Eating out

When you eat out, you can influence what you have on your plate - all you have to do is ask.  

• Drink water or sugar-free drinks. Sugary drinks are very high in calories and alcoholic beverages are not only bad for your health, they also stimulate the appetite.

• Have extra vegetables :
  
  • A mixed salad as a starter, side or main course;
    
  • A vegetable soup as a starter or main course;
    
  • Hot vegetables with your main course;
    
  • Try the vegetarian dishes.
   
• Change some of the items in the dish and pick healthier alternatives: 
  • Replace refined cereal products (white bread, white pasta, white rice and other refined cereals) with wholemeal products (wholemeal bread, wholewheat pasta, brown rice and other wholegrain cereals), if possible.
  • Replace chips, potato croquettes, gratins, fried potatoes, etc. with jacket or boiled potatoes, rice or pasta, etc.
  • Replace meat and fish in breadcrumbs with grilled meat and fish.

• Choose tomato-based sauces, cooking juices, mustard, dips/sauces made from fromage frais or yoghurt, etc.

• Change the portions and try to respect the proportions of the ideal plate: 
  • A large portion of vegetables;
    
  • A small portion of meat, fish or vegetarian alternative;
    
  • A small portion of cereals or potatoes;
    
  • Resist the bread served before the food arrives.

• Order sauces and vinaigrettes to add separately. That way you can add just the amount you need to taste.

• Give up on all the high-calorie extras: 
  • Croutons and chopped bacon on your salad;
    
  • Butter on your bread, garlic bread;
    
  • Keep grated cheese on pasta and salads to a minimum.
   
• Don't eat too many olives or vegetables soaked in oil (antipasti-style).

• You can overcome the urge for something sweet. A cup of coffee or tea with a small biscuit or a piece of chocolate can suffice.

• Eat slowly and pay attention to how your body is reacting.

In an Italian restaurant

Look for these dishes :

• Pasta with a sauce made with tomatoes or other vegetables or with pesto.

• Simple pizzas with only one topping, apart from vegetables, which you can eat without limitation.

• Mixed salads.

• Grilled meat and fish.

• Carpaccio, etc. 

In an Asian restaurant

Look for these dishes :

• Steamed dishes.

• Vegetable soups.

• Sir-fried vegetables.

• Mixed salads.

• Plain rice, etc.

At the sandwich shop or bakery

It's up to you to choose what you have in your sandwich. You can easily choose a balanced, healthy sandwich.

• The bread : wholemeal or wholegrain.

• A light filling : ham, chicken breast, grilled meat, cold slices of roast meat, fish, cheese, houmous, for example, rather than salami, sausage, meat or fish in sauce, tuna mayonnaise, curried chicken, etc.

• Choose just one filling, for example have just cheese or just ham.

• Add as many vegetables as you like: green salad, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions...

• Keep sauces, butter and oil to a minimum.

Examples of balanced fillings :

• Cheese and raw vegetables (e.g. tomato and mozzarella).

• Lean meat and raw vegetables.

• Fish and raw vegetables.

• Eggs and raw vegetables.

• Vegetarian alternatives (houmous, vegetable paté, etc.) and raw vegetables.

• Grilled vegetables.

Also choose these fillings when buying ready-made sandwiches.

At the supermarket

Supermarkets are stocking an ever-wider range of balanced dishes ready to eat or heat up.

Good choices include:

• Wraps with raw vegetables.

• Mixed salads with plenty of vegetables.

• Cereal, pasta or potato salads that also contain raw vegetables and not too much sauce.

• Vegetable tarts.

• Sandwiches with raw vegetables (choose wisely).

• Vegetable sticks.

• Fruit salads.

• Prepared vegetable dishes.