While many college aged students live in dorms of in housing off campus with friends, there are the few of us who live alone or with only one other person. If you are like myself you may find that you are eating alone more often than not, which can get rather lonely and having the occasional meal out is a good moral booster and just plain old fun. However, eating out can be rough on the wallet and threaten to bust your diet wide open. A few helpful tips regarding what to eat while you’re out to dinner with your friends and how to not fill your entire days fat and calorie count in one meal are to:
-Find a meal that you may want to split with a friend; most of the times that you eat out the portions that are served are way beyond what is considered a normal or acceptable meal portion. By splitting the meal with a friend you are not only splitting the cost but you are also reducing the temptation of over eating.
-If you can’t settle on a meal to share with a friend or just don’t want to share consider splitting it with yourself. As soon as the meal arrives, immediately package half for tomorrow's lunch. While this isn’t exactly easier on the wallet it will prevent you from over eating at dinner and provide you a lunch for tomorrow. (This is one of my favorite things to do when I eat out because it allows me to be lazy the next day)
-Nonmeat meals like huge salads or stir-fry are full of fiber from veggies and whole grains. That means they tend to be lower in calories and fat than entrées such as steak or chicken (which often come with high-calorie sides like buttery mashed potatoes). As a bonus, they also tend to be a few bucks cheaper.
-Kids don't eat as much, so portion sizes are smaller. Just be sure to choose a healthy option such as pasta, a veggie and hummus sandwich, or flatbread pizza (not hot dogs or fried chicken fingers).
-Opting for water or seltzer instead of cocktails; tap water doesn't cost anything and is free of calories, but a cocktail can run you a few hundred calories. Depending on how many drinks you order while out, sipping water, tea, or seltzer can save you both on calories and money.
-Find a meal that you may want to split with a friend; most of the times that you eat out the portions that are served are way beyond what is considered a normal or acceptable meal portion. By splitting the meal with a friend you are not only splitting the cost but you are also reducing the temptation of over eating.
-If you can’t settle on a meal to share with a friend or just don’t want to share consider splitting it with yourself. As soon as the meal arrives, immediately package half for tomorrow's lunch. While this isn’t exactly easier on the wallet it will prevent you from over eating at dinner and provide you a lunch for tomorrow. (This is one of my favorite things to do when I eat out because it allows me to be lazy the next day)
-Nonmeat meals like huge salads or stir-fry are full of fiber from veggies and whole grains. That means they tend to be lower in calories and fat than entrées such as steak or chicken (which often come with high-calorie sides like buttery mashed potatoes). As a bonus, they also tend to be a few bucks cheaper.
-Kids don't eat as much, so portion sizes are smaller. Just be sure to choose a healthy option such as pasta, a veggie and hummus sandwich, or flatbread pizza (not hot dogs or fried chicken fingers).
-Opting for water or seltzer instead of cocktails; tap water doesn't cost anything and is free of calories, but a cocktail can run you a few hundred calories. Depending on how many drinks you order while out, sipping water, tea, or seltzer can save you both on calories and money.
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