Spring 2007	Dining Out - On a Diet!
Whether you’re trying to lose weight, keep off pounds or follow a special diet for your health, eating out presents special challenges. Restaurant meals are often packed with hidden calories, fat, sodium and sugar. But an evening out doesn’t have to sabotage your efforts. Planning ahead can help you avoid some eating pitfalls. Start by picking a restaurant that offers a variety of foods that fit into your meal plan. Cut back on calories and fat at other meals that day so you can enjoy your restaurant meal. At the restaurant, don’t be afraid to ask how a dish is prepared or to special order your meal. Most establishments would be happy to alter items by cutting back on salt or fat. Skip the french fries or fatty side dishes and ask for extra vegetables or a side salad. Planning the entire meal instead of thinking about each course individually can help save calories. If you want to splurge on dessert, for example, skip the appetizers and order a healthy meal. Here’s a course-by-course look at ways to eat healthy while dining out: Starters • Steer clear of tempting nibbles, such as bread, chips or crackers. If the bread basket is too tempting, ask the server not to bring it to the table. • Avoid cocktails. Most mixed drinks contain a lot of empty calories. • Select broth-based soups instead of cream, bisque or cheese soups but be cautious of the sodium. • Choose appetizers that haven’t been fried. Salads • Order the dressing on the side and dip the tines of your fork in the dressing before taking a bite. • Ask for a lowfat dressing or use vinegar, lemon or lime. • Avoid prepared salads, such as potato or macaroni salad or cole slaw. • Steer clear of salads with fried food or ask if it can be grilled. • Leave off extras like croutons, cheese, egg, nuts or fried noodle strips. Entrees • Select items that are baked, broiled, grilled, roasted, steamed or stir-fried. Stay away from deep- or pan-fried meals. • Choose lean cuts of beef and pork, such as tenderloin, London broil or filet mignon. Avoid ribs, prime rib and other marbled meats. • Avoid cream or cheese sauces and gravy to decrease the fat and sodium from your meal. Look out for vegetarian dishes that include cheese or cream. • Since restaurant portions are often double what they should be, share a dish with someone else or plan to take half of the meal home. Ask for a take-out container when the meal comes and pack half of it away. Desserts • Order fresh fruit, lowfat ice cream or yogurt, gelatin or angel food cake. • Split an item to cut the calories in half. • Have a cup of coffee or tea instead of dessert. Baked Ziti Add fiber to this traditional recipe by using wholewheat pasta instead of regular ziti. To cut the fat, use part-skim mozzarella cheese and a low-fat Parmesan cheese. For a side dish, serve tossed salad of mixed greens with vinegar and olive oil or light Italian dressing. Ingredients 2 cups ziti pasta, uncooked 1 cup prepared spaghetti sauce 1 teaspoon crushed basil (optional) 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder (optional) 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese olive oil nonstick cooking spray Fill a 2-quart pot about half full of water. Add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil and a dash of salt. Bring the water to a boil and add the pasta. Reduce heat to medium and cook for about 10 minutes until pasta is just soft. Drain pasta in a colander. Add the prepared spaghetti sauce, basil and garlic powder to the pot and warm. Return the pasta to the pot and turn off the heat to the burner. Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a 2-quart casserole with the nonstick cooking spray. Pour half of the pasta mixture into the casserole and sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the shredded cheese. Add the other half of the pasta mixture and sprinkle the remaining shredded cheese over the top. Top with the Parmesan cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top begins to have a golden color. Serve and enjoy. Meatloaf To cut the fat, use ground turkey or 93 percent lean beef. Add fiber by using wheat germ in place of bread crumbs. Serve with baked or sweet potatoes and steamed greens, such as Brussels sprouts or broccoli. This recipe makes four servings, plenty for dinner for two plus sandwiches the next day. Ingredients 1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup bread crumbs 1/3 cup chopped onion 1/4 cup water 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1 lightly beaten egg white 1/4 cup Dijon mustard 3 tablespoons honey Heat oven to 350º F. Combine meat, bread crumbs, onion, water, pepper and egg white. Mix lightly, but thoroughly. Shape mixture into a loaf and place in a loaf pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until no longer pink and juices run clear. While meatloaf bakes, combine mustard and honey. Spoon half over meatloaf for final 10 minutes of baking. Serve the other half on the side.
Spring 2007 Quality Health Care | Care From Home | Be Happier Now! Dining Out - On a Diet | Veterans Caring for Veterans Health Beat | VA News and Updates | VA Wellness Programs

VISN 2 Home | Sitemap | Alphabetical Site Index | What's New | Subscribe | Contact Us | Plug-ins