How to Choose Dining Out Options That Won't Make You Gain Weight, According to a Chef
How to Choose Dining Out Options That Won't Make You Gain Weight, According to a Chef
Why you don't have to give up dining out even while on a diet
"I'm on a diet, so I should avoid eating out."
Have you ever thought that?
Even when friends invite you to eat,
"I'm on a diet right now, so..."
you decline.
You eat out for work and regret it after you get home.
The morning after eating ramen,
"I ate too much yesterday..."
you feel down.
However, as a chef who has seen various dishes every day, I don't think you need to give up dining out entirely.
Rather, what's important is,
not "what you eat," but "how you choose."
There are dishes you can eat out that are hard to make at home.
There is also the joy of eating with someone.
There are also work obligations.
Therefore, instead of making dining out your enemy,
learn how to get along well with dining out.
This time, from a chef's perspective, I will introduce how to choose dining out options that are easy to use even while on a diet.
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🍚 1. For set meals, look at the "main dish, side dish, and soup"
If you are unsure when dining out, I first recommend set meals.
The reason is simple,
because it is easy to create a combination of dishes.
For example,
Grilled fish set meal.
Chicken set meal.
Pork shabu-shabu set meal.
Set meals using tofu or vegetables.
With menus like these,
it is easy to form a structure of main dish + rice + vegetables + soup.
What is important here is,
that there is no need to "completely cut out rice."
If the amount of rice is large, ask for a smaller portion.
That alone is enough.
Instead of thinking "carbohydrates = weight gain," look at the overall amount and combination.
This is the way of thinking I want to recommend as a chef.
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🐟 As a chef, I often choose "grilled or steamed"
Even with the same fish or meat,
fried
grilled
steamed
simmered
the impression of the dish changes depending on the cooking method.
If you are on a diet,
choosing grilled fish or steamed dishes
is one method.
For example,
Grilled salmon.
Steamed chicken.
Steamed white fish.
Pork shabu-shabu.
etc.
Of course, it doesn't mean you shouldn't eat fried food.
However,
just having the option of "let's have grilled fish instead of fried food today" is enough.
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🍜 2. It doesn't mean "you shouldn't eat" ramen
This is very important.
To someone who likes ramen,
telling them "no ramen because you're on a diet"
won't last long.
If you forbid everything you want to eat, you might overeat as a reaction.
Therefore, if you are going to eat ramen,
the idea is to "put a little effort into how you eat it."
For example,
- Avoid large portions of noodles
- Combine with chashu pork or eggs
- Add vegetables
- Don't drink all the soup
- Refrain from eating multiple main dishes like ramen + fried rice
etc.
Especially,
if you stack main dishes like "ramen + fried rice + gyoza,"
the total amount increases all at once.
If you are going to eat it,
just "enjoying the ramen" is fine.
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🍝 3. If it's pasta, check the "ingredients"
Pasta is also one of the dishes you might want to avoid while on a diet.
But you don't need to judge it just by the pasta itself.
What a chef looks at is,
"what is in it."
For example,
Seafood.
Mushrooms.
Tomato.
Vegetables.
Chicken.
Things that contain these.
Conversely, depending on the sauce and ingredients, the volume can be quite large.
If you like cream-based sauces, you don't need to force yourself to refrain.
In that case,
think about the balance with other meals, such as "pasta + salad."
When dining out, don't look at just one plate,
the point is to look at "today's entire meal."
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🥩 4. For yakiniku, "what you eat first" is important
Yakiniku.
It has a dangerous image while on a diet, right?
But you can enjoy yakiniku quite a bit depending on how you choose.
If it were me, from the start,
not starting with kalbi!
horumon!
rice!
but first,
I would enjoy the meat while sandwiching in vegetables, namul, kimchi, etc.
There are also various types of meat,
loin
lean meat
tongue
etc.
Of course, it's okay to eat fatty cuts.
However,
don't make everything fatty cuts.
Even just this makes a difference.
And what you want to be careful about with yakiniku is,
"additions other than meat."
Rice.
Cold noodles.
Bibimbap.
Dessert.
If you add all of these, it becomes quite a large amount without you noticing.
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🍺 5. At an izakaya, also pay attention to "food over alcohol"
When working as a chef, I see many customers coming to the izakaya.
What I feel there is,
cases where the amount of food eaten together is increasing more than the alcohol itself.
While drinking alcohol,
fries.
fried chicken.
gyoza.
yakitori.
fried rice.
ramen.
If this continues, it becomes quite a large volume.
Therefore, at an izakaya,
sashimi
edamame
chilled tofu
grilled fish
yakitori
vegetable dishes
etc. should also be combined.
If you are going to eat fried food,
try to be conscious of "not ending with just fried food, but combining it with other dishes."
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🍺 What to do on days you drink alcohol?
There are people who don't need to completely forbid alcohol.
What is important is,
"what to do about meals on days you drink alcohol."
For example,
instead of just alcohol + fried food,
combine it like alcohol + fish + vegetables + meat.
And,
I don't recommend extreme adjustments like "I'm not going to eat anything today because I'm drinking alcohol."
If you drink on an empty stomach, the amount you eat might increase.
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🥗 6. "Vegetables first" is not an absolute rule
"Let's eat vegetables first in a meal"
is something I often hear.
Of course, eating vegetables first is one of the good habits.
But,
it is not as simple as "you will gain weight unless you absolutely start with vegetables."
What I want you to value as a chef is,
the balance of the entire meal.
Instead of finishing by eating only vegetables,
protein.
staple food.
vegetables.
Combine various ingredients.
It's okay not to be too bound by the rule of "eating vegetables first."
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🍰 7. You don't have to give up dessert
This is also important.
If you eat dessert while dining out,
there are people who think "everything is ruined..."
But, one dessert won't make your entire diet fail.
If you want to eat it,
enjoy eating it.
And,
end it with "that's it for today."
This is surprisingly important.
Rather than refraining every day and eating a large amount on the weekend,
some people find it easier to continue by eating it while enjoying it occasionally.
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👨🍳 A chef's little trick
"When in doubt, think of 'subtraction' rather than 'addition' for dishes"
When dining out,
you tend to think "what should I add?"
Large portion.
Set.
Dessert.
Additional side dish.
But from a chef's perspective,
I also think about "what should I reduce to make it just right?"
For example,
ramen + fried rice
↓
make it just ramen.
large portion of rice in a set meal
↓
make it a regular portion.
yakiniku + cold noodles + rice
↓
make it just one of them.
That's it.
Instead of giving up all the dishes you want to eat,
the idea is to "reduce one thing that is overlapping."
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🧠 The cause of gaining weight while dining out is not just "one meal"
This is also a point I want you to remember.
The morning after dining out,
you might panic, "I gained weight!"
But weight fluctuates not only due to the amount eaten,
salt.
water.
amount of carbohydrates.
time eaten.
etc.
Therefore,
don't judge by the weight of just one day.
Instead of extreme dietary restrictions the day after dining out,
return to your usual meals.
Drink plenty of water.
Incorporate vegetables and protein.
Move as usual.
It is easier to continue by adjusting like this.
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🌿 Recommended things to do the day after dining out
"I ate too much yesterday, so I won't eat anything today!"
Let's stop doing this.
What I recommend is,
returning to normal.
Skipping breakfast and eating a large amount at night as a reaction.
With this, your eating habits will collapse again.
For example,
breakfast: yogurt + fruit
lunch: rice + fish + vegetables
dinner: vegetables + tofu + meat or fish
etc.
This is just one example, but
the image is "to adjust" rather than "to lighten."
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💄 If you are conscious of beauty, don't make "dining out = bad"
If you restrict your meals too much for beauty,
"I shouldn't eat this"
"this will make me gain weight"
eating itself can become a stress.
But meals are not just about taking in nutrients.
Talking with someone.
Eating your favorite food.
Encountering new dishes.
That kind of time is also important.
That is why,
choose while enjoying it.
I think this is also one way of thinking to continue beauty and health for a long time.
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🥑 Be conscious of the combination of nutrients
Even when dining out,
try to be conscious of "combinations" rather than "single items."
For example,
rice + grilled fish + vegetables.
bread + egg + salad.
pasta + seafood + salad.
yakiniku + vegetables + soup.
Like this,
think of staple food + protein + vegetables as the basis.
Even without difficult nutritional calculations, it becomes much easier to choose.
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💡 Today's trivia
When you think "this might make me gain weight" while dining out,
it is recommended to look at the amount, not just the dish itself.
Even with the same dish,
a regular portion and a large portion are different.
Furthermore,
making it a set.
adding things.
sharing.
The total amount also changes depending on these.
Therefore,
it is important to look at these two things: "what you eat" + "how much you eat."
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👨🍳 A chef's little trick
What I am conscious of when I dine out is,
to "decide what I want to eat the most first."
For example,
if "I want to eat ramen today!" then enjoy the ramen.
if "yakiniku today!" then enjoy the meat.
if "I want to eat pasta!" then enjoy the pasta.
On top of that,
don't add more than necessary.
Even just this makes it easier to prevent overeating.
Instead of "giving up everything because I'm on a diet,"
the idea is to "properly enjoy what I want to eat the most."
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🍽️ Today's recommended dining out patterns
If you are unsure, please remember these three.
🥇 Set meal
Grilled fish + rice + vegetables + miso soup
🥈 Western food
Meat or fish main dish + salad + staple food
🥉 Izakaya
Sashimi + grilled dish + vegetables + one dish you like
Of course, you don't need to do this every time.
It is OK to just remember it as "options when you are unsure."
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🌿 Today's beauty habit
If you are going to dine out today,
try "deciding on one thing you want to eat and enjoying it."
And,
add one thing that seems to be missing from that dish.
For example,
vegetables for ramen.
egg for bread.
vegetables for yakiniku.
salad for pasta.
The idea of "adding"
is also important, not just "reducing."
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🎯 Today's mission
Next time you dine out,
before ordering, just once,
try thinking, "Is there protein in this meal?"
If there is, it's OK.
If not,
try adding one thing from eggs, fish, meat, tofu, yogurt, etc.
And one more thing.
Ask yourself, "Do I need to make it a large portion?"
These two things are all you need.
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🍳 Summary
Just because you are on a diet,
you don't need to stop dining out.
You can eat ramen.
You can eat pasta.
You can eat yakiniku.
You can eat dessert.
What is important is,
not "you must not eat," but "how to choose."
Look at the balance for set meals.
Avoid stacking main dishes for ramen.
Look at the ingredients for pasta.
Combine meat and vegetables for yakiniku.
Increase the variety of dishes for izakaya.
Enjoy eating dessert.
And, the day after you overeat,
instead of reducing extremely, return to your usual meals.
This is the trick to continuing for a long time.
Dieting is,
not "giving up for life."
While enjoying eating,
change how you choose little by little.
What I want to convey most as a chef is,
"I don't want you to hate eating."
Eat delicious things.
Eat happily with someone.
On top of that, just put a little effort into how you choose.
That is enough.
Let's cherish today's meal and tomorrow's self,
little by little.🌿
Today's meal creates your future self.
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📖 Next time preview
Next time, something many people worry about along with dining out,
"The correct answer for when you eat late at night, taught by a chef."
Work ends late.
It's 10 PM or 11 PM when you get home.
You are hungry.
But,
"If I eat at this time, I'll gain weight..."
you refrain.
For such people,
🌙 Dishes that are easy to eat even late at night
🥚 How to choose protein
🍚 What to do about carbohydrates?
🍲 Recommended late-night snacks
🍺 What if you drink alcohol?
🍰 What if you really want to eat something sweet?
I will introduce these from a chef's perspective.
"Late time = don't eat anything"
is not true.
Next time, I will summarize in detail
"how to think about late-night meals"
that even people who work late at night can continue without difficulty.🌙👨🍳