Tip of the Month

August 2008

General Tips for Eating Out

  • Substitute fried foods for steamed, grilled, baked, or broiled.
  • Order side dishes that are free of butter and cream sauces. Be especially careful when ordering vegetables. Most restaurants will serve them drenched in butter unless otherwise noted.
  • Ask for butter, sour cream, salad dressings, and any other unhealthy toppings to be served on the side. This way, you can control how much you put on.
  • Ask the server what healthy choices he/she may suggest.
  • Rather than ordering an appetizer, order a broth based soup. The reality is, there are very few healthy choices as an appetizer.
  • Remove any skin or visible fat from meat.
  • Chinese- Aim for steamed or stir-fried dishes. This includes the rice on the side. Also, egg drop soup, and hot and sour soup are good starters. Avoid the sweet and sour dishes, cashew chicken, and most egg rolls.
  • Italian- Choose marinara sauces over white, cream sauces. Choose baked or grilled chicken and veal dishes. Try broiled calamari instead of fried. Avoid sausage, meatballs, most lasagnas, and buttery garlic bread.
  • Mexican- Look for different salsas, ceviche, and picante, but avoid too much sour cream and cheese. Try corn tortillas over flour tortillas. Try fish tacos, and chicken fajitas. Avoid enchiladas and quesadillas that are loaded with cheese and refried beans.
  • Sushi- Edamame is a great appetizer to start your meal with. Vegetable and tofu rolls are very healthy. Most fresh fish sushi and sashimi choices are healthy. Stay away from tempura, or rolls with cream cheese. Also, eel and spicy tuna are generally the fattiest fish available in a sushi restaurant. A sushi rolls average 200-300 calories, while most sashimi orders average about 150-200 calories. Be careful how much you eat. Most people can overdo it at a sushi restaurant.

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