A Dietitians Guide to Healthy Take-away and Eating Out

Eating out is a part of life for most of us and it’s important we don’t cut this out if we are trying to lose weight or eat more nutritiously. There are plenty of good options when eating out, we just need to be strategic in what we pick. In saying this, there is always room for less healthy eating out options in moderation too! 

Healthy Take-away and Eating Out Tips 

• Choose meals that contain vegetables or order a side salad or side of steamed vegetables 

•  Choose grilled meats over crumbed or deep fried 

• Don’t arrive too hungry, make sure you have a snack or meal within 4 hours of arriving  

• Take into consideration calorie content of drinks and have water with the meal  

• Limit options with cream, butter, cheese, high fat meats e.g. sausages, bacon, pork belly  

• If you know the portion sizes are on the large side, opt for an entree or share a main and a side salad with someone else or ask for a take-away container for any leftovers  

• If you choose to have dessert, see if you can share this with someone or opt for a tea or coffee  

• If consuming take-away food split meal in half, add extra veg e.g. bagged salad or frozen microwaved veggies 

Healthy Pub or Bistro Meal  

Better Options 

• Grilled steak, chicken or fish with side salad/vegetables - ask for small portion of chips or extra salad/veg instead  

• Roast dinner (trim/avoid any fat on meat if possible)  

• Crustaceans with a side salad e.g. chili mussels, oysters, grilled calamari, prawns

• Salads - add/ensure protein source e.g. grilled chicken, prawns 

Limit / Occasionally Only 

• Crumbed or deep-fried foods e.g. schnitzel, salt and pepper squid, battered/crumbed fish  

• High fat meats e.g. scotch fillet, sausages, pork belly, untrimmed pork or lamb chops, burger  

• Creamy pastas e.g. carbonara 

Healthy Asian Style Take-away and Eating Out   

Better options 

• Stir fry chicken/tofu/prawns and vegetables with noodles or steamed rice  

• Broth based soups with vegetables and protein e.g. Pho, Tom Yum, chicken and corn, miso  

• Vietnamese rice noodle bowl with protein and salad or Thai paw paw salad with prawns  

• Vietnamese rice paper rolls

• Sushi roll with lean protein filling e.g. tuna or grilled chicken or prawn + vegetable filled roll e.g. avocado cucumber or tofu and vegetable  

Limit / Occasionally Only 

• Fried rice

• Deep fried foods e.g. spring roll, fried dim sim, battered squid, prawn toast  

• Coconut milk/cream dishes e.g. laksa, green curry, red curry, yellow curry 

Healthy Indian Take-away and Eating Out

Better options  

• Vegetable, lentil or bean-based curries, dahl  

• Steamed rice or roti  

• Tomato or stock/gravy-based curries e.g. vindaloo 

• Prawn, fish or chicken curries  

  
  

Limit / Occasionally Only 

• Deep fried foods e.g. samosa, pakoras  

• Butter or cream-based curries  

• Lamb or fatty meat curries - can have in small amounts and combine with a veggie curry  

• Naan 

Healthy Mexican Take-away and Eating Out

Better options  

• Burrito bowl or 2 small tacos or smaller size burrito with beans +/- chicken, choose between cheese, avocado or sour cream, non-creamy dressing  

• Fajita with chicken  

Limit / Occasionally Only 

• Doubling up on cheese, avocado, sour cream  

• Creamy based dressing  

• Nachos Burritos or bowls with corn chips or fries inside 

Healthy Italian Take-away and Eating Out 

Better options  

• Tomato based pasta e.g. seafood marinara, puttanesca, chicken and vegetable  

• Thin crust vegetarian pizza or vegetable with ham or chicken  

• Minestrone soup  

• Caprese salad  

• Order pasta or pizza with a side salad or side vegetables  

Limit / Occasionally Only 

• Meat lovers or multiple cheese style pizzas  

• Processed/cured meats  

• Creamy pasta e.g. carbonara  

• Pesto pasta 

Healthy Fast Food Options

Better options  

• Subway with either chicken teriyaki, ham, chicken strips, turkey or roast beef with any salad, cheese or avocado, non-creamy dressing/sauce on grain or wholemeal bread OR similar style from cafe or bakery  

• Nando’s grilled peri peri 1/4 chicken with small spicy rice and salad  

• GyG Mexican as above, sushi as above 

Limit / Occasionally Only 

• Large burgers e.g. Whopper or Big Mac or fried chicken e.g.  

• KFC Large/meal upgrades with drinks  

• Subway with high fat meats e.g. salami, bacon, meatball, schnitzel, creamy sauces  

• Fried snack foods e.g. dim sims, chiko roll, potato cakes, chips, wedges  

• Pastries e.g. pie, sausage roll, pasty, quiche 

If you’d like a personal nutrition plan, head here to book in with one of our 5 Dietitians either in person or online!