Enjoy Eating Out
Yay! Someone else is doing the cooking. Here's how to savor the experience and stay on track.
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Sure, eating every single meal at home is one way to stick to your SmartPoints® Budget. But who lives that way? Sharing a meal with friends and family at a nice restaurant is one of life's pleasures! And besides, at some point, most of us have to grab food on the go, or are obliged to eat out frequently with work colleagues. Your Weekly gives you several smart strategies to be prepared, including making the most of your mobile app. Use the app to browse restaurants, choose dishes by eatery or by SmartPoints range, and then see how your choices will fit into your Budget. Here are some more helpful dining-out ideas, including ways to use Weight Watchers tools.
Before you go
Decide what you're in the mood for. Once you’ve chosen a cuisine and a restaurant (using the app if possible), you might want to get a quick refresher on menu decoding tips.
Do the math. See how it will fit your Budget. Will you use any of your weeklies or rollovers for the meal, perhaps for a special dessert? Bonus points if you pre-track your meal! You can even save your favourite restaurant meals!
Rehearse your “lines” ahead of time. If you’re not used to asking for “a side salad instead of fries, please,” practice before you go so you’re comfortable making the request.
At the restaurant
Ask questions! If you’re not sure how a dish is prepared based on the description, always ask your server for details. You don’t want to end up with a "pricey" surprise.
Get creative with the menu. No need to order a full-size entrée: Try an appetizer or small plate, or see if you can get away with ordering from the kids’ menu.
Want to satisfy your sweet tooth? Stick with something light like sorbet, or share a dessert with a friend (or just ask if you can steal one forkful before they dig in!).
After the meal
Track it. If you pre-tracked, check your numbers and adjust where necessary. Even if you went over your planned allotment of SmartPoints values, you're better off recording what you ate. It keeps you mindful and on track.
Look back at how the meal went. Were there any unexpected hurdles—that basket of cheese rolls, say, or your boss urging you to try her fried calamari? How did you handle them? If you're not happy with any of your choices, what could you do differently? A post-prandial post-mortem can help set you up for success next time.
If you've overdone, course-correct. You've heard it before: When you slip, get right back on the path. In this case, choose a lower SmartPoints value meal.