Welcome Back! Welcome Back! Congratulations for Making It This Far

medical weight management program

WEEK 7

Eating Out

welcome back! Welcome back! Congratulations for making it this far. You are already half-way through your weight-loss journey. Perseverance is the key to long-term success.

This Week’s Agenda: TODAY Follow up with your Health Coach. DAY 2 ‘Eating out with the Healthier Choice Symbol’ DAY 3 ‘Smart ordering at the restaurants’ DAY 4 ‘How to build a truly healthy salad’ DAY 5 Remember to log in your food diary

Remember… Drink water before every meal. Read the ingredients carefully on the menu. Ask for dressing or sauce on the side. Eat slowly and take small bites.

This information is not a substitute for medical advice. We encourage you to discuss the information in this website and seek further information about your condition or treatment from your doctor, pharmacist or their healthcare team. Reference to any products, services, websites or other information by trademark, supplier or otherwise is not intended to imply their endorsement, sponsorship or recommendation by LivingLite®. Comments attributed to individuals express their own views and do not represent the views or recommendations of LivingLite®. Third party websites referred to are not within our control and we are not responsible for the content, products or services offered on these websites. In particular, please SG-2019-06-0005 do note that any information provided by this source should be discussed with your healthcare professional and does not replace their advice. G24/7 92652 ®

medical weight management program

Healthier options Eating out with the available here Healthier Choice Symbol

The Healthier Choice Symbol is a symbol developed by the Health Promotion Board to help the general public make better food and drink choices in food courts, hawker centres, cafes, and restaurants.

The symbols are also found on food and drinks packaging to help consumers when grocery shopping. This article will focus on what those symbols mean when eating out.

“We serve lower-calorie options” These lower calorie options contain up to 500kcal per serving portion. This symbol is commonly found for sliced fish noodle soup, ban mian and 1 serving plate (2 rolls) of popiah. “We use healthier oil” These establishments use healthier oil, meaning that they do not use palm oil which can help with the management of cholesterol. The oil used must contain not more than 35g saturated fat per 100g, and not more than 0.5g trans fat per 100g of oil. “We serve wholegrain options” Besides the usual white rice, there are options for wholegrains such as brown rice or mixed-brown rice. A dish can qualify as wholegrain if at least 20% of the rice is made up of brown rice. “Low glycaemic index” Glycaemic index (GI) indicates how fast sugar from The Healthier Choice food raises blood glucose levels, depending on the Symbol was developed portion size of the food or meal. While this GI symbol is especially helpful and important for people with to help the general diabetes, it is also generally beneficial for everyone to public make better be consuming low GI foods. food and drink choices “No sugar added” or “lower in sugar” You can also find these symbols at drink stalls, reminding customers to order drinks with less or no sugar.

In summary, items with these symbols are not necessarily healthy per se, but are generally healthier than those without the logo. Like all other foods, they should be consumed moderately.

Reference: Health Promotion Board (2017). Healthier dining program nutrition guidelines. Published June 2017. Retrieved from https://www.healthhub.sg/sites/assets/Assets/PDFs/HPB/Food/hcs-guidelines-%28january-2018%29.pdf

medical weight management program

Smart ordering at the restaurants

Eating out is part of the daily routine for many of us. When eating out we can end up having 10% to 30% more calories than if we eat at home. When trying to reduce or even maintain weight, it is important to use some strategies to avoid overeating and excessive caloric intake. Today we will give you some suggestions on what you can do to still keep your diet on track while eating at a restaurant. Plan ahead! Planning is your first best strategy to follow, from choosing a restaurant that has healthier options, to checking the menu in advance. – If the restaurant that you choose has a website, check out their menu options. If possible, decide what you will have in advance. Balance the – Have a snack before going to the restaurant, so you won’t be foods you eat starving by the time you reach the restaurant. with other meals – Balance the foods you eat with other meals during the day. Eat a during the day lighter meal before you plan to have a heavier dinner. When reading a menu, these are the words to look for and avoid

Words to look for Words to avoid

Baked or boiled Grilled A la mode (with ice cream on the side) Braised Marinara Au gratin (covered with cheese) Broiled Poached Battered Cured Consommé Roasted Bisque Deluxe, giant, jumbo Cooked in its Seared or Breaded Fried or deep-fried own juices pan seared Buttered Hollandaise Flank (leaner cut Steamed Cheese sauce Pan fried of meat) Stir-fried Creamy or rich Prime Garden fresh Crispy Scalloped Do’s and Dont’s when eating out at a restaurant

DO’S DONT’S

Drink water before your meal, it will fill Don’t order something “light” just because you up. it says so. Understand how that dish is prepared before you order it. Read the menu carefully and look at the ingredients. Avoid eating the bread before your meal comes. Ask the waiter not to serve you Ask your waiter if you are unsure of anything. table bread. Just because it is free, you do not have to Select from the a la carte menu. have it. Don’t feel bad to reject free food. Check out the salad bar. Avoid drinking too much alcohol. Besides Order two appetizers instead of a whole adding excess calories, it stimulates your entrée or ask for an appetizer-sized portion. appetite as well. Share an entrée with a friend. Don’t have sweetened beverages, opt for Ask about having fish or poultry grilled, water instead. poached or baked, even if it’s not a menu option. Ask for your dressing, sauce, butter or sour When eating out we can cream on the side. Dip your fork into the sauce or dressing first, then pick up your end up having 10% to 30% food to avoid soaking your food. more calories than if we Ask for extra vegetables. eat at home Eat slowly and take small bites; it takes 20 minutes for your brain to register feelings of fullness.

medical weight management program

How to build a truly healthy salad

Having a salad is not always synonymous with a healthy meal. Depending on what we choose to add, a salad can be: – too low in calories: resulting on cravings later in the day; – too high in saturated fat: when we add creamy dressings, cheese, processed and red meats; – too low in protein: when the focus is only on the green vegetables and refined starches; – too high in calories: when too much dressing, refined starches and oily foods (nuts, avocados, cheese) are added. How to build a healthy and balanced salad

Optional – use sparingly

What is your goal? To lose weight or you had a very heavy meal the day before: – have a base with green leafy vegetables. To maintain weight: – have a base with plain whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa or wholemeal pasta. If you chose vegetables as a base – add some healthy and preferably high-fibre carbohydrates: soba, wholemeal pasta, brown rice, quinoa, corn, brown rice noodles/vermicelli or sweet potato; or – two different legumes that contain both carbohydrates and protein and are rich in fibre: chickpeas, lentils, beans, peas or/and edamame. If you chose a grain as a base – have extra vegetable portions; if available, green leafy variety. – Add lean protein • Plant-based: chickpeas, lentils, beans, peas, tofu or edamame. • Animal: boiled egg (paired it with a plant-based protein), chicken breast, tuna or white fish. – Vegetables • choose those that are not fried or processed: broccoli, cauliflower, cherry tomatoes, capsicum, Brussel sprouts, beetroot, cucumber, pumpkin, carrots, alfalfa sprouts, mushrooms or/and radish. – Dressing • choose a dressing with extra-virgin olive oil as a base; • ask for dressing on the side; • have only 1 tablespoon. – Extras: If you would like to have avocado, nuts, olives and cheese keep in mind that these are high in fat and higher in calories. If you choose any of these, choose only one and reduce the amount of dressing that you would use. – To avoid: fried and deep-fried items; processed meats such as ham and bacon. Examples of more options that you can choose from, if available:

LEAFY GREENS – Arugula / Rucula – Mixed greens – Cabbage, Chinese/Napa, purple – Radicchio – Kale – Spinach – Lettuce, red leaf, romaine, iceberg, local

VEGETABLES – Alfalfa Sprouts – Broccoli – Cucumber – Tomatoes – Artichoke hearts – Brussel Sprouts – Onion – Water chestnuts – Bean sprouts – Capsicum – Mushrooms – Zucchini – Beets – Carrots – Pumpkin – Bell Pepper – Cauliflower – Radishes – Bok Choy – Celery – Sugar Snap Peas

PLANT-BASED PROTEIN – Black beans – Kidney or red beans – Peas – Chickpeas – Lentils – Tofu To build a truly – Edamame – Navy or white beans – Tempeh healthy salad for you be ANIMAL PROTEIN mindful of your – Chicken – Tuna weight goal – Egg – Whitefish – Salmon GRAINS / STARCHES – Brown rice, plain not fried – Soba – Corn – Sweet potato – Potato, with skin, no cream – Wholemeal pasta – Quinoa

DRESSING - 1 TABLESPOON ONLY – Mustard – Olive oil – Vinaigrette – Yoghurt

EXTRAS - SPRINKLE SPARINGLY – Almonds – Feta cheese – Peanuts – Walnuts – Avocado – Halloumi – Pecans – Cashews – Olives – Sunflower seeds

medical weight management program

How to reduce salt intake when eating out

Try not to eat out too often, as restaurants, hawker and fast food outlets usually use large amounts of sodium in their cooking. For working people, taking a packed lunch will avoid the need to eat at the food court. For example, bring sandwiches, salad, fruit and have it with plain water for a nutritious, low salt meal. For dishes that are “cooked to order”, request no added salt, MSG or sauces. Likewise, ask for sauces and salad dressing to be on the side since they are high in sodium. Go for plain cooked food, for example plain boiled rice instead of fried rice; plain green salad without Minimise your intake of dressing instead of pre-prepared coleslaw; steamed salty gravies or sauces fish instead of fish in sweet and sour sauce. Minimise your intake of salty gravies or sauces by dipping each piece of food into hot clear soup to “rinse” off the sauce before eating and leave the soup behind. Avoid dipping foods into salty sauces like soy sauce and chilli sauce but instead request for fresh cut chillies (without soy sauce), lime juice, vinegar or pepper. If a dish tastes excessively salty, send it back, or avoid it next time. Recognise items on a menu that may indicate that the dish is high in sodium e.g. words like “pickled”, “smoked”, “au jus”, “soy sauce”, “teriyaki sauce” or “in broth”. Go easy with the condiments on burgers and sandwiches. Ask for more salad to be included. Enjoy salads with a twist of lemon or a splash of vinegar rather than with salad dressing. Keep your order simple. Choose broiled or grilled meats without salty seasonings as most often, special sauces and toppings add extra sodium to food. Order plain meat-type sandwiches with fresh vegetables rather than a salad with dressings.