Healthy Restaurant Choices: What to Order at Every Cuisine

Eating out doesn't have to undo your progress. Each cuisine has lighter and heavier options. Here's what to look for.

Key takeaways

• Choose grilled, steamed or roasted over fried, crispy or creamy dishes in any cuisine.
• Ask for sauces and dressings on the side and start with a broth soup or salad.
• Pick one indulgence (bread, drinks or dessert), not all of them.

General rules

• Grilled, steamed, baked or roasted over fried, crispy or creamy.
• Sauces and dressings on the side.
• Start with a broth soup or salad.
• One indulgence, not all of them (bread, appetizer, drinks and dessert).

By cuisine

Italian

Order: grilled fish or chicken with vegetables, minestrone, tomato-based pasta (share or half portion), thin-crust pizza with veggies. Skip or share: fettuccine alfredo, carbonara, lasagna, fried calamari, garlic bread.

Mexican

Order: fajitas (go easy on tortillas and sour cream), burrito bowl without the tortilla, chicken or fish tacos, black beans. Skip or share: chimichangas, nachos, queso, large flour-tortilla burritos, chips basket.

Chinese

Order: steamed dumplings, stir-fried chicken or tofu with vegetables, hot and sour soup, steamed rice. Skip or share: sweet-and-sour or General Tso's (battered and fried), fried rice, egg rolls.

Indian

Order: tandoori chicken or fish, chicken tikka (dry), dal, chana masala, raita, roti. Skip or share: butter chicken and korma (creamy), naan with butter, samosas, biryani in large portions.

Japanese

Order: sashimi, nigiri, simple rolls, miso soup, edamame, grilled fish. Skip or share: tempura, specialty rolls with mayo and cream cheese. See calories in sushi.

Thai

Order: tom yum soup, chicken satay, larb, stir-fries with lots of vegetables. Skip or share: pad thai (oil and sugar), coconut-heavy curries in big portions.

Steakhouse

Order: sirloin or filet, grilled chicken or fish, baked potato with toppings on the side, steamed vegetables, side salad. Skip or share: fried appetizers, creamed spinach, loaded potatoes, large ribeye.

Middle Eastern

Order: chicken or kofta kebab, shish tawook, tabbouleh, fattoush, hummus in a small portion. Skip or share: fried falafel platters in large portions, extra bread.

Track it

Photograph your plate in Nutora before eating and adjust portions up for rich restaurant cooking. Related: track calories eating out, healthy fast food orders.

Frequently asked questions

What's the healthiest thing to order at a restaurant?

Grilled protein with vegetables and a moderate starch, sauces on the side.

How do I avoid overeating at restaurants?

Eat a protein-rich snack beforehand, start with soup or salad, and box half the main course.

Are restaurant salads healthy?

They can be, but crispy toppings and creamy dressings add lots of calories.

How many calories does eating out add?

Often several hundred calories more than a similar home-cooked meal, because of larger portions and more oil, butter and sauce.