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Healthy Eating at Restaurants Pictures Slideshow: Don't Abandon Your DietReviewed by Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD, LD on August 08, 2011 More Slideshows from MedicineNetWatch and learn from these additional pictures slideshows. Gluten-Free Diet Slideshow MRSA Slideshow Infertility Flat Abs Slideshow Fibromyalgia Exercise Slideshow See All Slideshows Don't Abandon Your DietChinese take-out. A favorite Mexican eatery. An upscale bistro. Pizza after the ball game. Fast food with the kids. Americans love eating out -- and there's no reason why it can't be healthy eating. But watch for hidden fat and calories! At a restaurant, you can't check a food label to find out the amount of calories, fat, or salt in your food. So follow these ordering tips to make sure you stay within your healthy diet. Some Fats Are Good for YouMonounsaturated fats: Substituted for saturated fats in your diet, they help lower bad LDL cholesterol and don't reduce good HDL cholesterol. Found in canola oil, olive oil, olives, avocados, nuts, and nut butters. Polyunsaturated fats: Help lower cholesterol. Found in fatty fish, vegetable oils, and nuts and sunflower seeds. Fish Is Good for Your HeartFish is a healthy choice when dining out. Ordering seafood such as salmon and tuna adds omega-3 fatty acids to your diet. They are a type of polyunsaturated fat that helps lower your heart disease risk. You'll also find omega-3s in walnuts and edamame (soybeans). Avoid Fried Foods and Added CheeseEating out often means getting too much saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calories. Eating out often means getting too much saturated fat, cholesterol, sodium, and calories. How can you spot the dangers? Saturated fats come mostly from meat and dairy foods. Tropical oils like palm oil and coconut oil, and butter are also saturated fats. Cholesterol is found in animal fats. Primarily the saturated fat and the cholesterol in the foods you eat increase your cholesterol levels. Spotting High Sodium FoodsRestaurant foods can be very high in sodium, or salt. If you are watching your sodium as many Americans need to, watch for:
Look for low-sodium soy sauce. And ask that your food be prepared without added salt or MSG. Have a HeartSome restaurants have tuned into heart healthy eating. They offer low-fat, low-salt, low-cholesterol menu items, designated with a heart icon. Don't confuse this with the favorites icon. That can be a flag for popular, fatty choices. One delicious heart-healthy option: A grilled fish filet, a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids. Don't Be Afraid to AskIn restaurants where food is cooked to order, you can make special requests for lighter fare. If you're counting calories -- or keeping an eye on saturated fat, cholesterol, or sodium -- tell your server. Ask what's in a dish. Find out how it's cooked. A chef can often prepare food using less oil, no butter, or no added salt. If there is sauce, salad dressing, or gravy, get it on the side. Then you can dip -- or skip -- and use less. Clues to Unhealthy DishesConcerned about high cholesterol, blood glucose, or losing weight? Read menus carefully. Thumbs Down:
Clues to Healthy NutritionGrilled chicken vs. fried chicken. Broiled fish vs. fried fish. When dining out, look for code words to healthier food with less saturated fat. Thumbs Up:
Cutting Fat Can Help Weight LossAsk your server about healthy substitutions:
No Substitutions? No ProblemWhat if your server says, "Absolutely no substitutions"? Try these 4 tips:
Don't Eat It AllRestaurants serve huge portions. If you're counting calories -- or monitoring blood glucose -- don't eat it all yourself. Try this instead:
Lean ChoicesIf you're counting calories and saturated fat, hamburgers, rib eye, porterhouse, or T-bone steaks don't score well.
Spicing Up Your DietCrave Cajun food? It can be packed with saturated fat and salt. Here's how to order healthy: Thumbs Down: Hush puppies, fried seafood, gumbos, etouffee sauces, blackened fish, and dirty rice. Thumbs Up: Heart-healthy creoles and jambalayas, boiled crawfish or shrimp, and white rice. Healthy Chinese FoodThumbs Down: Egg rolls, egg drop soup, fried wontons, Lo Mein, Moo Shu, General Tso's Chicken, Sweet & Sour Pork, and fried rice. They are prepared with lots of oil, sodium, and MSG. Thumbs Up: Steamed or stir-fried seafood, chicken, bean curd or vegetable dishes -- plus steamed rice -- for heart health. If possible, ask the cook to use less oil, soy sauce, and MSG. Greek Food to SavorThumbs Down: Moussaka, gyros, and baklava. You'll never lose weight eating them. If you're counting calories and saturated fat, get real about high-fat meats (like lamb and beef), cheese, and butter in these dishes. Thumbs Up: Appetizers with chickpeas, eggplant, tomatoes, grains -- like hummus, baba ganouj, tabouli, dolmas. Also, shish kabob, chicken with pita, fish cooked in tomatoes. Healthy Choices for Indian FoodThumbs Down: Samosas and creamy curries. Many Indian dishes are full of high-fat ghee (clarified butter), coconut oil and milk. When you're eating out on a diet, read the menu closely. Thumbs Up: Tandoori meats; vegetable or dal curries; and shish kabobs. South Indian food offers spicy vegetarian dishes -- with cauliflower, peas, tomatoes, eggplant, lentils, rice, and chutney. Mexican Food FiestaAt Mexican eateries, dining out is a party. But beware the lard and cheese. Thumbs Down: Chips, fried tacos, refried beans, quesadillas, and chimichangas. They're loaded with saturated fat and sodium. Thumbs Up: Start with black bean soup or grilled shrimp. Share chicken or shrimp fajitas. Try grilled shrimp or fish, with fresh salsa; chili verde (pork); or arroz con pollo (chicken). Healthy Italian FoodPasta is the essence of Italian dining. But it can be a saturated fat-and-calorie disaster! Thumbs Down: Creamy, cheesy sauces (like Alfredo). Fried calamari, pastas stuffed with cheese. Thumbs Up: Light sauces, like primavera (vegetables); marsala (wine, mushrooms, beef stock); marinara (tomatoes, onions, garlic); or clam sauce. Have minestrone for starters, plus a heart-healthy glass of red wine. How Pizza Can Be On Your DietFollow these healthy eating tips:
Watch for Hidden FatThai food offers heart-healthy sauces and fresh vegetables. But saturated fat hides in foods fried in lard and coconut oil. Thumbs Down: Fried spring rolls, coconut chicken soup (tom ka gai), duck. Thumbs Up: Steamed spring rolls, hot-and-sour soup, pad thai (stir-fried noodles), vegetable stir fries, sticky rice. Healthy Fast FoodThumbs Up: Grilled chicken, chicken fajita pitas, turkey sandwiches, baked chips or frozen yogurt. Thumbs Down: Jumbo burgers, fried fish sandwiches, fried chicken, tacos, French fries, potato chips, milk shakes, cheese, mayonnaise, bacon. AdvertisementIMAGES PROVIDED BY: This tool does not provide medical advice. See additional information: THIS TOOL DOES NOT PROVIDE MEDICAL ADVICE. It is intended for general informational purposes only and does not address individual circumstances. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment and should not be relied on to make decisions about your health. Never ignore professional medical advice in seeking treatment because of something you have read on the MedicineNet Site. If you think you may have a medical emergency, immediately call your doctor or dial 911. © 2011 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved. |
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