Tips for Making Healthy Choices at Restaurants

The best healthy choices at restaurants come down to four things: portion size, sodium, saturated fat and added sugar. Order a smaller portion, ask for sauces on the side, pick vegetables and fresh produce where you can, and ask for a lighter option even if it is not on the menu.

Updated October 29, 2026.

I have read a lot of nutrition research, and restaurant meals are where the numbers disappear. Nobody weighs the salt in a sauce at the table. So stick to what you can control from the menu: size, how it is cooked and what comes on the side. Busy schedules and a little boredom with our own cooking are big reasons we eat out. Anyone who has finished a long week and just wanted someone else to do the cooking and the dishes knows why, and nobody wants to give up that break from routine.

Why Healthy Choices at Restaurants Are Harder

Portions are the first problem. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) says the amount of food on a plate when eating out has nearly doubled over the past 20 years. Its advice is to eat smaller portions and to look for items with less fat and added sugar. Anyone who has stared at a plate the size of a platter and wondered how they would ever finish it knows what that looks like.

Salt is the second. The CDC says most sodium comes from processed and restaurant foods. Restaurants need food people really like, and salt and sugar are an easy way to get there. Americans average more than 3,300 mg of sodium a day. Federal guidance is less than 2,300 mg for teens and adults. For scale, the CDC notes one teaspoon of table salt holds about 2,400 mg of sodium.

What Salt, Fat and Sugar Do

The CDC says too much sodium can raise blood pressure, which increases the risk of heart disease and stroke. Limiting salt can lower blood pressure. The CDC also says eating lots of foods high in saturated fat and trans fat may contribute to heart disease.

On sugar, the CDC says limiting it can lower blood sugar and help prevent or control diabetes. Its heart-health advice is to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and fewer processed foods.

Choosing a Restaurant

Pick the place before you pick the dish. A growing number of restaurants now offer lighter items, and some menus mark them with a heart symbol or a note. The best spots are the ones that put plenty of vegetables on the plate. Most of us have sat down meaning to order something light and changed our minds the moment the bread basket landed.

How to Order Healthy Choices at Restaurants

Start with size. Order a smaller portion, split an entree or box up half of it before you start eating. A child’s portion or a shared full-size meal works too. The NHLBI says to eat smaller portions when you eat out, and it points out that calories count whatever their source, whether soda, sweet potatoes or steak.

Then ask. The NHLBI says you can request healthier options even if they are not listed. Reasonable requests include sauce or dressing on the side, steamed, baked or grilled instead of fried, and a vegetable side or a baked potato in place of fries. There is nothing wrong with asking what is in a dish, either. Whether a kitchen can do it is the restaurant’s call, but asking costs nothing. Anyone who has felt awkward asking a server to change an order knows the feeling passes fast.

Watch the drinks. Because calories count from any source, a regular soda adds calories without adding any food. Water is the simplest swap, and unsweetened tea works too.

Salad Bars and Sides at Restaurants

A salad bar fits the CDC’s advice to eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables. At some restaurants it can be a whole satisfying meal, and you can add a small meat entree on the side. The weak spots are dressings, creamy salads and desserts, where fat, sodium and sugar add up. Put dressing on the side and use a little at a time. Pasta and desserts at the bar deserve a second look too, and portion size matters most with sweets. Treat fresh fruit as dessert when it is on offer.

Healthy Choices at Restaurants: Common Questions

How much sodium is too much in one day?

Federal guidance, as the CDC states it, is less than 2,300 mg of sodium a day for teens and adults. Americans average more than 3,300 mg. One teaspoon of table salt holds about 2,400 mg of sodium, so a single restaurant meal can use up much of a day’s allowance.

Are restaurant portions bigger than they used to be?

The NHLBI says the amount of food on your plate when eating out has nearly doubled over the past 20 years. Its advice is to eat smaller portions and choose items with less fat and added sugar. Ordering a half portion, splitting a dish or taking part of it home all help.

Can I ask a restaurant for something not on the menu?

Yes. The NHLBI says you can ask for healthier options even if they are not listed on the menu. Common requests are sauce on the side, a different cooking method or a vegetable instead of fries. The kitchen decides what it can do, and a polite question is all it takes.

This article is for general information only and is not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician about your own situation.