Dining Out Your guide to choosing healthy foods while dining out

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Clifford Dalton
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1 Dining Out Your guide to choosing healthy foods while dining out 5 Healthy Tips For Dining Out 1. Have a Plan Do your research before stopping into a restaurant. You can access the nutrition information for most fast food and chain restaurants on their websites. Look for menu options that are low in calories, total fat, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol 2. Know the Healthy Lingo Not all restaurants can provide nutritional information for their menu items, but you can still make healthier choices through knowing the lingo. Scan the menu for terms like Healthy Options, Less than 500 Calories, and Low Fat. 3. Control Your Portions Restaurant portions are always large. Just by cutting back the amount of food you eat, you also cut back the amount of calories, bad fats, cholesterol and sodium. You can control your portions by doing the following: - Ask for half your meal in a take home box before eating - Share an entrée with a friend - Avoid buffets -Pick 1-2 of the following: appetizers, drinks, dessert, bread basket 4. Know What To Ask Asking your waiter questions about the meal is an easy way to make a dish healthier. Be sure to ask things such as: - How big is the portion size? - How is the food item prepared? - Can the food be broiled instead of fried? - Can gravies/sauces/dressings be served on the side or eliminated? 5. Don t be overly hungry when you dine out If you go to a restaurant overly hungry you ll be more likely to overeat foods that are higher in fat, cholesterol, and sodium. When you know that you re going out for dinner, try these tips to stay healthy -Do not skip meals earlier in the day -Eat a light snack, if eating later than usual -Make an earlier reservation -Drink a glass of water before eating -Try to eat more slowly

Type of Restaurant: Cajun What to Eat Where Tips: Avoid fried seafood and hushpuppies. Ask the cook for only a small amount of oil.

Red beans and rice with sausage Try: Boiled crawfish or shrimp. Creole and jambalaya dishes. Boiled or grilled seafood. Turkey or roast beef Po Boy sandwiches. White or brown rice.

Main dish portions are quite large, so order fewer entrees and share. Instead of: Egg drop soup. Egg rolls or fried wontons. Fried entrees. Fried rice.

Steamed rice. Sweet and Sour, plum, or duck sauce. Type of Restaurant: Family Restaurants Tips: Avoid dishes with lots of cheese, sour cream, and salad dressing.

2 Type of Restaurant: Cajun What to Eat Where Tips: Avoid fried seafood and hushpuppies. Ask the cook for only a small amount of oil. Ask for sauces and gravies on the side Instead of: Fried crawfish or shrimp. Gumbo, etoufee, or sauces made with roux. Fried seafood. Fried shrimp or oyster Po Boy sandwiches. Dirty rice. Red beans and rice with sausage Try: Boiled crawfish or shrimp. Creole and jambalaya dishes. Boiled or grilled seafood. Turkey or roast beef Po Boy sandwiches. White or brown rice. Red beans and rice without sausage Type of Restaurant: Chinese Tips: Ask for less oil when stir-frying. Ask the cook to leave out the soy sauce, MSG, and salt. Main dish portions are quite large, so order fewer entrees and share. Instead of: Egg drop soup. Egg rolls or fried wontons. Fried entrees. Fried rice. Lobster sauce, oyster sauce, and soy sauce Try: Wontons or hot-and-sour soup. Steamed dumplings. Boiled, broiled, steamed or lightly stir-fried entrees, or dishes with lots of vegetables. Steamed rice. Sweet and Sour, plum, or duck sauce. Type of Restaurant: Family Restaurants Tips: Avoid dishes with lots of cheese, sour cream, and salad dressing. Choose baked, broiled or grilled options on entrees. Try ordering your salad with dressing on the side, and using it sparingly. Avoid all-you-can-eat-buffets as you are more likely to eat more food than you need. Instead of: Cream soups such as cream of potato, cream of crab, or clam chowder. Salad with full fat salad dressing. Creamy coleslaw, buffalo wings, or fried chicken tenders, cheeseburger or fried chicken sandwich and fried fish. French fries with cheese or gravy. Try: Broth based soups such as Maryland crab, chicken corn, vegetable, Italian wedding, or chicken noodle soup. Salad with fat-free or low-fat salad dressing. Steamed vegetables, shrimp cocktail, or grilled chicken tenders. Grilled or blackened chicken sandwich or veggie burger, broiled fish, baked potato with trans fat-free spread or salsa.

Type of Restaurant: Fast Food Tips: Today food franchises are offering people more health-oriented alternatives. Be sure to ask for the healthiest options.

Try: Grilled chicken, sliced meats, or even a regular 2 oz hamburger on a bun with lettuce, tomato, and onion.

Juice, fat-free or low-fat milk, or a diet soda. Type of Restaurant: French Tips: Bypass the rich entrees, desserts and sauces.

Paté, French onion soup, or creamy au gratin potato dishes. Hollandaise, Mornay sauce, or Béchamel. Try: Less salty appetizers, such as steamed muscles or salad.

Type of Restaurant: Greek and Middle Eastern Tips: Ask dish to be prepared with less oil or served with high sodiumfood such as feta and olives on the side.

3 Type of Restaurant: Fast Food Tips: Today food franchises are offering people more health-oriented alternatives. Be sure to ask for the healthiest options. Instead of: Jumbo cheeseburger. Fried chicken or tacos. French fries or potato chips. Milkshake or regular soda. Try: Grilled chicken, sliced meats, or even a regular 2 oz hamburger on a bun with lettuce, tomato, and onion. Grilled chicken, salad bar, or chicken fajita pitas. Baked potato with vegetables and low-fat or fat-free sour cream, pretzels, or baked potato chips. Juice, fat-free or low-fat milk, or a diet soda. Type of Restaurant: French Tips: Bypass the rich entrees, desserts and sauces. Aim for simple dishes with the sauce on the side. Ask for very little butter to be used in cooking Instead of: Appetizers with olives, capers or anchovies. Paté, French onion soup, or creamy au gratin potato dishes. Hollandaise, Mornay sauce, or Béchamel. Try: Less salty appetizers, such as steamed muscles or salad. Steamed muscles, mixed green salad with vinaigrette dressing, or lightly steamed vegetables. Bordelaise sauce or wine based Béarnaise sauce. Type of Restaurant: Greek and Middle Eastern Tips: Ask dish to be prepared with less oil or served with high sodiumfood such as feta and olives on the side. Skip phyllo pastry dishes, as they are usually high in butter Instead of: Meat-stuffed appetizers, or fried calamari, or baba ghanooj. Moussaka, gyro, or spanakopita. Try: Appetizers with rice or eggplant, dolmas, or tzatziki. Roast lab, shish kabob, couscous with bulgur wheat with vegetables or chicken, chicken pita sandwiches, or plaki.

Type of Restaurant: Health and Vegetarian Food Tips: Choose foods that include fat-free or low-fat dairy products Instead of: Granola made with oil. Salads with oil-based dressing.

Yogurt-based dishes made with fat-free yogurt. Type of Restaurant: Indian Tips: Start with salads or yogurts with chopped or shredded vegetables. Choose chicken or seafood rather than beef or lamb.

Korma (braised meat with a rich yogurt cream sauce), or curries made with coconut milk or cream. Pakora (deep fried dough with vegetables) or saaq paneer (spinach with cheese cubes and cream sauce).

Chicken or beef tikka, chicken, beef, or fish tandoori, curries with vegetable or dal base, or shish kabob.

4 Type of Restaurant: Health and Vegetarian Food Tips: Choose foods that include fat-free or low-fat dairy products Instead of: Granola made with oil. Salads with oil-based dressing. Sandwiches made with mayonnaise. Whole-egg dishes. Try: Fat-free or low-fat granola. Salads with fat-free dressing. Sandwich fillings with mustard, fat-free or low-fat mayonnaise or yogurt sauce. Yogurt-based dishes made with fat-free yogurt. Type of Restaurant: Indian Tips: Start with salads or yogurts with chopped or shredded vegetables. Choose chicken or seafood rather than beef or lamb. Choose dishes prepared without ghee. Order one protein and one vegetable dish to cut down on the saturated fat and calories. Instead of: Samosas (stuffed and fried vegetable turnover). Korma (braised meat with a rich yogurt cream sauce), or curries made with coconut milk or cream. Pakora (deep fried dough with vegetables) or saaq paneer (spinach with cheese cubes and cream sauce). Sauced rice dishes or fried or stuffed breads. Try: Papadum or papad (crispy, thin lentil wafers). Chicken or beef tikka, chicken, beef, or fish tandoori, curries with vegetable or dal base, or shish kabob. Gobhi matar tamatar (cauliflower with peas and tomatoes) or Matar pulao (rice pilaf with peas). Fragrant steamed rice, chapati, or naan Type of Restaurant: Italian Tips: Enjoy pasta as a main entrée rather than as an appetizer. Share foods among your dinner companions. Ask your waiter to hold the cheese and the bacon. If you order pizza, choose toppings like spinach, mushrooms, broccoli, and roast peppers to keep down the saturated fat and add up the vegetables. Instead of: Fried calamari, fried mozzarella sticks, fried zucchini. Cheese or meat-filled pasta or casserole-type dishes. Pastas with butter or cream sauce (such as Alfredo sauce), or any scallopine or parmigiana dish. Try: Roasted peppers, bruschetta or minestrone soup. Pasta primavera or pasta with white wine or red clam sauce. Pasta with marsala or marinara sauce, or piccata dishes.

Type of Restaurant: Japanese Tips: Ask the cook to prepare your food without high-sodium marinades, sauces, and salt. Ask that sauces be served on the side.

Try: Steamed vegetables, grilled shrimp, or vegetable sushi. Nabemono, yosenabe, shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, su udon, or sumashi wan. Chicken or beef teriyaki (grilled).

If you order a taco salad, don t eat the fried shell.

5 Type of Restaurant: Japanese Tips: Ask the cook to prepare your food without high-sodium marinades, sauces, and salt. Ask that sauces be served on the side. Avoid foods that are deep fried, battered, breaded, or fried. Instead of: Vegetable or shrimp tempura. Tonkatsu or Oyako domburi. Chawan mushi. Try: Steamed vegetables, grilled shrimp, or vegetable sushi. Nabemono, yosenabe, shabu-shabu, sukiyaki, su udon, or sumashi wan. Chicken or beef teriyaki (grilled). Type of Restaurant: Mexican Tips: Tell your server not to bring fried tortilla chips to the table. Ask for low-fat sour cream or use salsa to add flavor. If you order a taco salad, don t eat the fried shell. Instead of: Flour tortillas, nacho grande, carnitas, chorizo, refried beans, full fat sour cream and cheese, quesadillas, chalupas, beef tacos, taco salad, flautas, burritos, and chimichangas. Try: Corn tortilas, tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole. Grilled chicken, fish or shrimp. Black beans and rice. Salsa, pico de gallo, cilantro, lime juice, and jalapeno peppers. Chicken fajitas, grilled chicken or fish tacos, or chicken fajita salad with salsa or guacamole without a taco shell. Fajitas or chicken enchiladas in red sauce. Type of Restaurant: Steakhouses Tips: Don t order king-sized cuts. About 3 oz of a thinly sliced cut is perfect, or choose a 6 oz steak and enjoy non-meat entrees the rest of the day. Steakhouses generally prepare your food to order, so ask to have all visible fat trimmed before the meat is cooked. Instead of: Fatty cuts of meat such as rib eye, porterhouse, or T-bone. French fries, au gratin or scalloped potatoes. Caesar or pre-dressed salad and friend vegetables. Try: Leaner cuts of meat such as London broil, filet mignon, flank steak, sirloin tips, or tenderloin. Baked potato or rice pilaf. Salad with low-fat dressing on the side and steamed vegetables.

6 Type of Restaurant: Thai Tips: Aim for the lighter, stir-fried dishes and the fresh spring rolls. Steer clear of heavy sauces and deep fried entrees. Ask that the cooking be done with vegetable oil rather than coconut oil or lard. Choose chicken over duck, but limit meat, poultry and seafood portions. Avoid soy and other sauces and ask that MSG be left out Instead of: Fried spring rolls. Dishes with coconut milk, peanuts, cashews, and peanut sauce, Tom ka gai, or gai ped med ma-muang. Gaeng keow wan gai or gaeng ped gai. Steamed rice or gluay kaeg. Try: Fresh spring rolls. Stir-fried dishes, tom yam goong, kanaa namman hoi, or items without oyster sauce. Nuea pad prik, or pad thai. Steamed rice or khao newo kaew

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