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Restaurants Will Help With Special Diets
By Nancy Adler
Healthy Dining
Originally published in Ed Hitzel's Restaurant Magazine / Fall, 2008 / Page 23

Watching calories while eating out? The good news is, in today's restaurants you have plenty of options! You can still eat out and eat healthy, too. Many local restaurants offer delicious meals that are low in saturated fat, trans fats and cholesterol. That’s good news for your health because a diet high in saturated fats and cholesterol raises blood cholesterol. High cholesterol is a major risk factor for heart disease, and it's also a risk factor for stroke.

Don’t be shy about making healthy requests. Most foods on most menus will probably fit into a heart healthy diet if prepared with low-fat ingredients and less salt. Roughly 8 out of 10 restaurants offer vegetarian entrees. Ask your server if the kitchen can alter preparations to meet your needs, or call ahead before you choose your restaurant. When I go on vacation I go to the internet so that I can see the restaurants in the area that will offer healthier food selections on the menu. This way I know what to expect, and have a better idea of what I will be having for dinner that evening. This leaves little room for settling and making a not-so-smart food choice.

A great site to visit for healthy restaurants in your area is www.HealthyDiningFinder.com

Equally important is the portion size. Help control your weight by asking for smaller portions, sharing your entrees with a companion, or putting half of your meal into a to-go box and enjoying it another time.

Timing is everything! Please, whatever you do, eat early. One thing that is very important in meeting your weight loss goals is that you be finished eating by 7:30 p.m. at the latest. Our body metabolism starts to slow up and shut down by 4 p.m. So when we enjoy those late dinners at 9 p.m. am body cannot process these foods at that time.

Here are a few tips I would suggest when dining out:

• Share your appetizers. Half the appetizer equals half the calories.
• Drink water, clear colored diet sodas, unsweetened tea or coffee instead of sodas or alcoholic beverages. This will save a lot of calories each day.
• When choosing soups, keep in mind that cream based foods are higher in fat and calories than most other soups. Soup can serve as a great appetizer to a meal, or as an entree. Most soups are low in calories and will fill you up so you eat less.
• Order steamed vegetables instead of the starch as the side dish.
• Ask for salsa with the baked potato instead of sour cream or butter. Salsa is very low in calories and a healthy alternative with a lot of flavor.
• When ordering grilled fish, ask that food either be grilled without butter or oil or prepared light with little oil or butter.
• Stop eating when you are full! Listen to the cues your body gives you.
• Order sandwiches with mustard rather than mayonnaise or a “special sauce.” Mustard adds flavors with virtually no calories.
• Look for items on the menu that are baked, grilled, dry-sauteed, broiled, poached or steamed. These cooking techniques use less fat in the food preparation and are generally lower in calories.
• Don’t be afraid to ask for special low-fat, low-calorie preparation of a menu item. The restaurant industry is one of hospitality and customer choice. They aim to please!
• Select entrees with fresh fruits and vegetables as key ingredients. Enjoy the flavors they offer. Fruits and vegetables are a good source of dietary fiber as well as many vitamins and minerals.
• Enjoy foods that are flavored with fresh herbs rather than fats such as oil and butter. It’s the butter and oil that increases the fats and calories.
• Always choose breads that are made with whole grains such as brown breads and dishes made with brown rice.
• If you are craving desserts, opt for something low-fat and natural sugars such as fresh berries or fruits.