Indian restaurants or takeouts don't exactly go hand in hand with dieting or eating healthy! Today I'm going to show you how you can order in a way that won't leave you feeling terrible or guilty the next day!
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| A recent order for me at an Indian Restaurant |
First, let me reiterate that I am all about living life in balance and eating out is one of my favourite things to do. Whilst this is the case, there are circumstances where you want to be more careful about what you eat. For example I'm going on vacation in less than a month so I want to make choices that align with my goals, this post will help you do the same!
Indian food has always been a favourite of mine. My grandmother was born in India and has always made the most amazing curry's! That being said, Indian food has been a staple in my family diet and from that experience know, there are ways to do it healthily and you are able to maintain yor eat clean lifestyle, whether at home or in a restaurant.
First off, order a main course (either with meat or without) that has minimal or NO sauce! By that I mean, choose a Tandoori dish. A tandoor is a clay oven which is heated traditionally over a charcoal or wood fire. Tandoori chicken, commonplace on Indian menus is made by marinading chicken in yogurt and spices before being cooked in a tandoor. No oil, no extra mess; just yogurt coated spicy chicken - delicious and without the excess calories. What's more, dishes marinated in yogurt give extra protein! You will normally find lamb, chicken and sometimes even seafood tandoori dishes. One of my all time favourites is Chicken Tikka. Here's my recipe for homemade, clean-eating, no fuss Chicken Tikka!
Secondly, if you really want to stick to eating clean, avoid rice as a side dish. Indian takeout/restaurant rice portions are notoriously large! In my family (and the majority us of are MASSIVE rice eaters) we order two portions of rice between four (or often five) of us! In place of rice I tend to order vegetable side dishes, of which there plenty of delicious options! Some of my favourites include Takha Dahl which is a fragrant, lentil based dish often mixed in with Spinach. Lentils are a fantastic source of fibre; keeping you fuller for longer. Spinach is one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat - what's not to love? Another one of my favourites is a chickpea (garbanzo bean!) based dish called Chana Dahl, often mixed in a tomato-y sauce with all of your most loved curry spices. I love both of these dishes and as mentioned - they are extremely nutrient dense!
Those are definitely my two main tips, other more general hints include:
- Anything that is listed as Paneer/Panir has cheese as a main ingredient
- Saag is spinach - make the most of it!
- Aloo is Potato - again obviously not idea for a low carb/clean eating diet
- Be careful with salt! Try not to add any extra as Indian food in restaurants has notoriously high sodium levels!
- Masala is a dish that comes with what is usually an oil/cream based sauce
Thats it! Those are all of my top tips when it comes to eating out at an Indian Restaurant.
Do you have any tricks up your sleeve?
Secondly, if you really want to stick to eating clean, avoid rice as a side dish. Indian takeout/restaurant rice portions are notoriously large! In my family (and the majority us of are MASSIVE rice eaters) we order two portions of rice between four (or often five) of us! In place of rice I tend to order vegetable side dishes, of which there plenty of delicious options! Some of my favourites include Takha Dahl which is a fragrant, lentil based dish often mixed in with Spinach. Lentils are a fantastic source of fibre; keeping you fuller for longer. Spinach is one of the most nutrient dense foods you can eat - what's not to love? Another one of my favourites is a chickpea (garbanzo bean!) based dish called Chana Dahl, often mixed in a tomato-y sauce with all of your most loved curry spices. I love both of these dishes and as mentioned - they are extremely nutrient dense!
Those are definitely my two main tips, other more general hints include:
- Anything that is listed as Paneer/Panir has cheese as a main ingredient
- Saag is spinach - make the most of it!
- Aloo is Potato - again obviously not idea for a low carb/clean eating diet
- Be careful with salt! Try not to add any extra as Indian food in restaurants has notoriously high sodium levels!
- Masala is a dish that comes with what is usually an oil/cream based sauce
Thats it! Those are all of my top tips when it comes to eating out at an Indian Restaurant.
Do you have any tricks up your sleeve?
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