquor are more expensive and very high in calories.

5. Ask your server to take the bread basket back to the kitchen. Many restaurants serve rolls, breadsticks, or a small loaf of bread at the beginning of a meal, however, by skipping out on the bread you are saving yourself a load of calories and you also have more room for the delicious meal that you went there for in the first place! If you are with a larger group of people, and you don’t feel like you can just send the entire platter back, pop in some gum to give yourself something to do. This is the perfect time to practice your willpower skills!

6. Skip out on dessert. I am definitely the type of person who NEEDS something sweet at the end of a meal. It’s the natural order of things, right? However, the desserts served at restaurants are generally above or right around the 1000 calorie mark! If you need something sweet, either stock your purse (or pockets, for you guys out there) with fruity gum, or go home and create your own lower calorie version of the dessert you are craving. With a little research and planning you can make some pretty amazing desserts, while saving yourself a lot of calories (and guilt!)

Just for fun…sort of as a seventh tip…I want everyone to go to any restaurant chain’s website and look at their nutrition information listing. Check out the calories in some of the foods you usually eat. Surprised at the high calorie count? Just keep that in mind the next time you eat out! Remember that even if something looks “healthy”, it could be causing you to hold on to the unnecessary pounds that you are looking to get rid of!



Stay Healthy,

Emily

Serving sizes...they may not be what you would think!

I think that the United States as a whole has a serious misconception about serving sizes. I found these helpful images from Reader's Digest, and I just HAD to share them with you guys!  Hopefully the next time you eat any of these, you will remember to check serving sizes and remember that you don't need to eat everything put in front of you.  Leftovers are okay! Whether you are eating at a restaurant, a friend's house, or in the kitchen of your apartment don't feel obligated to eat everything that is served to you....usually you are getting more than you need!  Listen to your body, and stop when you are full!

Stay Healthy,

Emily

Left and Right: © iStockphoto/Thinkstock

A 3-ounce (85 gram) serving of fish is the size of a checkbook.

Left and Right: © iStockphoto/Thinkstock

An ounce (30 gram) of cubed cheese is the size of four dice.

 Left: © Eising/Photodisc/Thinkstock; Right: © iStockphoto/Thinkstock

An ounce (30 gram) of sliced cheese is the diameter of a CD.

Left: © iStockphoto/Thinkstock; Right: © iStockphoto/Thinkstock

A half cup of pasta or rice is the size of a HALF of a baseball. I seriously doubt whether anyone really eats only a half cup of pasta! This proves the importance of understanding serving sizes.

Left: © Stockbyte/Thinkstock; Right: © Polka Dot Images/Polka Dot/Thinkstock

A cup of cold cereal is the size of a baseball.

Left: © Jupiterimages/Comstock/Thinkstock; Right: © Thomas Northcut/Digital Vision/Thinkstock

A medium baked potato is the size of a bar of soap.

Left and Right: © iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Two tablespoons of peanut butter is the size of a ping-pong ball. 

Left: © BananaStock/Thinkstock; Right: © iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Two tablespoons of salad dressing is the size of a shot glass.

Left: © iStockphoto/Thinkstock; Right: © Martin Poole/Digital Vision/Thinkstock

A 6-ounce (180 milliliter) serving of juice is the size of a small yogurt container.

Left and Right: © iStockphoto/Thinkstock

A medium piece of fruit, such as an apple, is the size of a tennis ball.

Left: © iStockphoto/Thinkstock; Right: © Jupiterimages/liquidlibrary/Thinkstock

A 3-ounce (85 gram) serving of cooked meat is the size of a deck of cards.  Again, many people either forget or don't know that a serving of meat is ONLY the size of a deck of cards!




http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/what-does-a-serving-size-look-like/article175273-10.html#slide

Thin = Healthy?

Keira Knightley 2006

Alright, so my topic today is something that I think should be discussed right off the bat.  It is a problem that affects so many young, beautiful women in our society...eating disorders and the belief that being thin is the only way to be healthy. In the United States alone, as many as 10 million females are fighting eating disorders such as anorexia or bulimia (Collins).  I believe this is important for me to discuss, because I don't ever want the people who read my blog or meet me in person to think that I am in any way supporting or encouraging eating disorders.  My number one goal is to build a healthier country by reintroducing people to exercise and healthy eating habits.   People, so many times, get this crazy, messed up idea in their heads that being thin is the equivalent to being healthy.  God didn't create everyone in this world to be a size 0. It is OKAY to be a 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, or 14! As long as you are leading an active lifestyle and eating foods that fuel your body, rather than slow it down, then don't you dare worry about the number on a tag.  Sizes mean nothing! They are only a meaningless number!!

The media in the United States puts such an intense pressure on young women to have this "perfect body".  Frankly, it's sickening.  Today, let's make it our goal to stop putting this pressure on people.  No matter what area of life it is, too much pressure to be perfect, look perfect, act perfect, or perform perfectly will only result in unhealthy measures to attain said perfection.  No one is perfect.  Should I repeat that?  NO ONE IS PERFECT!  Rather than chasing perfection, let's choose to live life to the fullest with our God-given abilities, strengths, and bodies.


If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, please get help!  Anorexia and bulimia are serious, life threatening conditions that need to be addressed immediately. The National Eating Disorder website is a great place to start...http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/

Stay Healthy!

Emily

Collins, M.E. (1991). Body figure perceptions and preferences among pre-adolescent children. International


Journal of Eating Disorders, 199-208.

Any health nuts out there?

Hello All!

My name is Emily Paige and I am a complete and total health nut! I am obsessed with finding new and exciting health foods, exercises, and tips, and I am beyond thrilled to share that passion with you all!  I was recently crowned Miss Frazee (MAO) and I am looking forward to working more with my personal platform, Fit For Life: Making Healthy a Habit, as well as the Miss America Organization's national platform, Children's Miracle Network.  I decided to start this blog because of my aspirations to one day be a journalist as well as my desire to share every tip and insight that I come across with you all!

Thank you for taking the time to read this blog and I hope that I am an encouragement to those of you who want to incorporate some healthier habits into your day!

LOTS more to come!

Emily Paige