Eating out on a diet doesn't have to be cause for panic while on vacation. Sure, you hear about oversize restaurant portions and the plethora of fattening menu choices available all the time, but that doesn't mean dining out will doom your dieting efforts! Just use these 10 simple tips for eating out on a diet:
Cram for tonight's dinner. Many eateries post their entire menu online so you can print it out for reference. If you often eat at "mom and pop" type restaurants that aren't online, call and ask for the menu to be faxed to you, or pick up a takeout menu on your next visit. Highlight the healthiest options for each menu and store them all in a central location. Then, when you are planning your next night out, take the time to decide on your dishes at home before you've been tempted by the sight of other choices.
Order your main dish from the appetizer menu. Not only are appetizers more reasonably-portioned, they will save you some money as well. (This is a great way to save enough calories and cash to split dessert with someone!) Too peckish to be satisfied with just a starter? Order a side salad, too -- the fiber-rich veggies will round out your meal. Soup is super-filling, so it's an awesome appetizer add-on, too (just steer clear of cream-based ones).
Beware these high-fat menu buzz words: Cream sauce, butter, oil, au gratin, breaded, Alfredo, battered or batter-dipped, "with gravy," or smothered. Unless you've spared yourself treats for several days and snacked on salad greens all day, these little "extras" aren't worth the extra calories.
Modify the menu. In my neck of the woods, anything and everything can be batter-dipped and fried, so I make special requests all the time. Many restaurants will take your dietary needs into account so you'll be a happy customer and return. Don't hesitate to request anything on the menu to be prepared in a more diet-friendly and for sauces or dressings to be served on the side. It's not likely that you will be denied.
The meat is on. As tempting as that bucket of fried chicken looked on the commercial before you left home, order poultry steamed, poached, roasted, broiled, boiled, grilled or baked. Ask for skinless chicken whenever possible or remove it yourself. If you do treat yourself to fried chicken, choose white meat as it has fewer calories than dark. Of course, chicken, chicken and more chicken gets old after a while, so if you're asking, "Where's the beef?" allow yourself red meat a few times a week -- just be sure to choose leaner cuts of meat like loin or flank.
Keep tabs on that tubini. Endless pasta at your favorite Italian restaurant may be carb-lovers' heaven (Darn near nirvana for yours truly!), but it's a waist-widening trap for those of us who tend to overeat (How are you supposed to know when to say "when" if they keep bringing more?). As tempting as the great "value" for your money that infinitely-refilling pasta bowl seems, it's certainly not a bargain for your calorie budget. Order a portion-controlled main dish instead. "Ixnay" on the endless breadsticks, too!
"Wrap it up, I'll take it!" You know you're at a nice restaurant when the server takes your plate away and wraps up your leftover food for you at the end of the meal. (And if you're in a really nice restaurant, you'll get the eating out equivalent of a balloon animal -- the tin foil swan!) To ensure you don't leave sans swan, keep temptation at bay and ask the server to wrap up half of your as soon as it is served.
Take control of takeout. You don't have to swear off takeout when you're dieting -- there are many healthy options at ethnic restaurants. Portion control is key, though: Take out half of your takeout before dishing up your dinner, put the food in microwave containers and tuck it away in the fridge before you even start eating. (Instant will power and instant next-day lunch!)
Banish buffets. Portion control can become a foreign concept for even the most determined dieter at an all-you-can-eat buffet. (Who can practice moderation when there are new, clean plates just beckoning to be filled?) The sheer variety of foods available at buffets is also daunting -- studies have shown that when we're given more choices, we tend to eat more without realizing it. Simply avoid buffet restaurants and you won't have to face this temptation.
Mini meals are a must. It's smart to eat smaller meals during the day when you're planning to dine out. Just don't eat too sparingly, though -- you don't want to be so famished by the evening that you overeat. (It was a dark day when I ate too-mini mini meals and -- clearly ignoring my own tip number 9! -- visited a buffet in a ravenous state with a fellow waist-watcher ... the look of sheer horror on her face as I went for round number four is not something I will soon forget!) If mini meals don't tide you over, have a small, healthful snack in the afternoon to curb your appetite and you'll be much more in control come dinner time.
Here is a list of National Casual eating chains to try out..
Uno Chicago Grill
unos.com
If you haven’t been to your local Uno’s recently, you’re in for a great surprise. Sure, its famous deep-dish (read high-fat) pizzas still hold court, but nutrition has become the word of the day with a completely trans fat–free menu and plenty of grilled entrees (including antibiotic-free chicken). Adding to the healthy variety: whole-grain pasta and brown rice, organic coffee and tea, and flatbread pizzas that have half the calories of deep-dish ones. Plus, you can add a salad to your pizza for half-price because, according to the menu, “We want you to get some greens in your diet.” Now that’s a blue-ribbon commitment to health. Another reason Uno’s is at the top of our list: You know what you’re eating. In the lobbies of most of the restaurant’s locations, there are Nutrition Information Centers that detail ingredients, fat and sodium contents, and calories and fiber of every item, in addition to gluten-free options.
Danger zone: Deep-dish pizzas can pile on the fat.
We love: The Penne Bolognese—just 16 grams of fat (well within the daily recommended max of 65 grams of fat for a 2,000-calorie-a-day diet).
Souplantation & Sweet Tomatoes
souplantation.com
Can a buffet-style restaurant—that symbol of American overindulgence—possibly be one of the healthiest restaurants in the country? It can in this case, because this salad-soup-and-bakery eatery (Southern California locations are named Souplantation, everywhere else they’re called Sweet Tomatoes) uses produce so fresh that it’s guaranteed to have been “in the ground” 24 hours before it’s in a refrigerated truck on its way to the restaurant. At the salad bar you’ll find seasonal vegetables like squash and bell peppers, freshly tossed and prepared salads, and a great range of nonfat dressings. San Marino Spinach With Pumpkin Seeds and Cranberries, anyone? This is paradise for vegetarians, vegans, and anyone who’s looking for a low-sodium, low-fat, high-nutrient meal outside the home.
Danger zone: Plate overload—after all, it’s all-you-can-eat.
We love: The Tomato Spinach Whole Wheat pasta, a delicious combo of whole grains and veggies.
Mimi's Cafe
mimiscafe.com
This cozy cafe-style restaurant transforms normally less-than-healthy foods into better—and still tasty—options: a half-pound cheeseburger wrapped in lettuce (that’s right, no bun); the cutely named Naked French Market Onion Soup, served without cheese. Another thing to love is the way that Mimi’s clearly steers you toward its healthy options. Its “Lifestyle Menu” points you to low-carb picks like the fish of the day served with fresh steamed veggies. Also, Mimi’s keeps portions small, so you can get away with occasionally having one of their more indulgent entrees like the Sweet & Sour Coconut Shrimp (608 calories).
Danger zone: The “Comfort Classics” page of the menu, with throwbacks like rich (super-high-fat) Chicken Cordon Bleu.
We love: Chicken & Fruit (above)—grilled chicken and a garden salad, plus wedges of fresh orange, honeydew, watermelon, and cantalope.
P.F. Chang's China Bistro
pfchangs.com
Take the best aspects of Asian cuisine—a combination of fresh vegetables and protein—surround them with healthy influences such as whole-grain brown rice, wild-caught, sustainable Alaskan salmon, and all-natural chicken, and you have a recipe for delicious, healthy dining. Wok-based cooking (which requires less oil) using soybean oil keeps fat contents low, and less sodium in the sauces rounds out P.F. Chang’s healthy take on Chinese food.
Special credit goes to their nutritional information being based on the whole entree, not a single serving like at most places.
Danger zone: Traditional, fat-dense items such as Lo Mein Beef.
We love: Carb-free vegetarian lettuce wraps—wok-seared tofu, red onions, and water chestnuts with mint and lime, set in lettuce cups.
Bob Evans Restaurants
bobevans.com
You wouldn’t think a restaurant that prides itself on sausage could muscle its way into the top five healthiest restaurants in the country. But Bob Evans scores high on its dinner menu, which has plenty of low-carb, low-fat entrees and alternatives for children and adults (chicken tenders that are grilled instead of fried, potato-crusted flounder, and salmon stir-fry). Look for sides like steamed broccoli florets and fresh fruit, and enjoy old-fashioned family meals in a modern, nutrition-forward way.
Danger zone: Breakfast, where bacon and sausage are kings.
We love: Healthy options on the kid’s menu, like slow-roasted turkey with mashed potatoes and glazed baby carrots, and fruit and yogurt dippers for dessert.
Ruby Tuesday
rubytuesday.com
If we’d done this survey in 2004, Ruby Tuesday might have won the blue ribbon for printing all its nutritional content right on the menu. It was revolutionary, and, frankly, it didn’t last. But the healthy ethos survived in the chain’s ingredients: organic greens, hormone-free chicken, trans fat–free frying oil, and better-for-you beverages including Jones organic teas and made-to-order drinks like all natural lemonades (think real fruit and juice). It’s easy to find the good stuff—it’s highlighted—and the offerings range from a chicken wrap in a whole-wheat tortilla to broiled tilapia.
Danger zone: Comfort-food entrees like Gourmet Chicken Potpie, which piles more than half your daily calories on the plate.
We love: That they’ve even healthied-up the burgers, offering veggie and turkey versions.
Romano's Macaroni Grill
macaronigrill.com
This Italian eatery puts its entire menu’s nutritional content online, so you know before you go what to steer clear of—mainly, the massive baked pastas. But what pushed Macaroni Grill onto our best list is its “Sensible Fare” menu, with entrees like Simple Salmon, a grilled fillet sided by grilled asparagus and broccoli. Grazie for whole-wheat penne available as a substitute in any dish. And bravo for including a grilled skinless chicken breast with steamed broccoli and pasta on the kid’s menu.
Danger zone: Heavy entrees like spaghetti and meatballs with meat sauce.
We love: The delicious Italian sorbetto and biscotti—just 330 calories and 4 grams of fat.
Chevy's Fresh Mex
chevys.com
Chevy’s makes a big deal out of the “fresh” in its name, and with good reason—no cans in the restaurant, fresh salsa blended every hour, fresh avocados smashed every day for guacamole, and watch-them-made tortillas. All oils are trans fat–free, and the Mexican-style fare has lots of healthy options including Grilled Fish Tacos.
Danger zone: Sodium counts. To get below 1,000 milligrams, you’ll need to get those Chicken Fajitas with no tortillas, tomalito, rice, sour cream, or guacamole.
We love: Fresh fish of the day, grilled and served on a skillet with homemade salsa.
Olive Garden
olivegarden.com
Like Macaroni Grill, this Italian eatery has great-for-you options, as long as you keep your wits about you (again, avoid the baked pastas!). Use the olive-branch icon on the menu to find low-fat “Garden Fare” items such as Venetian Apricot Chicken, (448 calories, 11 grams fat). Even the fries aren’t a disaster, because they’re done in trans fat–free oil. You can grab some whole-grain goodness, too, by choosing the whole-wheat linguine at dinner as a substitute for any pasta.
Danger zone: The non-olive-branch entrees. Olive Garden provides no nutritional information on anything else on the menu.
We love: The low-fat Capellini Pomodoro (644 calories and 14 grams fat).
Denny's
dennys.com
Yes, the home of the Lumberjack Slam and Moons Over My Hammy offers lots of skinny options to counter its fatty mainstays. “Fit-Fare” dishes such as the grilled-chicken-breast salad, and tilapia with rice and veggies, each have less than 15 grams of fat. Denny’s also posts full nutritional information on its Web site. Its use of trans fats to cook its French fries kept it from landing higher on our list, but the rest of the fried food is trans fat–free.
Danger zone: Breakfast specials, especially the Meat Lover’s Scramble, which is as bad for you as it sounds.
We love: The online nutritional chart has Weight Watchers Food Exchange Values.
Check back in on the blog for our recipe of the week and more fun Memorial Day Weekend Diet tips!
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