Eating Smart in Restaurants DINING OUT

Plan Ahead § Phone ahead or review menu online to get an idea of the menu and their ability to accommodate your special requests. Upscale restaurants are usually more accommodating (but not always). § Consider requesting a 'doggy bag' at the time you place your order. Kitchen staff can box up half your meal before your meal is brought to you. The 'doggy bag' can be given to you as you leave. You can always order a salad and an extra side of vegetables if you do not feel it will be enough food).

Order Wisely § Ask for grilled chicken or fish (brushed with a little olive oil), salad with olive oil and fresh lemon juice (or balsamic vinegar) on the side, two servings of vegetables (prepared with no butter or sauces), and rice pilaf or baked potato (no butter - instead 2 Tbsp. sour cream, chives, no bacon bits) § Ask questions - regarding how food is prepared, whether it comes with sauces. § Order one or two appetizers instead of main course (if they are healthier alternatives) § Order senior or junior portions if possible

Avoid: Look For: Au gratin - means prepared with cheese Broiled, poached or roasted Stuffed - usually fat or oil is used to bind ingredients together Steamed, Barbequed Breaded - breading acts as a sponge for grease Au jus or 'in its own juice' Tempura or battered Tomato sauce Creamed, in cream sauce, in gravy Hollandaise or béarnaise sauces - made with butter & egg yolks Béchamel - made with butter and milk Sautéed, fried, crispy, basted, or pan-fried Casserole, pot pie or hash

Ask For § Dressings, sauces, juices from cooking served on side § Soft margarine instead of butter, milk instead of cream § Baked potato rather than mashed potatoes or fries § Garden salad with olive oil and lemon juice on side rather than caesar, potato salad, pasta salad or coleslaw. Greek salad is okay as it is made with heart healthy olive oil - eat with a low fat meal (eg fasolada (bean soup), tzatziki dip and pita bread).

What to Order When Dining Out…

Appetizers Vegetable juice Clear broth soups with vegetables Raw vegetable platter with low fat dip Shrimp cocktail

Salads Greek salad (eat with low fat meal) Garden salad with olive oil and fresh lemon juice and/or vinegar "on the side" Marinated vegetables - only if prepared with olive oil or canola oil

Vegetables

Prepared for the C.O.A.C.H. Program by Registered Dietitians. 27 Please do not copy without permission. Eating Smart in Restaurants Steamed, stewed or boiled (no butter or sauce) Order at least two vegetables with your meal (or a double order of the 'vegetable of the day')

Potatoes and rice Boiled or baked potatoes Rice pilaf If there are no low fat options in rice & potatoes available - skip altogether and have two pieces of bread (preferably whole wheat) with no butter (ask for olive oil/ balsamic vinegar for dipping)

Meat, fish, poultry - limit serving size of meat and poultry to 3 - 4 oz which is the size of deck of cards - fish serving is larger - 6 - 8 oz - trim off fat, do not eat skin of poultry Au jus Roasted or baked (without sauce) Grilled or broiled (tell server it is okay to brush on small amount of olive oil to grill or broil) Barbecued Poached or steamed

Eggs Boiled - soft or hard Poached

Beverages - Skim milk - 100% fruit juice - Vegetable juice - Water - Herb tea, black tea - Decaf coffee

Breakfast Ideas 100% juice or fresh fruit (example banana, grapefruit, fresh strawberries) Cooked or dry cereal with low fat milk Poached or soft boiled eggs on toast (no margarine or butter) Whole wheat toast with peanut butter (no margarine or butter) Low fat bran muffin

Specialty Restaurants:

Italian Restaurant Appetizer: Antipasto or Minestrone soup or Salad with olive oil/vinegar on side Pasta with marinara sauce Pasta with red clam sauce Grilled fish or chicken with baked potato and two vegetables Cioppino (tomato-based stew with onions, garlic, vegetables and seafood) Flounder Florentine with spinach Pizza with half the cheese and twice the vegetables Cacciatore dishes

Avoid: tortellini, lasagna, ravioli, cannelloni, pasta Alfredo (cream sauce)

Note: Pesto sauce is made from healthful ingredients like basil, parsley, olive oil, garlic and pine nuts (pignolia) however it is also very high in fat. When ordering ask to be served a half order of pesto linguini (or other pasta) with a grilled chicken breast (start with a bowl of minestrone soup). If the

Prepared for the C.O.A.C.H. Program by Registered Dietitians. 28 Please do not copy without permission. Eating Smart in Restaurants restaurant will not serve 'half orders' ask for the other half in a 'take home container' which can be refrigerated and then brought to you with the bill at the end of the meal.

Chinese Food

Sample Meal for Chinese Steamed fish Lightly stir-fried vegetables with chicken or tofu Restaurant Broccoli with beef on rice Won ton soup or Hot & sour soup Curried vegetables with chicken on rice Steamed shrimp Chicken chow mein with extra vegetables Lightly stir-fried vegetables: broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, Avoid: Deep-fried foods (chicken balls, prawns, eggrolls) Egg Foo Yong, BBQ duck, Spare ribs onions, garlic, carrots Sweet & sour sauce, fried rice, fried noodles Steamed rice

Most dishes in Chinese restaurants are 'made to order' so you should be able to request less oil be used when stir frying vegetables and meat. Better yet, ask for food to be stir-fried in broth instead of oil.

Greek Food Sample Meal for Greek Restaurant Shishkabob (souvlaki) with chicken or lamb Greek salad or Fasolada (bean vegetable soup) Tzatziki or hommous with pita bread Greek salad Lamb souvlaki Fasolada (bean soup) Roasted potato (1) Rice or potatoes Pita bread with tzatziki dip Note: Greek restaurants usually serve very Avoid: Phyllo pastry (spanokopita, baklava) large servings. Consider having half of the Calamari (deep fried) Fatty roasted lamb meal put in 'take out container' before meal is brought to you.

Japanese Food Baked, poached or boiled dishes Clear soups with tofu; noodle soups (udon) Dishes labeled: teriyaki, yakitori, sashimi, sushi or nabemono (Japanese casserole

Avoid: deep fried dishes with batter (eg tempura)

Seafood Restaurants

Baked, boiled or poached dishes (steamed clams, boiled shrimp, poached fish) Cocktail sauce Manhattan (red) clam chowder

Avoid: Melted butter (as a dip for lobster or clams) Deep-fried foods Casserole items (high in fat when prepared with cream sauces) Cream-based soups (chowders) Tartar sauces

Fast Food

Side Dishes: Coleslaw is a better choice than french fries (although both are high in fat) Salad with low fat dressing Baked potato with sour cream & chives (no butter or bacon bits)

Prepared for the C.O.A.C.H. Program by Registered Dietitians. 29 Please do not copy without permission. Eating Smart in Restaurants Sub Sandwiches: Turkey, roast beef or ham, "hold the mayo and butter"

Burgers: Plain burger with lettuce, tomato, pickle, mustard, onion Grilled chicken breast on bun (lettuce, tomato & "hold the mayo")

What to Order at… Idea…

Wendy's If you know ahead of time you Grilled Chicken Sandwich will be eating at a fast food Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad (with low fat Italian dressing) Garden Veggie Pita joint - pack a piece of fruit and Garden Ranch Chicken Pita some cut up vegetables before Chicken Caesar Pita you leave home to augment your Side Dishes: Broccoli & Cheese Sauce Baked Potato (request regular fast food meal. cheese vs. cheese sauce which is high in sodium) Sour Cream & Chives Baked Potato Don't forget… you can often

Swiss Chalet run into a supermarket and Skinless Grilled Chicken Breast purchase a convenient meal in Quarter Rotisserie Chicken, breast & wing, no skin almost the same time it takes Side Dishes: Baked potato or rice to go through a busy drive- Garden Salad with low calorie Italian Dressing through window. Buy a package Corn or mixed vegetables of whole-wheat dinner buns, low

Dairy Queen fat sandwich meat, prewashed Grilled Chicken Sandwich baby carrots and a skim milk or

A & W 100% juice. More nutritious Chicken Grill Sandwich and saves money too!

Subway Turkey or Veggie Delite 12" (no cheese, mayo) Chicken, Club, Ham, Roast beef, or Turkey & Ham 12" (no cheese, mayo)

Arby's Roast Chicken Salad ( 2 pkts - 4 Tbsp light Italian dressing) Arby's Chef Salad (2 pkts - 4 Tbsp light Italian dressing)

Prepared for the C.O.A.C.H. Program by Registered Dietitians. 30 Please do not copy without permission.