We all know that person. The one who holds up the entire table interrogating the server about whether the salmon is wild-caught while everyone else’s drinks are getting warm. The good news is that eating well at restaurants does not require a performance. It requires a strategy.
The Cleveland Clinic’s registered dietitian Katherine Patton recommends a straightforward framework: scan the menu for keywords that signal how food is prepared. Words like grilled, broiled, steamed, poached, and roasted tend to mean less added fat. Words like battered, crispy, smothered, creamy, and loaded are polite euphemisms for caloric excess (Cleveland Clinic, 2020). On Long Island, this translates beautifully. Our seafood-rich coastline means grilled fish and steamed shellfish are almost always on the menu, from the waterfront spots of Bay Shore to the clam shacks of Montauk.
Long Island Pulse Magazine profiled fitness coach Jen Palazzo, a former bodybuilder who lost 100 pounds and now helps clients eat clean while dining out across Nassau and Suffolk counties. Her advice is disarmingly simple: order grilled protein, ask for vegetables instead of fries, eat your veggies and protein first, and request a to-go box when your entree arrives so you can portion half immediately (Long Island Pulse, 2017). She specifically recommends spots like Fuel Your Body Cafe in Hicksville for health-conscious fare and FatFish in Bay Shore for char-grilled scallops with quinoa.
The Social Playbook for Restaurant Ordering
Research from Healthline’s review of dining-out studies shows that people who order first at a group meal make significantly healthier choices because they are less influenced by what others are selecting (Healthline, 2017). Another effective tactic: drink 17 ounces of water about 30 minutes before your meal. One study found this simple step led participants to eat fewer calories and lose 44 percent more weight than those who skipped the pre-meal water (Kinetic Physical Therapy, 2024).
For Long Islanders who eat out frequently, the Long Island Weight Loss Institute compiled a list of the healthiest restaurants in Suffolk County, highlighting farm-to-table spots like Fifth Season in Port Jefferson, which lists exactly where every ingredient is sourced, and Babette’s in East Hampton, where poultry is organic, beef is grass-fed, and fish is wild-caught (LIWLI, 2018). True Food Kitchen at Roosevelt Field in Garden City also offers seasonally rotating menus built around anti-inflammatory principles.
The bottom line: you do not need to announce your dietary philosophy to enjoy a healthy meal out. You just need to know what to look for, what to ask for on the side, and when to quietly box up the second half of your entree.
Watch: For practical restaurant ordering strategies, check out this detailed guide from a registered dietitian:
How to Eat Healthy at Restaurants — Tips from a Dietitian (YouTube)Related: Exploring Long Island’s Waterfront Communities and Local Dining Scene
