It’s easy enough to follow a diet when you’re cooking breakfast or dinner at home because you have complete control over the food. However, eating at a restaurant provides you with a break from cooking. It’s not impossible to enjoy a wonderful meal at a breakfast restaurant without spoiling your diet, as long as you take some precautions.  

How to Eat at a Restaurant Without Breaking Your Diet

1. Reduce Your Portions 

If your main dietary concern is staying below a certain calorie count, then order whatever you’d like and simply ask for smaller portions than what the restaurant might normally serve. For example, instead of getting two pancakes, only order one. It’s typically an easy request to accommodate.

Alternatively, share your breakfast with a dining companion, or eat half of it and save the rest for brunch or dinner.  

2. Request Modifications 

As long as they have the ingredients you need, many family restaurants are happy to modify the meals on their menu to suit your needs. If you want eggs or an omelet, and your diet is meant to manage a heart condition or help you lose fat, ask that only the whites be used.

A side of potatoes or bacon can be replaced with a bowl of fruit. See whether the restaurant also carries reduced-fat cheese that they can use in case you want to order your omelet with cheese. 

3. Emphasize Healthy Foods 

Look over the restaurant’s menu to see what breakfasts they offer that wouldn’t require modifications or cut portions at all. For example, oatmeal is excellent for reducing cholesterol and controlling blood sugar. 

Consider a parfait with low- or non-fat yogurt, whole-grain cereal, and fruit. Simple whole-grain toast or English muffins with sugar-free jelly would be a great choice, too.

 
It’s easy to find a breakfast place that suits your dietary needs. The staff at Belgian Waffle & Pancake House in Branson, MO, uses original family recipes straight from Belgium to craft delicious meals. Their passion is to serve home-cooked meals that delight every customer while meeting their dietary needs. As a result, they’ve become a town favorite. They also offer discounts to seniors. To learn more about their menu, call (417) 334-8484 or visit their website.