Seven Ways to Eat Out Healthily on a Budget

Has your favorite restaurant become more expensive recently? I've noticed several places bumping up the price of every dish on the menu, to cope with the rising cost of food. When you want to enjoy a meal out with your partner or family, it's tempting to go somewhere cheap and cheerful - a pizza place, or an all-you-can-eat buffet. But the more up-market restaurants tend to be healthier, and with a few tweaks to your ordering, you can save money and help yourself stick to your diet.

1. Go out for lunch rather than dinner

Rather than going out for an evening meal, why not make your restaurant trip a lunch-time one? Many places offer cheaper options at midday - some do a cut-down version of their evening menu, with lower prices! Most of us also eat less at lunch than at dinner, so you won't need a full three-course meal.

2. Avoid "tapas" style places -- it's easy to over-order

Have you ever been to an unfamiliar restaurant and ordered far too much? When faced with a menu that consists of lots of small dishes, such as in a tapas bar, it's easy to get carried away. Your best bet is to stick with places that do full entrees (avoiding adding side dishes). If you are unsure about portion sizes, ask your waiter.

3. Look for places with set three-course menus and deals (often early evening)

When you know you want a three-course meal, look for a restaurant with a set price deal. Some do these on certain days of the week, others have cheaper options during the early evening. The advantage of these menus is that portion sizes tend to be sensible - the restaurant knows you'll be eating three courses, so they won't serve you so much that you're stuffed after your starter.

4. Split a bottle of wine between three or four people

If there are enough adults in your party, sharing a bottle of wine between three or four people instead of two will help reduce the final bill - and will stop you from wasting much of your calorie allowance on alcohol. If there's just two of you, order by the glass, and just have one each - or have sparkling water instead.

5. Order the vegetarian option

Almost every restaurant offers vegetarian dishes, and these tend to be several dollars cheaper than meat or fish ones. Picking a meat-free choice is also good for you; so long as it doesn't involve a huge amount of cheese or cream, the veggie option will probably be lower-fat than the alternatives.

6. Split a dish between two, if you want several courses

Most places are happy to give you a second plate along with your starter, so that you can share it easily. If you want two or three courses but know the restaurant serves large portions, you can save money and save yourself from over-eating by sharing a dish with your friend or partner.

7. Skip dessert

This one is hard (for me, at least!) so I've left it till last. But why not try skipping dessert? Your slab of cheesecake or huge ice-cream sundae might well contain more calories than the rest of your meal combined ... and it'll add a good few dollars to the bill. Have a coffee instead, or buy yourself some frozen yogurt on the way home.

Do you have any great ideas for saving money whilst eating out - and still enjoying yourself? Let us know in the comments below...

(And look out for the next part in this series - Seven ways to get diet advice and support on a budget.)

Photo by SiFu Renka

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