Healthy Eating Out Tips & Suggestions

Dietitian Jamie Futterman, RD, LD, CDE from the Center for Medical Weight Management at Washington Adventist Hospital presents six healthy eating tips for you to keep in mind while eating out plus a bonus section providing healthy suggestions while at food courts and restaurants.

TIP 1:

Reduce Unhealthy Fats

• Choose steamed, poached, blackened, grilled, roasted, or boiled dishes.
• Avoid dishes that are described as alfredo, béarnaise, béchamel, beurre, en croute, scalloped, hollandaise, parmigiana, tempura, deep-fried, crispy, breaded, coated, and au gratin.
• Ask that your meal be cooked in "as little fat as possible"
• Choose lean cuts of beef, poultry, and pork
  • Beef: Round, sirloin, flank steak, tenderloin
  • Poultry: Skinless chicken or turkey breast
  • Pork: Center cut loin chops, Canadian bacon, pork tenderloin
  • Cut away visible fat from meat and poultry.
• Choose low-fat milk products such as fat-free (skim) or 1% milk in your coffee instead of cream or half and half.
• Leave the cheese off of your sandwich.
• Try frozen yogurt, fruit, or sorbet in place of ice cream for dessert.

TIP 2:

Keep Total Fat Low and Use Healthy Fats to Replace Unhealthy Fats

• Ask for avocados and nuts on salads instead of cheese or meat.
• Choose fish instead of red meat.
• Spread peanut butter on your toast instead of butter.
• Use an olive oil based dressing instead of ranch, blue cheese, or French.

TIP 3:

Look for Low Sodium Options

• Limit condiments: ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, teriyaki, and BBQ sauce are all high sodium.
• Avoid adding salt from the shaker. One teaspoon of salt contains 2300 mg of sodium.
• Use pepper, spices, herbs, vinegar, & lemon or lime juice to season your food instead.
• Avoid soups when eating out - most restaurants use very high sodium bases.
• Limit cured or pickled foods; and deli or processed meats.
• Ask that your dish be prepared without added salt.

TIP 4:

Seek Out Foods That are High in Fiber

• Plan your meal around vegetables - they should fill up ½ of your plate.
• Start with a big salad, or order a side of steamed vegetables.
• Choose fruit for dessert.
• Substitute beans for meat.
• Choose whole grains such as whole wheat bread, oatmeal, bran cereals, and barley.

TIP 5:

Select Low-calorie Foods When Possible

• Follow the guidelines above to cut back on fat.
• Limit calories from sugar by choosing unsweetened beverages (coffee, tea, water). Add a sugar substitute or lemon if desired.
• Control your portions! Food establishments serve us double, triple or even quadruple what we need for a meal. We often feel guilty if we waste any - but it either goes to waste, or goes to your waist - you choose!:
  • Split an entrée with a dining companion
  • Choose a salad and an appetizer instead of an entrée
  • Take ½ of your entrée home for lunch the next day (or for an additional 2 meals!)
• BEWARE OF THE BUFFET! Or "special deals" or "all you can eat." These do not save money in the long run if it means that you eat more. If you do go to a buffet, look at all the selections and choose a few to try before you fill your plate. Try not to return for seconds, and use a salad-sized dish.

TIP 6:

Use Technology and Nutrition Information Postings to Your Advantage

• Try to find the menu on the internet to pick a healthy option in advance.
• If it's a restaurant you order take out from regularly, circle the healthy options on the paper menu.
• If you have a cell phone that has access to the internet, use some of the following websites to look up fast food nutrition information: calorieking.com; dailyplate.com; dwlz.com
• If you have an iphone or other phone that allows you to use applications, download apps that have a database of restaurant nutrition info for on on-the-go reference.

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Food Courts and Restaurants - Healthy Suggestions

FAST FOOD

• Avoid fried foods.
• Choose a grilled chicken sandwich and hold the mayo. Or order a small hamburger without cheese.
• Choose a grilled chicken salad with low-fat dressing.
• Use ketchup or mustard instead of mayonnaise.
• Order breakfast egg sandwiches without added cheese or sausage.
• Choose a small garden salad or a small baked potato as a side dish instead of French fries.

DELI/SUBS

• Choose a turkey breast or roast beef sandwich. These are the leanest options.
• Get your sandwich without cheese - load up on extra veggie toppings.
• Choose mustard instead of mayo.
• Choose baked chips, carrot sticks, or an apple on the side.
• Limit high sodium foods like olives, pickles and cured meats.

CHINESE

• Choose steamed dishes instead of fried. Ask for sauces on the side.
• Choose white rice instead of fried rice, and limit the amount to about half of what is served.
• Choose chicken or seafood instead of beef, pork or duck.
• Get an extra order of steamed vegetables to mix with the dish and then split with a friend.
• Sauces will be high in sodium - order them on the side, and limit the amount you eat.

SUSHI

• Avoid tempura rolls and rolls made with cream cheese or mayonnaise (often "spicy" rolls have this).
• Ask for sashimi platters. This will help control calories since it is fish served without the rice.
• Soy sauce, even if "lite" is very high in sodium. See if you can enjoy your sushi without it, or with only a few drops.

SMOOTHIE SHOPS

• Order smoothies made with skim milk instead of juice for extra protein and less sugar.
• Order the smallest size and add in fresh fruit. (Ask if the fruit is fresh and not canned or in syrup.)
• Order off the "lite" menu.

FRESH-MEX

• Choose the "bowl" versions of your usual burrito.
• Request that they leave out the tortilla chips.
• Use salsa and 2 TB of guacamole as toppings, instead of cheese and sour cream.
• Choose soft corn or flour tortillas instead of fried shells.
• Order fajitas without the "sizzle" (butter). Ask for extra grilled veggies.
• The large burrito can have over 1000 calories - so split it with a friend!

ITALIAN/PIZZA

• Order thin crust pizza with lots of veggies. Eat one slice and have a salad with lite dressing on the side.
• Avoid pepperoni, sausage and extra cheese. Choose grilled chicken instead as a meat topping.
• Ask for "half" the cheese. Many restaurants will do this for you.
• For pasta, choose tomato-based vegetable sauce instead of cream or rosé. Order a side portion if available.
• Choose grilled fish or chicken, add a veggie or side salad, and eat only 1 piece of bread.