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Eating Healthy At Restaurants

 
  • Eating Healthy At Restaurants
  • June 10, 2010 04:01 PM
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Just passing along this blurb from NY Housewives Bethenny Frankel about eating healthy when you go out to an Italian restaurant…
 
A SkinnyGirl’s Guide To Healthy Eating At An Italian Resturant
By: Bethenny Frankel
 
This is the easiest.  How do I know?  Because, I do it every other night.
 
Start with a salad. The best is a brighter green salad, like arugula. I like to add tomato and I always get it with parmesan.  It is a high-flavored (and not as high in calorie) cheese that I love.  I always rip off a corner of the bread and eat it with butter or oil, then move the rest aside.
 
Have one glass of white or red wine. If you have two, then you should really watch your breads and pastas for the rest of the meal.
 
Order a great appetizer, such as steamed mussels, clams, grilled calamari or scampi.
 
Order two sides of vegetables. I like artichokes or mushrooms – always very oily, but good fiber (ask for them to go light on the oil, but know that they’ll probably ignore you). Try to order one green side dish, such as spinach or broccoli rabe.   Stay away from entrees — they are huge, have too much that come with them and are trouble.   If you want pasta, order a half-order filled with veggies and possibly protein and eat the protein first so you are too full to eat as much of the pasta.  If you do decide to eat pasta, go easy on the bread, alcohol and later, the dessert.
 
For dessert, I choose between a Frangelico on a lot of rocks (you don’t drink that much because the ice dilutes it) or a few bites of a dessert.  Again, if I get into desserts or drinks, I cut back on pasta, bread and wine.  Pick your own poison.  Remember that it all goes to your food Bank Account, so invest it in the way that works best for you.
 
 
Anyone else have healthy tips when dining out?
 
 
 
  • RE:Eating Healthy At Restaurants
  • June 10, 2010 04:59 PM
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I usually start with a healthy salad and dressing on the side (usually oil and vinegar or other light vinaigrettes)
 
Options: Garden salad, Greek salad, beet salad, mixed greens with feta, goat, or blue cheese and slices of fruit and chopped nuts.  Just to name a few …………
 
For my entrée I order salmon, tuna steak, halibut, Chilean sea bass, mahi mahi (or other white fish), and flank,hanger, or filet steak.  I request the sauce on the side so it is not drained in buttery creamy garbage. 
 
I also ask for steamed vegetables or whole grain rice.
 
If I go out to dinner on the weekend (cheat days), I allow myself 1-2 glasses of wine and I end my night with an Irish coffee and maybe a small dessert =)
 
 
What do you order when you go out and still try to be health conscious?????????????
 
 
 
  • RE:Eating Healthy At Restaurants
  • June 11, 2010 06:39 PM
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I actually don’t go out all that often, so when I go out I usually don’t watch what I eat too carefully, although since I like salads and veggies and lean meats that is usually what I end up ordering anyways.  I’m also kind of a lightwieght so I usually can’t have more than one drink either, haha.
 
 
 
  • RE:Eating Healthy At Restaurants
  • June 11, 2010 11:11 PM
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a couple comments on the things she said:

beware of “salads” at restaurants - many restaurants tend to use iceberg lettuce, which is the nutritional equivalent of water, because it is cheap and bulky. if you are going to order a salad, make sure that it is made with spring mix/greens, spinach, or at the very least romaine lettuce.

similar to lettuce, if you are going to eat the bread ask the waiter if the restaurant has some sort of whole grain/wheat, or a sprouted variety like rye or pumpernickel. these types will have more fiber (if made properly) unlike typical white breads which are basically just sugar. toasting will lower the glycemic index of even white breads, and eating them with oil will help as well, but avoid white breads where ever you can cause they are the devil.

parmesan is definitely not a low-calorie cheese - there’s about 450 calories in a cup. granted, it’s got a very strong flavor so you usually don’t use much, but wanted to make sure that distinction was clear.

and be careful of restaurant appetizers as well. many come fried or are loaded with cheese and sauces and may just contain more calories than you even want to be consuming with your meal if you are on a calorie count.
 
 
 
  • RE:Eating Healthy At Restaurants
  • June 14, 2010 12:04 PM
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Nice call Pete!!! I usually stick with a healthy salad and dressing on the side,,
 
But if its a cheat day then i am having that peice of cheese!!!
 
 
 
  • RE:Eating Healthy At Restaurants
  • July 25, 2011 03:27 PM
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Check this article out
 
What are your thoughts about having digital menus sent directly to the cook and avoid speaking to waiter/waitress?
 
You could actually see the food you are about to order visually?  Read this article and share your thoughts
 
http://www.muscledog.com/blog/view/506/RESTAURANT_PUTS_VIRTUAL_FOOD_ONTO_YOUR_PLATE#