Bodytalk
Question: Do you have any tips on how I can eat out at restaurants and still eat healthily? Dining out is no excuse
for pigging outAnswer: Americans are eating out now more than ever before. By following the guidelines shown below, and with some effort on your part, you should be able to control what you eat almost as much as if you were buying and preparing the food yourself.
Order all condiments, gravies, spreads, dressings, toppings, sauces and seasonings on the side. These items are often full of non-nutritious calories and sodium. Apply these extras yourself using what the restaurant serves up. Example: order a baked potato plain with the butter or sour cream on the side. By using such portion control you may save yourself hundreds of calories per meal.
Order all meat, fish and chicken dishes grilled, and instruct the chef not to baste your order with high fat buttery or creamy sauces.
Stay away from fried and deep fried foods. Not only are these foods very high in fat, the oil used in their cooking may also be rancid.
Ask your server the necessary questions and ask until you're satisfied. You may question the ingredients of a dish, how it's prepared, how big or small the portion is and whether the restaurant allows substitutions? If they don't, find out if you can, for example, pay extra and have a salad served with your sandwich in place of potato chips. Don't settle for less. Restaurants are in the business of service and it's up to the employees to see to it that you're a satisfied customer.
It helps, but it's not necessary, to frequent the same establishment, if you're a special- order customer. Get to know the staff.
If you do, your special requests are likely to be taken more seriously. Be sure to reciprocate by always tipping generously.
Another portion-control (and therefore calorie-control) method is to order half portions or to order the main course minus the side dish. Order two a la carte salads and an entree, then share with a friend. Be creative. Of course there's always the "doggy bag." Simply don't eat your entire meal, and take some home for a later date, or give it to your doggy.
Practice saying no to the dessert tray. Once you've done it a few times, it actually gets quite easy. I've never understood the custom of topping off a healthy meal with a dessert high in fat, sugar, and calories.
My husband's grandmother, who is going strong at 95, always ends her dinner with a few bites of fresh fruit. If you must eat dessert, fruit is by far a healthier choice.
The same rule of thumb, "just say no," also applies to those high-calorie appetizers. Pick an appetizer that's low in fat and calories: salads, crudite trays, antipasto dishes and vegetable soups are a few examples.
When eating out at a buffet, have a small portion of everything you like. Don't skip those special items you can only get at a buffet. Eat slowly, put your utensil down between bites, savor the flavors and don't go back for seconds.
It's not unusual to gain two or even three pounds after overindulging in an all-you-can-eat buffet. Remember, to lose those two or three pounds you gained "enjoying" the buffet, you'll have to burn off 7,000 to 10,5000 calories with exercise.
In restaurants, as anywhere, know when to stop eating. When you first feel full, have your wait person remove all the plates from the table.You are not obliged to clean your plate.
Stephenie Karony is a certified health
and fitness instructor, a personal trainer and the author of
"Body Shaping with Free Weights." Send questions to her at
P.O. Box 262, Wailuku Hi. Her column appears on Wednesdays.