If you’re on a diet, you likely enjoy preparing and cooking food at home. However, if you’re gearing up to visit a burger restaurant with friends and family on the weekend, you may want to continue your healthy eating while dining out. Below are a few tips that will help you follow your diet without compromising delicious flavors. 

How to Eat at a Burger Restaurant on a Diet

1. Skip the Bun

It's easy to enjoy the savory beef patty and toppings without all the empty calories bread provides, so take the bun off. An ordinary hamburger bun has about 112 calories, so cutting it out means you won't have to skip a snack later. Also, buns are loaded with carbs, so if you're on a low-carb or no-carb diet, it’s wise to opt for a lettuce wrap, if possible.

2. Order Extra Veggies

The lettuce and tomato on your hamburger provide most of the vitamins you're getting from this meal. Iceberg lettuce contains vitamins A, C, and K, a B vitamin called folate, and calcium and potassium, while containing only about one calorie per leaf.

Tomatoes contain the antioxidant lycopene, vitamins C and K, potassium, and folate, and have only 18 calories in a 3.5-ounce serving. Since the serving of veggies on most burgers is small, ask for extra lettuce and tomato, or even onions and pickles.

3. Skip the Condiments

Ketchup, mustard, mayo, and dressing are delicious, but they’re loaded with fat, salt, and seasonings. You might be surprised how many calories these toppings can add. For example, two tablespoons of Thousand Island dressing contains 120 calories, and a single tablespoon of mayonnaise is 100 calories. That is about the amount you can work off by speed-walking for 20 minutes.

For the best hamburgers in Rochester, NY, visit Steve T. Hots & Potatoes. This Monroe County burger restaurant is family-owned and is open 24 hours a day to satisfy your cravings. There is something for everyone on the menu, including diet-conscious eaters, including burgers, eggs, grilled chicken, and pizza logs. To browse their menu, visit their website or call (585) 429-6388 to place an order.