Ramsay’s advice for eating out: don’t have bread and fill up before you go

EVER wondered how you can eat out in style while watching your waistline – and save a few pennies in the process?

Well help is at hand from Gordon Ramsay, who’s sharing his triple Michelinstarred restaurant expertise to help diners keep their New Year diets on track.

Perhaps surprisingly for a chef whose restaurants charge up to €120 a head, he recommends filling up with food beforehand to avoid being tempted into ordering that extra side of chips. And, for those who tear into the bread he has a strict rule – just say no.

The 51-year-old also says we should pick the lightest meals in advance and, as for booze, prepare to nurse just one glass of ‘excellent wine’ or beer.

Ramsay said: ‘I know only too well chefs don’t hold back when it comes to the fattening stuff like butter, cream, cheese, sugar and chocolate.

‘I don’t want to be deprived at home, let alone when I am out for dinner, so I set myself some rules which mean I can enjoy myself as much as everyone else.’

The calorie-cutting counsel can be found in the father of four’s latest book, Ultimate Fit Food, which contains recipes that wouldn’t look out of place in a trendy ‘clean eating’ blog. He writes: ‘Being starving hungry when you arrive at the table is a really bad idea. Make sure you have a protein-rich lunch and a light afternoon snack to keep focused.’

And if you really don’t trust yourself around tempting food, Ramsay’s ‘clever trick’ is to pick a healthy option on the restaurant website when you’re not hungry and then refuse to look at the menu again when you arrive.

Once seated, ‘say no to bread’. The TV chef, who charges between €2.80 and €3.80 for bread in his restaurants, added: ‘Yes it’s really delicious but why pay to fill yourself up on something you can toast at home? You’re there for the chef’s expertise, so save your calories.’