Dining out is a fun way to celebrate special occasions, connect with friends and colleagues, and enjoy a night away from the kitchen. But for most of us, it often also means straying from healthy eating decisions and overindulging. However, the good news is that it is possible to enjoy a delicious seafood dinner at your favorite restaurant – Howth based Octopussy Tapas Bar –  without the guilt. To give you a helping hand, we’ve compiled a list of simple tips and tricks that will enable you to stick to your healthy eating plan, while still savoring the joyful experience of dining on seafood at a restaurant.

• Order your seafood grilled, baked, broiled, roasted or poached.
• Avoid fried and breaded options, which tend to be high in calories and saturated fat.
• Stick with lighter sauces, such as tomato-based or broth-based options.
• Creamy sauces are usually high in calories and loaded with saturated fat and sodium.
• Add a salad or side of vegetables to your meal. The potassium in vegetables helps counter the sodium that is typically prevalent in restaurant meals.
• Request that sauces be served on the side. Don’t be afraid to customise your meal to fit your needs.

These days it is easy to be overwhelmed by all the information available on healthy eating and perfect diets.  With so many foods being promoted as superfoods it can be difficult to decide which are the good foods and which are the fads.  Luckily, when it comes to fish there is no confusion.  Fish has long been recognised as one of nature’s healthiest foods and with its rich package of nutrients it is one of the few foods that can truly be called a superfood.

Fish is rich in easy-to-digest protein.  Protein is essential for growing bodies and for healing and repair at any age.  Fish is also an excellent source of B vitamins which are needed to help your body to turn food into energy and also for healthy blood.  Fish is particularly rich in vitamin B12 – one serving of salmon will give you four times your recommended daily amount!

So why not come on down to the Octopussy Seafood Bar in Howth and enjoy a delicious guilt free meal this January and start your new year of outdoor dining with a happy and healthy start?