Gordon Ramsay, whose menus charge up to £110 a head, is telling diners to fill up with food before eating out
For a chef who’s built up a multimillion-pound global restaurant empire, it seems a strange piece of advice.
Gordon Ramsay, whose menus charge up to £110 a head, is telling diners to fill up with food before eating out.
The tip is part of a guide to staying in shape while enjoying a restaurant meal.
The chef says to avoid the pitfall of ordering that extra side of chips, weight-conscious customers should pick the lightest meals in advance and stick to it.
And, for those who tear into the bread bowl as though it were their last meal, he has a strict rule… just say no. We should also be prepared to nurse just one glass of ‘excellent wine’ or beer all evening. Ramsay, 51, said: ‘I know only too well that 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 help you keep focused.’
The chef says to avoid the pitfall of ordering that extra side of chips, weight-conscious customers should pick the lightest meals in advance and stick to it
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 £2.50 and £3.50 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.’
When it comes to alcohol, ‘a sugary aperitif or cocktail’ is strictly off limits. The Scottish-born chef, who earned an estimated £44million last year, also said he shares a starter and dessert with his wife Tana, 43, to halve the calories.