Most Americans eat out at least several times a week and with value meals and increasingly growing portions that are calorie-packed can be a challenge for people watching their waistlines or managing their health. The good news is that meals in restaurants and fast-food spots can be wholesome when diners follow some simple guidelines for ordering their food, Cooper Wellness experts say.
At its on-site hotel located in Dallas, Texas, Cooper Wellness offers two- and six-day healthy stays, loaded with exercise and health and nutrition advice, including at least one meal out with a registered dietitian.
“Portions in American restaurants may be all right for professional athletes, but they're often double what the average person needs” says Kathleen Duran-Thal, a registered dietitian and director of nutrition at Cooper Wellness. Don't arrive at a restaurant famished, thinking you'll have lots of room for the big meal ahead, she says “You'll eat too much bread, butter and everything in sight, disrupting your diet plan. Instead, have a piece of fruit or some yogurt half an hour before you get to the restaurant.”
Choose light starters, like soups and appetizers without cream or butter, she says. Order a slice of melon or some smoked salmon, and avoid anything breaded or accompanied by a dip. Split antipasto plates with others. Be careful of extras on salads. Order dressing on the side and skip the cheese and bacon toppings.
As an alternative to an entree, order your favorite appetizer as a meal and have a salad on the side. Appetizers at restaurants are often close in size to what entree portions should be.
When ordering an entree, avoid anything fried, and select foods that are lightly sautéed, steamed in their own juice, broiled, roasted, poached or baked. Ask to have gravies and sauces on the side. Trim visible fat from meat. Request that your food be prepared with a minimum of salt. For side dishes, choose vegetables rather than french fries.
At your neighborhood Italian restaurant, order grilled chicken or fish, pasta primavera or pasta with marinara sauce. Beware of anything described as “Alfredo,” since that means loaded with cream and butter. You may want to avoid lasagna, which can contain 1,000 calories and 50 grams of fat, Duran Thal says. Chicken parmigiana is even more fattening, with 1,500 calories and over 65 grams of fat.
At Chinese restaurants, select dishes that are steamed or stir-fried rather than fried. Order your food with instructions to the cook to “go light on the oil.” Order steamed rice instead of fried rice - brown rice is the healthiest choice. Ask for extra vegetables in your entree, and request that no MSG be added. Duran-Thal warns “beware of sweet and sour meat dishes, which are full of calories and grams of fat."And use chopsticks, which can slow your eating pace.
When dining Thai style, healthy choices include stir-fried vegetables with chicken, seafood or tofu or steamed fish with spicy sauce. Avoid soups and curries prepared with coconut milk. And be aware that a popular dish called “pad Thai” contains sugar, peanuts, peanut oil and sometimes eggs, and is high in calories and fat. Another healthy trick is for diners to request the chef double the vegetables.
At Mexican restaurants, take only a small handful of chips, break them into pieces and eat them slowly until your meal arrives, Duran Thal says. One tortilla chip can contain 20 to 25 calories and one gram of fat. Enchilada platters and chicken quesadillas can have well over 1,000 calories, with lots of fat. Instead, order chicken fajitas, grilled without oil. Have black beans rather than refried beans and guacamole instead of sour cream. And consider splitting your fajitas with someone else.
For many people, pizza after work or at home one night a week is a tradition. Try ordering thin-crust pizza with half the cheese. Order a pie with green peppers and other vegetables, and request lean protein like shrimp, Canadian bacon or chicken. Anchovies are another healthy topping.
For dessert, order fresh fruit or a scoop of sorbet or frozen yogurt. If you want a slice of frosted cake, share it with several people.
These days, more Americans are eating breakfast away from home. Whole wheat toast, oatmeal and buckwheat pancakes are nutritious, filling options that are low in fat and can reduce risks of heart disease and diabetes. Fruits like blueberries and bananas are good accompaniments to oatmeal or buckwheat pancakes. Alternatively, if you like smoothies for breakfast, order them with lots of fruit, plain yogurt and no sugar.Many restaurants post menus and nutrition information on their web sites, says Todd Whitthorne, executive director of Cooper Wellness. “Check the web site and figure out which items fit into your eating plan. With a little planning you won't eat a big restaurant meal that you might regret later. Also, feel free to ask your server for items on the menu that are low calorie; the chef can give a suggestion if necessary.”And, Whitthorne says, don't skip meals and snacks in order to save up calories for a huge meal in a restaurant. When you overload at one sitting, you could be storing unwanted fat.
For more information on how to eat out at restaurants healthy, contact Cooper Wellness at 888-393-2221 or email Questions@cooperwellness.com for a sample. And to purchase supplements, visit the Cooper Store.
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MEDIA ADVISORY:
For more information or to arrange an interview with Todd Whitthorne, executive director at Cooper Wellness, please contact Jo Trizila, TrizCom, at (972) 247-1369 or (214) 232-0078.
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Media Contact:
Jo Trizila
TrizCom Inc.
jo@TrizCom.com
Office: 972-247-1369
Cell: 214-232-0078
