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When Dining Out
When Dining Out -- Posted by Gumbo on 10-23-04 05:52
When Dining Out
If you're on a special diet and planning to try a new restaurant, call ahead
to see whether it offers suitable menu choices or if substitutions can
readily be made. With the exception of fast-food restaurants, where
everything is already prepared when you get there, most restaurants are
happy to modify their dishes by changing the cooking method, leaving out an
ingredient or serving part of the dish, such as the gravy or dressing, on
the side so you can control the amount you eat.
If you have a food allergy or sensitivity, you should be extremely careful
about eating out. Common allergens and irritants include milk, eggs,
shellfish (crab, lobster, shrimp), fish, citrus fruits, legumes (soybeans,
lima beans), peanuts, spices, artificial food dyes, molds, sulfites and
wheat. Ask specific questions, and be sure your waiter understands the
different ways an allergen can get into a dish. For example, the stock base
in a harmless-sounding corn chowder may contain clam juice, a disaster for
someone allergic to clams and other members of the mollusk or shellfish
family.
For the average health-conscious person, there's something for everyone on
almost every restaurant menu. Keep these eating-out tips in mind to avoid
the major pitfalls of restaurant food:
Translate menu language. Look for entrees on the menu that are broiled,
grilled, poached, steamed, roasted or baked, and avoid foods described as
fried, crisp, sauteed, creamy, creamed, au gratin, escalloped or breaded.
Share with a friend. You won't tend to overeat if you split your appetizer
and dessert.
Watch portion size. If you know you'll be tempted to eat more than you
should, ask to have your "doggy bag" prepared in advance, so you'll only get
a half order at the table. Some restaurants will even let you order a half
order or children's portion of pasta as an entree.
Eat low-calorie foods first. Order a salad as your first course and when
dinner arrives, start with the lowest calorie foods on your plate.
Go for balance. If you really want a high-fat or high-calorie entree,
balance it with lean choices for the rest of the meal.
Here are some healthy choices you can make at different types of
restaurants:
At a pizzeria, choose plain cheese pizza or pizza with vegetable toppings
instead of meat toppings. Plain cheese pizza (181 calories) and vegetable
pizza (188 calories) both weigh in with about seven grams of fat and 460
milligrams of sodium. By contrast, meat pizza (234 calories) has 12 grams of
fat and 611 milligrams of sodium. [Source: USDA]
In an Italian restaurant, ask for bread sticks instead of bread, and ask for
oil and vinegar on the side to dress your own salad. Order pasta with red
sauce such as marinara instead of such creamy white or butter sauces as
Alfredo. Choose chicken dishes instead of meat and sausage dishes. Have a
cappuccino for dessert.
In a Chinese restaurant, choose steamed rice instead of fried rice, steamed
dumplings instead of fried and vegetarian entrees that include a number of
different vegetables.
In a Japanese restaurant, pass up tempura in any form because fried food
should be avoided.
In a Mexican restaurant, choose salsa instead of sour cream or cheese dips.
Choose dishes made with plain, soft tortillas that aren't fried, such as
burritos, soft tacos and enchiladas. Have black bean soup as a first course.
In a cafeteria or food-buffet restaurant, fill your plate with plain
vegetable side dishes before you go for the meat. Look for grilled, broiled
or flame-cooked chicken, fish and lean meats and avoid anything breaded,
batter-dipped or fried. If there's a salad bar, concentrate on crisp,
crunchy vegetable and bean mixtures; leave the potato, macaroni and tuna
salads behind.
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