Eating Out
If you're trying to lose weight, eating out in London is always a challenge. Make sure you plan where you'll eat in advance, so you don't end up in a restaurant with zero healthy options.
This page will help you find restaurants that offer healthy options, and provide some handy tips on what to order.
If you like sushi, my all-time favourite sushi restaurant in London is Dinings (22 Harcourt Street, London W1H 4HH, tel - 020 7723 0666. Nearest tube: Edgware Road). You can't go far wrong with sushi, as long as you stick to moderate portions. This fish, rice and vegetable-based food is packed with nutrients and low in saturated fat. Try their range of teas, rich in antioxidants.
Before you go out, eat a light healthy snack, so you're not starving when you arrive at the restaurant. A small bowl of cereal, or low-fat cottage cheese on a slice of wholemeal toast, should keep the hunger pangs at bay. You're much less likely to over-eat this way.
Pace yourself when you're eating. Put your knife and fork down between mouthfuls, and really taste the flavours rather than shovelling it down.
Alcohol
Your body can't burn fat when there's alcohol in your system, and alcohol converts to fat very easily. So if you're trying to lose weight, cut down on the alcohol. If there are only two of you eating, why not order just one glass of wine each, rather than a whole bottle? And ask for a jug of tap water - a much healthier way to quench your thirst.
Starters
If you're offered bread, choose wholemeal or at least brown. And opt for a small bowl of olive oil to dip your bread into, rather than butter. If the waiter doesn't bring olive oil, ask for it.
Soups and broths are a good option, but avoid soups with cream in them. And smoked salmon with asparagus or other vegetables make a healthy starter. Avoid rich, calorie dense starters like pate.
If there is a wide range of healthy starters, why not select two starters, and tell the waiter you'll have the second starter as your main course (but starter size).
Main Courses
Lean cuts of meat are ideal, such as fillet steak. And fish is even better, a great source of protein, low in saturated fat and high in omega 3 'good fats'. Ask for the fish to come without any sauce. Chicken breast is a healthy option, as long as you don't eat the skin. Chicken skin is higher in saturated fat than the fattiest cuts of red meat.
Instead of chips, mashed potatoes, or anything deep fried, choose boiled new potatoes, or bulgar wheat, or rice.
Always order several side-orders of vegetables, and ask for them not to come with dressing or cooked in butter.
Puddings
If you're determined to have a rich pudding, why not order just one and share it?
Ideal puddings for losing weight are fruit salads, and sorbets.
And instead of a coffee at the end, opt for mint tea or green tea, which is much healthier for you.
If you can recommend a restaurant where you were able to eat healthily and enjoy it, please click here to contact me and tell me where you went and what you ate. I'll add your recommendations to this page so everyone can benefit.
