It’s a fact of life: People eat out; Here are ways to make it healthier
By Mark Bailey on Feb. 06, 2008
By Laura Giovanelli.
Media General News Service.
If dietitians had their way, we would probably never eat out.
There are the bread basket and the tortilla chip bowl.
There are creamy sauces and fried everything to dodge, and there are always, always, big portions.
The problem is that restaurants aren’t just for special occasions anymore. Americans buy a meal or a snack from a restaurant 5.8 times a week on average, according to the National Restaurant Association.
“It’s not really practical advice to tell people not to eat out,” said Dayle Fuentes, a dietitian with the BestHealth Community Health Resource Center. “It’s really a fact of life these days.”
With some planning and careful ordering, eating out doesn’t have to be terrible for you.
People who are interested in eating out without abandoning their health can arm themselves with a little basic knowledge. If you keep portions, content and balance in mind, you should be able to find some wholesome choices.
With such diseases as Type 2 diabetes on the rise and more people concerned about heart disease and cholesterol, there are reasons to watch what we eat when we’re eating out as much as when we’re eating in.
Restaurants large and small are expanding their menus, designating healthy choices and creating special menus. A few large chains with local branches, such as Outback Steakhouse and P.F. Chang’s, have gluten-free menus for people who can’t eat wheat. P.F. Chang’s even has one designed for athletes who need high amounts of carbohydrates and protein, such as marathon runners.
Still, most restaurants want their food to taste good above all, and sometimes that can mean cooking it with more salt, butter and fat then we would ever use at home. Many foods are premade and prepackaged for convenience. And portions are large - sometimes as much as two to three times what they should be, experts say.
“We’re at the point people are probably eating out 30 to 40 percent of their food content. They can’t write it off as a once-in-a-while thing because it’s not anymore,” said Julie Lanford, a dietitian at Forsyth Medical Center. “What I tell people is preparing your food is ideal because you know exactly what is going into your mouth. If they are eating out that much, they need to be more mindful.”
Customers shouldn’t be afraid to ask questions or request modifications, especially if it’s not clear how a dish is prepared. Restaurants will typically try to accommodate you, said Laura Khaghany, a dietitian with Forsyth Medical Center. “And if they can’t, we have the right not to eat there.”
Here are some general guidelines to make eating out more healthful:
--Try to limit eating out to two times a week.
--Eat a snack before you go out, such as a piece of fruit or some raw vegetables, and drink a glass of water.
--If you crave chips and salsa at a Mexican restaurant, or those greasy fried noodles they serve at Chinese ones, eat a few and then push away the bowl. Or ask your server to take it off the table.
--Beware such words as batter-fried, crispy, smoked or cured (lots of salt), smothered, loaded, au gratin and creamy. Clues that can lead you to healthier choices are such words as baked, grilled, broiled, steamed and poached.
--In general, the less processed the food, the better. Try to avoid packaged or premade foods.
--Try to cut down on butter and other fats, but ask restaurants if their kitchens can increase ginger, garlic, cinnamon and other natural flavorings, so your meal is flavored by spice rather than fat.
--Many people think that they are eating healthfully when they eat a salad, but then they load it up with croutons, bacon bits, cheese and creamy dressing, Khaghany said. “Your salad can end up having 80 plus grams of fat,” she said. Instead, look for mandarin oranges and other fruit, peppers, carrots, mushrooms, red onions, tomatoes and vinaigrettes.
--Order salad dressing on the side. Instead of pouring it over your salad, take your fork tines and dip them in the dressing, then pick up a bite of vegetables.
--Order a meal that has vegetables, though beware of ones cooked in fatback or lots of olive oil. Look for a variety of vegetables in different, bright colors. Boost your vegetable intake by ordering an appetizer, such as vegetable soup, edamame, or hummus and crudites. “I try to get two vegetables in somehow,” Lanford said.
--In your mind, divide your plate into four quarters. Fruits and vegetables should fill one-half of the plate. Protein and carbohydrates should be limited to one-quarter each.
--Fish, chicken and tofu are good sources of protein that’s lower in fat.
--Order a healthy side such as a salad or baked potato instead of french fries. Top the baked potato with chili, salsa or vegetables instead of butter.
--Order kid-size drinks and portions if possible.
--Order one entree and divide it in half to share between two people and supplement your meal with side orders of vegetables. Or divide half of your entree when it arrives at your table and put it into a to-go box immediately.
--Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Thai and Indian restaurants tend to have more vegetable choices, and mix-and-match and nonmeat options. Just watch the sodium. Ask for sauces on the side so you can control what you use.
“Even if you don’t have diabetes or don’t have heart disease,” Khaghany said, “those are good guidelines to maintain proper health and well-being.”
COMMENTS
I think that everyone that goes out for dinner has to take more risks than eating home. I prefer eating home at the tv or just sitting at the table alone and eating than to go out in the town. When make the food I know what i put in it and how it`s made, but in the restaurant you can have a big surprise with your food.