Whether you're competing for a men's physique competition or trying to tone up for your wedding, building a strong male physique takes time, effort and preparation. Whilst the occasional treat will assist you psychologically, eating junk food too often can lead to minimal gains, regardless of the number of hours you spend at the gym. Clean nutrition, physical training and good quality sleep will help you to lose fat whilst maintaining muscle. Yet despite the fear many people have when dieting, eating out at restaurants can actually help with your gains, and can be done regularly if you make smart choices.
The best way to stay on track with your nutrition is to plan what you're going to eat before you go out. If you frequently visit restaurants, either for pleasure or business, you can make healthy food choices and resist temptation by choosing your meal before you arrive. Many restaurants provide nutritional values for their meals online and won't hesitate to leave off the creamy salad dressing or provide you with steamed vegetables.
Seafood
Dedicated seafood and Asian restaurants are a goldmine for lean proteins and omega rich fats. Steamed leafy green vegetables such as bok choi and spring onions are not only filling but also contain essential vitamins, whilst poached or steamed fish such as salmon and cod is full of protein and in some cases healthy fats as well. If you're eating at an Asian restaurant try to use some chopsticks, they'll actually help you to eat more slowly, and by giving your stomach time to register that you're full you could eat less, which could contribute to weight loss.
Italian
Despite the high calorie content of many Italian dishes, due to the olive oil, cheese and pasta, it can actually be great food that's packed with micronutrients. Olive oil itself is a very heart friendly fat that's got a high satiety level, making you feel fuller and more satisfied. Couple this with fibrous wholemeal or spelt pasta and you've just given your intestinal tract a quick detox as well. Just try to control the amount of oil you use and stay away from cheeses high in saturated fat, a tomato-based sauce is your best bet, as it will contain less calories yet plenty of vitamin A, K and folic acid.
One of the best breakfast meals you can eat is a banana and egg pancake. They're nutritionally dense and many diners offer a wide variety of pancake options including this one. They contain a great combination of carbs, protein, BCAA's and healthy fats and taste more sinful than they are. As an alternative to this go for porridge and berries, however make sure the restaurant or diner doesn't add extra powdered milk and sugar.
Contact local restaurants for more advice and information.
Share27 October 2016
Cooking like a pro is an amazing thing. They do more than just heat up food and mix flavours. They create food that is truly soul satisfying art. Hi! My name is Mandy, and I love to cook. I have been cooking since I was old enough to pull a chair over to the stove, and now I want to help others learn about food and cooking. In this blog, I am going to cover tips on everything from buying food, to cooking, to choosing great restaurants. I hope that you like this blog! Thank you for reading and bon appetit!