| - |
Eating
healthy when eating out
What
not to eat
|
|
|
By Erin
Rogers
Which
do you think is lighter - a 6-inch Subway tuna sandwich on wheat
or a McDonald's hamburger? Even if you picked the
hamburger (which is right), I bet you'd be surprised at the
differences in nutritional content between the two. The
McDonald's hamburger has 260 calories and 9 grams of fat, while
the Subway has 419 calories and 21 grams of fat! It takes
some good nutritional knowledge to be aware of many 'eating out
traps'. (Related:
Smart eating)
Most
people who are trying to eat nutritiously and maintain or lose
weight will tell you one of the hardest times to be 'good' is
when you eat out at restaurants. It's true - restaurants
and fast food joints don't usually cater to health-conscious
consumers. Here are some tips for making the most of these
'dangerous' mealtimes!
|
 Just
like the Subway tuna sandwich, some of the highest calorie- and
fat-content foods at restaurants will contain:
·
Mayonnaise
·
Cheese
·
Sour cream
·
Many meats, such as beef, pepperoni, sausage, etc.
·
Breading (such as most fast food chicken sandwiches),
which usually means the food is fried
·
Guacamole or avocado (although this fat is less harmful
than other types)
·
Salad dressings
Another
thing to keep in mind is portion size. It's widely known
that portion sizes, especially in the U.S., having grown
significantly over the past several years. Just because
they serve you a heaping mound of chips or fries with your meal,
doesn't mean you have to eat it all! Even better, ask for
a substitution of salad, fruit or steamed vegetable INSTEAD of
the fried sides.
Here
are several suggestions for eating out at different types of
restaurants when you want to stick with a nutritious eating
style:
Pizza
·
Opt for: Veggie toppings, thinner crust, light on the
cheese, fewer slices, add salad with low-fat dressing
·
Watch out for: High-fat meats, olives, extra
cheese, cheese-bread and wings.
Burger
joints
·
Opt for: Un-breaded chicken sandwiches minus mayo and
cheese, plain hamburgers, salads with low-fat or fat-free
dressings, frozen yogurt
·
Watch out for: Large burgers with cheese and mayo, French
fries, shakes, breaded chicken and fish sandwiches
Sandwich
shops
·
Opt for: Lean cuts of meat , lots of veggies, vinegar,
mustard, pepper, 'baked' potato chips
·
Watch out for: Cheese, mayo, mayo-based salads, bacon,
oil, potato chips
Sit-down
restaurants
·
Opt for: Broiled or grilled fish or
chicken, small
portions of lean steak, steamed veggies, salad bar (watch out
for high-fat toppings), broth-based soups, plain baked
potatoes,
pasta with tomato/marinara sauce (no meat).
·
Watch out for: Huge portions, French fries, heavy cream
sauces, mass quantities of red meat (24-ounce steaks!), bread
and butter or olive oil, high-fat salad dressings, high-fat
potato toppings (bacon, sour cream, butter, cheese), breaded and
fried entrees and appetizers, cream soups, vegetables cooked in
butter, hollandaise sauce, coleslaw, gravy
The
more you learn about nutrition, the better choices you'll be
able to make and the less 'scary' your meals out will have to
be!
Recommended
links: Make sushi the easy way at home
How
to get your body ready for the beach?
Why am I fat?
About the author
Erin Rogers, a work-at-home mom of two, is the founder of
Health-E-Meals.com, providing practical healthy living resources for busy people. Visit her website to sign up for the FREE newsletter, 'Dinners on the Double' - offering a quick and healthy, no-recipe dinner idea each week. Other available services include quick and healthy recipes, healthy cooking articles, fitness and motivation tips, healthy living web links, and lots more! Erin can be reached via
email. A FREE copy of the
book of recipes is available here for
download.
|
