Eating out can take its toll on an otherwise healthy diet, especially if it's several times a week. But, with a little know-how you can avoid many of the nutritional pitfalls of eating out whether you’re at a take-out counter or a top-notch restaurant.
Here are some tips on what to look for on the menu and what to make special requests for:
- Choose lower fat and whole grain products such as:
- whole wheat, rye or multi-grain breads, rolls, tortillas
- bagels, pancakes, English muffins
- hot and cold cereals
- pasta, rice, couscous, bulgar
- Avoid high fat products such as croissants, danishes, donuts, some muffins.
- Choose broth instead of cream-based soup. Vegetable soup counts as one serving of vegetables.
- Choose 100% fruit or vegetable juice. Watch for words like drink, punch, nectar, cocktail – these are not real juice.
- Choose meals that include vegetables. Avoid deep-fried vegetables or vegetables in butter, cream, cheese, peanut or coconut sauce. Beware of Caesar salad – it’s loaded with fat. Ask for salad dressing on the side, and use it sparingly.
- Choose a meat, fish, poultry or alternative prepared using a low-fat cooking method. Steaming, broiling, roasting, baking, barbecuing are lower fat cooking methods. Avoid breaded and fried food. Also, beware of portion size. If it’s bigger than a deck of cards, as for a portion to be packed up to take home for another meal.
- Choose 2%, 1% or skim milk. Homogenized milk is higher in fat (3.5%) and should be avoided. Chocolate milk is a good alternative to a milkshake.
- Choose a low-fat dessert. Fresh, canned or frozen fruit is best. Other good options are milk pudding, sherbet, gelatin, angel food cake and low-fat frozen yogurt.
- Don’t forget the kids! Ask for milk or 100% fruit juice with children’s meals instead of soft drinks.
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