Eating is a process that involves putting food in your mouth and chewing it, not just slurping up liquids. However, when you’re eating a filling meal, the last thing on your mind is what you can eat after one. In most instances, fillings are sided items that accompany main courses—not the other way around. But having to choose between eating a filling and saving room for another course of the meal isn’t always an option. The good news is that there are ways to have your cake and eat it too (even if it’s a side of mashed potatoes). Read on to learn more about what can you eat after a filling. Stay tuned for tips on how you can enjoy a filling without sacrificing space for another course of the meal.
Can You Eat After A Filling?
There is no definitive answer to this question. It depends on what type of filling was used and how much time has passed since the filling was placed. Generally, it is best to wait at least an hour after a dental filling before eating anything else. However, if you had a tooth filled with a resin material, you can eat it immediately afterward.
Why Can’t You Eat After A Filling?
1. Fillings are Secondary
Fillings are not the main course! They’re siding items that accompany main courses. If you want to eat a filling, you can, but it’s not always an option. For instance, if you order a meat-and-potatoes meal with mashed potatoes as a side dish, then you can’t eat after the filling—it’s the only course of the meal!
2. Fillings Are Sided Items
A filling is a side item that accompanies the main course—not the other way around. In most instances, fillings are sided items that accompany main courses—not the other way around. For instance, if you order a meat-and-potatoes meal with mashed potatoes as a side dish, then you can’t have your potatoes after your filling (or vice versa). You have to choose between eating your potatoes or your meat and gravy! If you want to eat both, you’ll have to order two separate meals.
3. Fillings Aren’t Always Available
Some fillings are only available at certain times of the day, or some restaurants only offer them on certain days of the week. For example, some restaurants only serve steak tartare on Fridays and Saturdays. If you want to eat your filling and save room for another course of the meal, you’ll have to order a different meal altogether—the main course without a filling as a side item.
4. Filling is Often Sided with a Main Course in Restaurants that Offer Both Foods Side by Side
In some restaurants that offer both foods side by side (like steak tartare with mashed potatoes or shrimp cocktail with French fries), the filling is often sided with the main course—not the other way around! This means that if you want to eat both foods at once, then you’ll have to order two separate meals.
What To Do If You Can’t Eat After A Filling?
1. Let the filler sit on your plate
If you’re not sure whether you can or can’t eat a filling, leave it on your plate. You might be surprised to learn that some fillings have a low-calorie count and can be consumed after a meal without any need to worry about the calories they contain. In fact, many fillings are even low in fat as well.
2. Eat fruits and vegetables as snacks
If you do decide to eat a filling after a meal, choose foods that are naturally low in calories and fat like fruits and vegetables, which will help you stay within your calorie limit for the day. Other healthy choices include fresh soups, salads, yogurt, and milk-based desserts like ice cream or sherbet (no matter how indulgent).
3. Go for low-fat cream cheese, guacamole, and sour cream
These are some of the best low-calorie fillers that you can have with your main course. Eat them in moderation as part of a healthy diet and you’ll be fine.
4. Go for a small serving of fat-free pudding or sorbet
Don’t overdo it with these dessert options though—they can still contain more fat than you want to consume on a daily basis. Choose one or two servings per day, but avoid the high-fat versions (like ice cream). If you are going to eat desserts at all, go for low-fat ones instead of high-fat ones like cheesecake or pie crusts (which are heavy on butter). The same goes for fat-free ice creams and sherbets—these are better choices than regular ice creams and sherbets because they contain a fan of these options, don’t worry—you can always have fruit instead.
5. Skip dessert altogether
If you really want to get your fill of dessert, but you know that you can’t have it after a meal, go for something non-sweet like fresh fruit or some non-fat yogurt. If you’re looking for something sweet that won’t add too many calories to your day, try sorbet or some fat-free frozen yogurt in place of a serving of ice cream or sherbet.
Tips For Eating After A Filling
- The Cheat: For those who are feeling too full to even think about eating a filling, try this trick: eat a few bites of the filling, then take a sip of water. It’s an easy way to ease yourself through the meal. (This trick can be used with any type of filling, not just mashed potatoes.)
- The Bigger You Are: Over-indulging in one side item can lead you to overeat at every meal. So if you know you’re going to have a side serving of mashed potatoes or rice, make sure that it’s enough for two servings—one for each meal.
- The Farmer’s Market: If you want to enjoy the flavors of a side item but don’t want to eat it all by itself, consider adding some vegetables and/or fruit to your dish. By doing so, you can still enjoy the taste without consuming too much food overall.
- The Stuffed: Another way to have your fillings and eat them too is by making a meal out of the side item. Instead of eating it with the main dish, make the side item the main attraction. For example, instead of adding a scoop of mashed potatoes to your Thanksgiving turkey, try stuffing it inside the turkey instead.
Conclusion
Finally, no matter what you do, you’re going to have to deal with a little bit of pain after a filling has been put in place. It’s important not to be too hard on yourself, though; the pain will eventually subside. In the meantime, use these tips to help make the process as easy as possible.
