Dine Out the Healthful Way and Get the Guilt to Go

If you’re like many people, you may swear you gain weight just by looking at a restaurant menu. While dining out can be hazardous to your waistline and heart, the good news is that Orange County restaurants have recently made some healthy changes. * Increasingly showing up on menus are dishes such as vegetable pasta and pizza, low-fat appetizers and vegetarian burgers. And, if you order carefully, it’s possible to have a healthy meal at most restaurants. “Many restaurants are moving toward more healthful cooking,” says Daniel Young, executive chef of the Sports Club/Irvine’s Grill Restaurant and Sidewalk Cafe. In the past three years, Young has created low-fat versions of a number of favorite foods--a concept he never dreamed he would embrace during training in heavy French food at the Culinary Institute of New York. “By avoiding high-fat items and requesting that food be prepared in a low-fat manner, you can have a pleasant, healthy dining-out experience,” says the club’s registered dietitian, Victoria Ward. To make dining out as healthy and enjoyable as possible, keep the following tips in mind. * Follow your head, not your taste buds. “Before you order, take a minute to think about what is actually the best choice for you, rather than ordering the first thing that looks good because you’re hungry,” says Stephanie Jenkins, a certified nutritionist from Dana Point who has degrees in health science and exercise physiology. Some restaurants make the decision process easy by using heart labels to indicate those foods that meet with the American Heart Assn. requirement of no more than 30% calories from fat. Other restaurants will indicate when a meal is heart-healthy by labeling it light. “Don’t take this at face value, though,” Ward says. “Ask if the meal meets with the American Heart Assn.’s recommendations,” she says. “In addition, inquire about preparation. Meat should be grilled, baked or poached, not fried or sauteed. And ask about sauce ingredients. Choose sauces that have a broth, wine or tomato base, not cream, butter or cheese.” Terms that should tip you off to high-fat foods: fried , sauteed , creamed , breaded , scalloped , au gratin and batter-dipped. * Make sensible appetizer choices. Although appetizers tend to have a bad reputation, there are several pre-meal foods that are good for you, Ward says. Good choices include steamed seafood such as oysters and clams and shrimp cocktail, raw vegetables and fresh fruit. Appetizers to avoid include buttery crackers, garlic bread, potato skins, Buffalo wings, fried cheese and fried zucchini. If you decide to have soup before your main meal, stick to a broth or tomato-based soup and stay away from creamy ones, Jenkins says. “A cup of cream of mushroom soup has 8.9 grams of fat, while minestrone has just 2.5 grams,” she says. Also be careful when ordering a salad because these can be fat traps. “Many dressings are so high in fat that you could actually have a salad that contains more fat than your entire meal should,” Jenkins says. When ordering salad, ask for dressing on the side and apply it sparingly, using just one-fourth or one-half of what you’ve been given. “Though some restaurants serve light dressings, they can also be somewhat high in fat and should be applied in moderation,” Jenkins says. “To ensure yourself a low-fat or nonfat dressing, you might want to bring your own.” * Slim down portion sizes. “You can have a little of just about everything,” Ward says. “Moderation is the key.” Because restaurants serve large portions of many items, such as meat, eat only part of your meal and have the rest put in a take-home bag. “Many places will give you six and even 15 ounces of steak, when all you should eat in a day is three ounces,” Ward says. “Cut off a piece of the meat and save the rest.” * Add healthy, filling complex carbohydrates. Besides eating a main dish and soup or salad, round out your meal by ordering a side dish of fresh steamed vegetables, fruit, pasta, rice or potatoes. * Be wary of desserts. “Most restaurants don’t have healthy dessert selections, so if you’re craving something sweet, order something and share it with others or save part for later,” Ward says. There are a few dessert items she suggests that can be fairly low in fat, such as fresh berries, ice milk, sorbet, sherbet, angel food cake and fortune cookies. * Watch your alcohol intake. Although alcohol has no fat, it is extremely high in calories. “Drinking two or three glasses of wine can be the same as eating two desserts,” Jenkins says. One way to decrease alcohol consumption and still enjoy a drink is to mix wine with soda. Or skip alcohol altogether and opt for flavored mineral water. If you have a favorite cuisine--such as Italian, Mexican or Chinese--here are some things to keep in mind when ordering your meal. * Italian. “When choosing an Italian dish, stick to tomato-based sauces like marinara and steer clear of creamy items like Alfredo, which is made with cream and butter,” Ward says. For optimum nutrition, Jenkins suggests ordering whole-wheat or spinach pasta. “If you can’t find this on the menu, ask if they have any in stock that they can cook up for you,” she says. Other good meal choices include broiled fresh fish, many chicken dishes, vegetable pasta and even pizza. “If possible get a whole-wheat crust and ask them to cut the cheese in half and add a little extra tomato sauce,” Jenkins says. “Instead of topping the pizza with pepperoni or sausage, have them pile it high with vegetables like green peppers, mushrooms, onions and pineapple.” (Go light on olives, because they are high in fat and sodium). Italian dishes to avoid are those that contain a lot of meat and cheese such as lasagna and stuffed shells. * Mexican. “Before ordering a dish that contains beans, make sure they are boiled, not refried. Also choose items that contain corn tortillas, not white-flour tortillas, which are often made with lard,” Jenkins says. Soft chicken and fish tacos and fajitas are good choices, (as long as you hold the cheese, sour cream and guacamole), as are chicken enchiladas and bean burritos. Stay away from fried items such as tortilla strips, taquitos, chimichangas , flautas and chili rellenos. * Chinese. Opt for steamed rice accompanied by one of many stir-fries that contain vegetables and a small amount of meat. Avoid dishes heavy on pork and request that the restaurant use no MSG, which for some people triggers stomachaches and headaches. “When possible, ask them to also go easy on the oil,” Jenkins said. * Fast food. Most fast-food restaurants have a few lighter items such as as a broiled chicken sandwich on a whole-wheat bun. Other good choices are chicken fajitas and chicken soft tacos. Taco salads aren’t a good option because the taco shells are usually fried and topped with sour cream. In delis there are a lot of good choices, Ward says. “Opt for turkey or chicken breast sandwiches and even roast beef if it is lean.” Avoid sandwiches loaded with processed meats.