foodha for thought – menuism blog

I know, I know. When it comes to eating out, we don’t want to think about having to eat healthy. After all, we dine out to indulge and sometimes over indulge our appetite for food that our taste buds may celebrate, but may not always be the healthiest option for our bodies.

For those of you where going to a restaurant for lunch or dinner is a rarity, than you should go for broke and taste all the culinary luxuries an eatery may have available to you. For others who are thinking of converting their kitchen to a rec room because it sees such little use due to a lifestyle geared towards checking out a different restaurant every night, than it may be good to practice a little self-restraint every once in awhile. Of course, if you’re angling for a life style change, than it’s even more important for you to be aware of healthier food options.

Believe me, it is possible to eat out and eat healthy, too. Many restaurants offer delicious meals that are low in saturated fat, trans fat and cholesterol. That’s good news for your health because a continuous diet high in saturated, trans fats and cholesterol contributes to an unhealthy you and there’s just too much living to do for you to be hampered by high cholesterol or be at risk for heart disease or a stroke. So here are some tips for you to keep in mind when eating out.

• Don’t shy away from making special requests. Most foods on the menus can be prepared with low-fat ingredients and/or less salt. Talk to your server or call ahead to the restaurant to find out if they can accommodate your needs.
• Pay attention to portion sizes. Ask for smaller portions, split an entree with your dining partner or ask your server to bring you only bring you half of your entree and have the rest put in a doggy bag for lunch the next day.
• Foods that are steamed, broiled, baked, grilled, poached or roasted are much better for you than high in fat and calorie foods that are fried, pan-fried, sauteed or stuffed.
• Limit having your foods prepared in butter and instead request that your food be prepared with vegetable oil (which can be made up of any combination of canola, olive, corn, soy, sunflower and safflower)
• Decrease your salt intake by shying away from foods that are pickled, in cocktail sauce, smoked, in broth, soy or teriyaki sauce. If possible, ask that your food be prepared without additional salt or MSG.
• Gravies, sauces and dressing should be served on the side to help control the amount you eat.
• Skip dessert or stay with fruits or sherberts instead of high-fat pastries and ice creams.

For ethnic cuisines where ingredients and food preparation may be difficult to ascertain, look below for some ideas to help you make the right choices.

Chinese Cuisine

While Chinese food is fairly healthy as a whole, it can be high in sodium plus main dish portions are large enough for whole families. So if you’re part of a smaller party, you may want to order fewer entrees. General tips are:

• Go for the entrees with lots of vegetables.
• Forgo the dishes with duck for chicken dishes instead.
• Stay away from crispy fried noodles.

Indian Cuisine

While Indian is good because it includes lots of grains high in fiber and less animal protein, the problem is that much of the food is prepared with ghee (clarified butter) or is fried or sautéed. Coconut oil and milk, which are high in saturated fat, are also used often.  General tips are

• Start with salads or yogurt 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 the saturated fat and calories.
• If sodium is a concern, skip the soups.

Mexican Cuisine

A lot of Mexican food is fried with lard and topped with cheese, so it’s loaded with saturated fat and can be high in sodium, too. But when you know what to choose, Mexican food can be fresh, tasty and more healthful. General tips are:

• Tell your server not to bring fried tortilla chips to the table.
• Ask for low-fat sour cream or use salsa to add flavor.
• Veracruz or other tomato-based sauces are better than cream or cheese sauces.
• If you order a taco salad, don’t eat the fried shell.

In the end, it’s really about using your common sense and eating in moderation.  It’s okay to have the shrimp scampi cooked in butter every once in awhile, but the next time, having broiled shrimp can still be a tasty alternative.