Healthy Dining

No matter the occasion, dining out at a restaurant is a big part of our lives. Restaurants meals sneak up on us out of nowhere! All meals in general can hide their hundreds of extra calories in butter, sides, sauces, (etc.). Just looking at a menu gives the possibility of crash and burn. Here's what I can do to help.


GENERAL GUIDELINES
*Warning: Don't let your eyes wander to the dessert section! I have yet to find a healthy dessert on a restaurant menu. These are packed with high fat and high sugar.
*Note: Don't be afraid to ask the waiter to change an entree by cutting out the fat or having the sauce on the side. Also don't be afraid to ask if you're confused about a special item on the menu.
*Note: It's not a bad idea to pack your meal if you can't finish it (and store it in the fridge when you get home). Don't be afraid to order from the kid's menu either- they usually have smaller portions.

Key Words:
Steamed
Garden fresh
Broiled
Baked
Roasted
Poached
Lightly sauteed or stir-fried


Italian Food:
-Hold the bread sticks.
*Note: 1 Bread Stick: 140 calories, 1.5g fat, 26g carbs, 5g protein
-Tomato based sauces will always be healthier than the creamy sauces.
-Order whole wheat noodles if it's possible.
-Italian food can sneak calories in on their breaded chickens and in their cheeses. Just having the word "stuffed" in any dish will add hundreds of more calories

Key Words:
Affogato (steamed or poached)
Marinara, pizzaida, pomodoro (tomato-based sauce)
Primavera (spring style, fresh veggies and herbs)
Fresco (fresh)


Best Lunch/Dinner Choices (Olive Garden)
*Note: Olive Garden provides a "Garden Fare" choice.
-Minstrone Soup (per bowl): 164 calories, 1g fat, 18g carbs, 5g protein
-Herb Grilled Salmon: (incomplete nutrition facts) 18g carbs
-Chicken Giardino (Lunch Entree): 408 calories, 12g fat, 40g carbs, 26g protein
*Note: the dinner entree for chicken giardino: adds around 150 more calories







Mexican Food:
-Always opt for chicken instead of ground beef in meals like tacos (etc.).
-Watch out for cheese heavy dishes. Just the cheese itself in the wraps (etc.). will add a couple hundred calories.
*Note: Replace these heavy condiments with salsa or try some hot sauce. These will add tons of flavor and freshness.
-Also watch out for sour cream, and go easy on the guacamole.
-Add vegetables into things like tacos and burritos whenever possible.

Best Lunch/Dinner Choices (Chipotle)
-Try something like a burrito bowl without cheese, rice, or sour cream (roughly 369 calories)

Best Lunch/Dinner Choices (General)
Since there are so many different Mexican food chains, I decided to make a general meal that may be a better choice next time you go out.
-Chicken Fajitas without Sour Cream, Guacamole, or Cheese




Steakhouse Food:

Key Words:
Baked, steamed
Blackened, grilled
Broiled, charbroiled
California-Style
Roasted, rotisserie
Brochette (meat, fish, poultry or veggies on a skewer)

Best Lunch/Dinner Choices
-Grilled Chicken Entrees with a Side of Vegetables
*Note: Don't order fries as a side, and make sure the vegetables are cooked without added butter and oil
-Grilled Fish Entrees with Side of Vegetables
-Baked Potato without the sour cream and cheese
*Note: You can try salsa as a topping instead
-A "House" Chicken Salad with low-fat dressing ordered on the side
*Note: Make sure the main ingredients are vegetables and chicken

(Example: TGI Friday's Barbecue Jack Chicken: 500 calories, 10g fat)