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What To Eat When Dining Out

October 6, 2006 Send this Article to a FriendPrint This Article

Author: Certified HyperStrike Trainers

Restaurants are feeling the pressure to offer healthier alternatives. Some of the healthier menu alternatives include more flavorful salads, low-carbohydrate meals and low-fat meals.  Some restaurants are even going as far as calculating the calories and fat grams for their customers. These types of meals and nutrient data conscious menu items are always helpful and should be utilized when trying to follow a healthy lifestyle.

However, some restaurants are still not heeding to this societal pressure of health consciousness and so you, the consumer, must try to find something that will fit into your lifestyle. Here are several suggestions for sit-down and on-the-go (of fast food) eating:

Sit-Down Restaurant Eating
1. Select foods that are steamed, garden fresh, broiled, boiled, baked, roasted, poached or lightly sautéed or stir-fried.

2. Avoid fried foods (so, no fried chicken, tortillas, French fries, onion rings, hamburgers, etc.). Although these items are very appetizing, they are also very calorie dense, high in fat and low in nutrients since the frying process destroys whatever was once beneficial in the food.

3. Grilled fish is always better than grilled chicken, and both are always better than grilled beef. But, be careful of the grilled fish as it is usually smothered with a sauce, based with butter or cream. Ask for either no sauce or have it on the side.

4. Take the skin off of the chicken, turkey or duck before eating it.

5. Substitute fried side-orders (i.e. French fries or potato chips) and mashed potatoes, which are usually made with cream or butter, with mixed veggies, or broccoli, or green beans. If the meal already comes with these, order extra veggies.

6. Ask the server if a restaurant’s veggies are steamed, baked and/or layered in butter and oil. Demand no butter or oil be used by the chef. If necessary, tell them that you have a butter and margarine allergy. Keep in mind, you might get quite a hassle, so it might not even be worth coming back to this restaurant. Do not let their laziness sabotage or increase your efforts in the gym.

7. If you find that you do not know the number of calories in a meal, then ask your server for a To-Go box or Doggy-bag right  when the food is delivered to your table. Take half of your meal and save it for later. Close the container and get it out of sight. You will be much less likely to overeat if it is not in front of you.

8. Always order a salad with the dressing on the side. You will save yourself hundreds of calories if you delicately dip your fork into the dressing. Or, better yet, do not use any dressing at all.  However, if you must add a little extra flavor to your salad ask for balsamic vinegar or a wedge of lemon or lime to squeeze over your salad.

9. If a dish shows up with butter, gravy, mayo or a mayo-like dressing on it, scrape it off. Remember, the other option is to have it on the side.

10. For a beverage, drink water, diet soda or even 6 oz of dry white wine with seltzer (50 calories).

11. For dessert (if you must), try to avoid getting a dessert for yourself. Most desserts are prepared for more than one person. Share with somebody, and do not feel you need to finish it. Remember, the restaurant is not interested in your physique or health, but your money. Which is more important to you?

12. Plain sherbet is an acceptable dessert (no sauce or fruit syrups added).

13. Or, during dessert, try finishing with a latte, coffee or tea (no added sugar).

Fast Food Eating
1. Many Fast Food chains offer salads, BUT you do not need the entire packet of dressing on the salad.  Also, white dressings have more fat than clearer dressings.

2. The worst choice of salad, in terms of the amount of fat and calories, is usually the Caesar Salad. A Cob Salad or Chef Salad with chicken and minimal or no dressing is a much better choice as it has fewer calories and fat.

3. Sandwich and submarine sandwich shops are everywhere. Visit these often for a sandwich, soup or salad. But, no “special sauce,” mayo or oil. Stick with mustard and vinegar. Spice up any sandwich or salad as you like with veggies, herbs and dry seasonings. Go ahead and load up the fresh veggies on wheat bread or in a wrap.

4. Clearer soups are better choices than “cream of …” soup.

5. Wraps at Subway are a much better option than the bread. A wrap is much lower in calories and it contains much more fiber; two absolute “musts” (low calories and more fiber) when trying to lose or maintain weight, and even to gain weight. However, the prepared-low-carb wraps are higher in calories and fat because of the dressings used on top of the wrap contents.

6. Cheese is never needed. Go without it on salads or sandwiches. If you must, in general, the whiter the cheese, the lower the fat content.

7. Most fast food Chinese restaurants have food that is cooked in and/or layered in oil, MSG, and it is high in calories. Order something from the appetizer menu as your meal. Ideally, you should know what the calories are on the menu before ordering anything.

8. In terms of pizza, thin crust is the best option. A cheese or margarita pizza, with high-water veggies (such as peppers, onions, etc. versus olives) is best. The greater the meat content on the pizza, the greater the fat content, which is greater the calorie content.

9. An Egg McMuffin, by itself, is acceptable. The side order of hash browns or added sausage to the Egg McMuffin are not needed, and these extras increase the fat content to unacceptable levels; add in the orange juice and now the calories are outrageous.

10. Most “value meals” offer no value for the amount of time you would have to spend to burn the extra calories. Avoid them.

11. Do not drink any sodas except the occasional diet soda (once or twice per week). The high sugar content and calories will set you back from the many benefits of health and fitness that your exercise routine is providing.

12. At the movies, bring your own popcorn, jerky, protein bar and/or bottled water. The theaters are too expensive and do not offer healthy nutritional options.

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