When dining out, be guided by our easy-to-follow swaps to boost your nutrient content while downsizing your calorie intake – helping not just your waistline, but your overall health too!
Fruit juice (less fibre)
Clever Calorie Savings!
Indian: The ideal option is brown rice, but if that’s not available, choosing plain boiled rice over pilau rice could save you almost 300 calories! Also, giving the Naan bread a miss is a good idea since each one contains around 300 calories!
Greek: Pitta bread with dips is a great healthy option, but many are loaded with oil so watch how much you consume. Tzatziki (made from yoghurt and cucumber) is a great option, with only around 20 calories per tablespoon. Hummus is also, as it’s made from fibre-rich chickpeas, with about 40 calories per tablespoon.
Italian: Start with a mozzarella and tomato, or rocket and Parmesan salad – only around 170 calories and 4g fat. For your main, go for the Arrabiatta as this spicy tomato-based sauce has around 400 calories and 45g less fat than a creamy carbonara.
Thai: To save calories, order soup with less noodles and extra bean sprouts and vegetables. Steamed dumplings are great too, particularly the vegetable variety (only 35 calories per dumpling versus 80 calories per pork dumpling). For mains, opt for cashew chicken, lower in calories than curries. And, if you don't like chicken, prawn or tofu are also good choices.