With the growing notion of eating healthy, it’s essential to take some items out of the menu when dining in or ordering a takeaway. It’s true that many restaurants today are offering healthy options for food. However, your own choice of foods should work better for your and your loved ones’ health.
Choosing the right types of items will keep you healthy without diminishing your enjoyment of eating. Your age, health condition, and other factors influence this choice.
Don’t worry. We’re going to share with you nine menu items you should avoid ordering in a restaurant, followed by one item from an outside menu. Let’s continue.
Escape Foods with Trans Fat
Those big juicy beef burgers with cheddar cheese or large servings of chocolate or vanilla milkshakes can add significant trans fat to your body. The saturated or trans fat in these foods come in varied quantities, but eating them regularly will surely put your health at risk. Instead, you can order chicken tandoori, which is a great source of lean protein.
Foods with trans fat or excess fat-induced add-ons can reduce your body's good cholesterol (HDL) while leading to inflammation, fatigue, stroke, etc. So, stay out of such dishes at the restaurant if you’re picky about health-deteriorating foods.
No Raw Oysters, Please!
If you’re craving some raw oysters right now and looking to order them from a takeaway near you, wait a second. Trying out raw oysters may be known as a delicacy, but you must know the risks linked to it.
Raw oysters aren’t good for health as they comprise bacteria and viruses. Eating them raw may lead to vomiting, diarrhoea, and other critical diseases. So, order cooked oysters or other seafood items like seafood mix from popular restaurants. to enjoy your meal to the fullest.
Avoid Calorie-Packed Smoothies
Smoothies are tasty and healthy. However, when restaurants serve these harmless beverages mixed with ice cream or artificial sugar, that gives your body an excess calorie intake. If you’re looking for healthy beverages, then order a glass of lassi that helps in smooth digestion.
If you love smoothies, make them at home while trying your best to keep below three hundred calories per serving. So, avoid ordering high-calorie smoothies at the restaurant. If you really want it, precisely instruct the waiter to serve it without sugar or extras.
No Creamy Soup As an Appetiser
Creamy soups are heavy, not to mention that they’re full of calories. So, if your choice for an appetiser is a medium to large portion-size of creamy soup, that’s a wrong call! It can spoil your appetite for the delicious main course that is to come.
However, if soup is a good starter, order a chicken soup or vegetable broth soup. Its hot but light aroma can refresh your mood while preparing your stomach for some delectable dishes ahead.
Avoid Salads with Toppings
Salads may look like harmless items to order while dining out, but with some fancy toppings and dressings, they may not. A chicken or taco salad might sound like a healthy option, but they may carry the loads of calories you’re trying to avoid.
Popular restaurants near you nowadays serve a variety of healthy salads along with their main courses. Try mixed salad, Tuna Salad, Greek salad, etc., as a safe appetiser.
Stay Away from Diet Soda
Many foodies have the misconception that diet soda is a safe drink choice. But it’s not. Although it’s called ‘diet soda’ or ‘zero-sugar soda,’ it may create cravings for sweetened dishes, leading to overeating of high-calorie foods.
Technically, it kills the purpose of ‘diet.’ Diet soda or such carbonated beverages contain artificial sweeteners that make your brain react the same way it does to actual sugars. So, it might be a good choice occasionally, but not a regular menu item to order.
Don’t Go for Lime Garnishes
Lemon or lime garnishes are a fascinating way to tweak the mineral water’s taste. You may love to order one every time you go to a restaurant, sipping from it while waiting for your food to come. However, think twice.
Those lemon shreds or slices aren’t healthy or even hygienic, according to many reports. They may contain a variety of germs, worms, or faecal matter. Garnishing like this can increase the risk of contagious illness whenever you visit a particular restaurant.
Avoid Ordering Margarita
Margarita is a special treat you may crave after finishing a delicious dinner. But this cocktail may be risky to your health if you drink too much. One may be good to go with. Two is not.
Restaurant margaritas, in particular, contain more premade mixes and high sugar, leading to excessive calorie intake and being overweight. So, the next time you go to a restaurant, make sure you don’t get carried away and keep the cocktail intake to a limit.
Try Not to Order Salty Dishes
Deep-fried salty dishes are very popular nowadays, not only at fast-food joints but also in restaurants. Whether you’re having dinner with your loved ones or attending a professional meeting at the restaurant, ordering salty sausage rolls, deep-fried chicken, Buffalo wings, fries and wedges, etc. may not be a good choice.
Too salty foods will deteriorate your heart health and blood pressure. It may lead to various cardiovascular diseases while diminishing the overall enjoyment.
Off the Chart: No Specials!
It’s not from the menu, but restaurants offer a one-off special dish for the evening that many foodies may desire to try. But here’s the trick. The chefs make it special. It’s not a special dish; it’s mostly a combination of leftover foods from that day.
Adding tricky sauce and garnishing can present the ‘special’ dish with a tempting aroma. It's easy to fall for this, but you better not. You never know what condition those leftovers were in and what eating them may lead to.
Conclusion
Ordering healthy foods in a restaurant can make your dinner or lunch special. On the other hand, mindless eating can lead to various ailments and physical turmoil. Our ten items in this article will give you a clear idea of what not to order in a restaurant.
Moreover, try to find healthy restaurants near you, so you can enjoy tasty and safe foods simultaneously. Communicate clearly with the restaurant servers about your preferences. Make a good habit of healthy and wholesome eating with your loved ones in a restaurant.
And, do not forget to show your gratitude towards the restaurants that serve quality dishes. Your support towards can also help your favourite restaurant win the upcoming Asian Restaurant & Takeaway Awards (ARTA), a prestigious food industry award in the UK.
