Situational Eating Tips

At parties, picnics, covered dish dinners, and restaurants.

• Bring a healthy covered dish.
• Take a friend who will help you stick to your new way of eating,
• If you eat cake or pie, split a small piece with a friend—3 or 4 bites.

When you’re on the road.

• Pack healthy snacks to bring along—foods like carrots and celery sticks, fruit, or a small handful of nuts.
• If you stop at fast food places, stay away from foods with trans fat and try to pick items that do not have lots of salt, sugar, and calories.

• Drink water or unsweetened iced tea or coffee to keep your mind off food.

When you’re cooking a meal or cleaning up.

• If you are hungry, eat a small, healthy snack before you start cooking.
• Fix the same food for everyone—you will spend less time in the kitchen.
• Have someone else help clean up the leftovers—that way you won’t be tempted to eat them.

When you’re eating meals or snacks at work.

• Instead of buying snacks at vending machines and snack bars, bring your own healthy snacks from home and keep them handy— small amounts of nuts or fruit are good choices.
• When a snack bar or vending machine is your only choice, choose fruit, low-fat yogurt, or small amounts of animal crackers or fig bars.
• If you are bored, get up and stretch or get a drink of water.

When you are stressed out, bored, tired, angry, or depressed.

• Do something else instead of eating, like:
• Go for a walk
• Work on a hobby
• Read a magazine or book
• Call a friend
• Play with your kids or grandkids

When you see unhealthy foods around your home or at work.

• Don’t bring unhealthy foods into the house.
• If you must buy some unhealthy foods for your family, choose foods that don’t tempt you. Talk to your family about healthier choices.
• Keep unhealthy snacks like chips, candy, and cookies out of sight.
• Put tempting foods in containers you can’t see through in the refrigerator.
• Avoid the snack food area at work, especially at day’s end when you are tired.
• Keep healthy snacks like raw vegetables, fruit, nuts, or popcorn handy.
• If you end up eating unhealthy foods, don’t give up. Try again!

Make good choices when you eat at restaurants.

• Eat out less often—a lot of restaurant food is unhealthy and costs more.
• If you eat at fast food places, choose carefully.
• Choose healthy menu items—for example, grilled or baked red meat, poultry or fish; tossed salads with oil and vinegar dressing; lightly steamed or seasoned vegetables; fruit plates; whole grain breads; and water with a twist of lemon.
• Stay away from fried foods. Most restaurants use partially hydrogenated vegetable oils (trans fats) for frying.
• Drink a glass of water before the meal so you are not as hungry. Avoid drinks with lots of sugar.
• Order small portions, split an order with a friend, or take leftovers home with you.