Tricks for Successful Dining, Everywhere

Eating out can sabotage your healthy lifestyle, unless you go armed with tools to avoid the traps and pitfalls set by marketing geniuses. Beautiful pictures of food, words like salad, grilled and broiled tell us that those items are healthy. That may or may not be the case. It’s important to educate yourself about food in general, and go in armed with tools to help you make great, healthy choices no matter where you dine.

Nutrition information: We asked, and asked, and asked. Restaurants finally conceded to the pressure and most of them provide nutrition information for their menu items. Use it!

Look for protein, fat, and sugar content – but check for levels of sodium, may restaurant foods are jam packed with too much sodium. We need some, but it’s easier to get to much than too little. Also look for vitamin A, C, Iron and calcium as well. Calorie count is important, but sometimes something with slightly higher calories might actually be the best choice.

A prime example is the Whole Grain Bagel at Panera Bread. It has 340 calories, which seems like a lot, but it is so healthy, providing 13 grams of protein, lots of calcium, loads of fiber and it’s a pretty good source of iron. 340 nutrient rich calories are much better than 200 empty ones.

To find nutrition information for your favorite restaurant just search their name + nutrition information on your favorite search engine.

Hot Water Sipper: Order a cup of hot water while you look over the menu. This zero calorie warm up will help you feel full before you even start. Your healthiest choices will fill you up in no time and you will stay satisfied longer. During your meal switch to a glass of water or tea and enjoy limitless amounts of hydration.

Dressing up: We all know that salad dressing can be the downfall of an otherwise healthy meal. A couple of tablespoons is full of fat and empty calories. Did you know you can enjoy a whole salad, with the wonderful flavor of your favorite dressing, for a fraction of the fat and calories?

Dipping just the tip of your fork into a side cup of salad dressing, then stabbing your lettuce, spinach or other veggies allows you to use a teaspoon or two, thus ingesting only about 1/3 of the calories without giving up flavor.

May I have a to-go box please? That’s right - before you start eating, ask for a to-go box. Most restaurants give you way more food than you need at one meal. Have your server bring a box with your meal, then put half of the food in the box and set it aside. If you are truly still hungry after you clean your plate, the food is still there for you, but if you are satisfied, which is usually the case for me, you already have it boxed and ready to go. If you loved it, it will be great for lunch the next day. *If the to-go box is made of Styrofoam, don’t microwave it. Remove the food to a microwave save plate or bowl, cover loosely and then heat up your yummy left overs. Heating it in Styrofoam may not be as dangerous as once believed, most scientists have debunked the idea that it releases toxins when microwaved. However, Styrofoam containers can melt, ruining your food and making a mess. I think it is better to err on the side of caution, and just use a plate.

**If you can, take your own, clean container for your leftovers. It’s the green way to go and you won’t have to worry about the safety of the container provided by the restaurant, or leaks in your car on the way home.

Just say NO to dessert. Even the tiny shot glass desserts offered in some chains can pack 400 to 500 calories or more. While that is sometimes 1000 calories less than their regular sized decadent offerings, it is way more than most of us want to consume in the form of empty calories.

Happy Healthy Eating to Each of You!!