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Feel the Burn

Living in New York City, I am lucky to have so many incredible restaurants around me. Much of my social life revolves around going out to dinner.

At least once a week I go out and eat “indulgently”. I go, I eat, I enjoy. We only live once. I believe that enjoying food is healthy. My rule is that when I indulge, I walk out guilt free.

However, I usually go out for dinner a few times a week, and if I ate like this at each of these meals I wouldn't fit into my jeans by the end of the month. So, when I am not eating "indulgently" I try to eat "healthfully".

When I speak to friends, clients and participants at workshops, there seems to be a real need for more information about how to do this.

Here are some simple tips that I use:

1. When people eat out they tend to order an appetizer, main course, drink and dessert. Try to choose a main course (which can be an appetizer), and then just choose just 2/3 from the rest of list. Want a drink? Skip dessert.

2. Soups are a great healthy and low calorie appetizer or meal. A hearty soup can really fill you up! Cream-based soups are higher in fat and calories than broth-based soups. Remember, just because you are ordering light doesn’t mean you should have extra servings of bread or dessert.

3. Look for items on the menu that are baked, grilled, dry-sauteed, broiled, poached, or steamed. These cooking techniques use less fat in the food preparation and are generally lower in calories.

4. Think veggie. Stay healthy by selecting items with vegetables as key ingredients, it

will ensure your meal is full of dietary fiber and nutrients. A salad is typically a good choice, but be aware that cream based dressings and toppings like cheese and croutons can add fat

and calories.

5. Portion control. One of the simplest and easiest ways to make your dining out experience healthier for you, is to simply cut down on your portions. Go ahead and treat yourself to your favorites, just eat less of them. Here’s how:

•    Take a slice of bread and then give the basket back to the server.

•    Ask for an extra plate with your dinner. When your food arrives, cut it into a half-portion and place it on the other plate and have it wrapped up. Still hungry? Order some veggies.

•    Use chopsticks: they slows down your pace of eating.

•    Eliminate the temptation to keep nibbling and salt the rest of your dinner heavily.

6. Restaurants often drench dishes and salads in high fat dressings and sauces. Ask for them on the side. Dip your fork in the sauce and then stab your food.

7. Alcoholic beverages can be very high in calories:

a. Margarita = 450 calories

b. Mojito = 240 calories

c. Beer = 100 for a light beer up to 200/250 for darker heavier beers

d. Wine = most red and white hover around 100 calories/glass

Tip: Go ahead and have a drink, but try to alternate each alcoholic drink with a glass of sparkling water with lime. This will keep you hydrated as well.

8. Try to think of your food as having a “calorie price tag”. You wouldn’t order the filet mignon on just an average night of the week, same goes for those high calorie options, save them for a special occasion. Did you know?

•    A large cinnamon roll has over 800 calories and more than a half a stick of butter?

•    One "loaded" nacho has more than 100 calories?

•    A mocha coffee contains more than 300 calories?

•    A large fountain drink has 300 calories?

-Healthy Dining Guide, Dr. Lichten

9. Being Difficult: Many people have a hard time asking for special requests. Remember Sally from When Harry met Sallly and how she would order... this on the side, substitute this for that... No one wants to be that person. But there are ways of doing it well. Try saying to your waiter, “I really hate to be difficult but I am trying to be health conscious and I would be so appreciative if the chef would make some slight modifications to help me. Would it be possible…”

10. Handling social pressures around food. There is nothing better than enjoying a good meal with friends. Enjoying food with other people can both help and hurt us. Sometimes it keeps us accountable – we might not binge on ice cream in front of our friends! But sometimes eating with friends can harm our eating. We are more prone to break our diet for fear of being seen as difficult or picky. We may also worry that friends will feel personally judged if we opt not to share the nachos appetizer with them…

Tell your friends ahead of time that you want to make the dinner health conscious (no alcohol or carb free, etc.). This allows them to manage their own expectations of the night, and they will be more apt to support you when you sit down at the table. Plus, this increases your own accountability and makes you less likely to be tempted astray.

Taking it IN...

What's your dining out personality?

Are you someone who obsesses over your order and it's calorie content? Perhaps to the point where you don't even enjoy your food?

Or, are you someone who eats out most nights of the week and never even thinks about it?!

Whichever personality you are, try this week to change it up. Obsessing type? Go out and order whatever you want form the menu and enjoy it. Never think about it type? Make an attempt at eating "healthfully" during one of your dining experiences. See if you can find a way to enjoy this way of eating as well, knowing that you are caring for your body.

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