Eating Out?

Tips that can knock off hundreds of Calories

& keep you feeling great

Breakfast

• Fresh fruit with yogurt
• Oatmeal or cold, whole-grain cereals with nonfat milk
• Ask for egg substitute or egg white omelets. Any egg dish on the menu can usually be modified. Just remember to ask them to hold the cheese, bacon, and/or sausage. Also, ask to cook with a non-stick spray instead of butter.
• Choose whole-wheat bread over white bread, without the butter

Sandwiches

• Request no mayonnaise, cheese or oil. Replace with other toppings such as mustard or hummus
• Choose whole-grain breads over white, refined breads
• Avoid high-fat breads, such as grilled breads, focaccia breads or croissants
• Avoid the "Super Size" sandwiches. If it is a better deal, try saving the other half for the next day or split with a friend
• Rather than choosing chips with your sandwich, opt for the fresh fruit

Chinese/Oriental Restaurants

• Request that less oil be used in sauces or no oil (ask for broth or stock instead). Most sauces are very high in fat and sodium!
• Choose tofu, fish or white poultry; rather than pork or red meat.
• Choose items with large portions of vegetables.
• Opt for streamed rice (brown if possible), rather than fried rice. Limit rice to small portions!
• If a dish includes nuts, ask the chef to leave them out.
• Split a meal! Restaurants serve far more than one person needs for one meal.
• Avoid wontons, egg rolls, sweet and sour choices, fried rice, fried dumplings, sesame noodles, egg foo young, and tempura.
  
  
  Italian
• Avoid the garlic bread, which is loaded with butter. Also, try not to fill up on the white Italian breads, which are placed on your table before your meal arrives.
• Start with a minestrone soup or large green salad before your meal.
• Marinara or tomato sauce without the meat is the best bet. Avoid the cream-and cheese- based sauces.
• Pasta with red sauce (marinara, red clam, or Marsala) is a great choice unless the sauce has high fat meat such as sausage.
• Avoid cream sauces such as Alfredo or butter sauce. Also avoid beef lasagna, cheese sauce or filling, pesto, sausage dishes and garlic bread.
• Avoid sprinkling extra Parmesan cheese over your entrée.
• Portions are BIG at Italian restaurants. Try splitting a meal with a friend or take half home.

Pizza

• Vegetable pizzas can have half the calories of the "works" type.
• Ask for extra vegetables to replace the meat on pizza.
• You can request ½ the cheese as well.
• Blot the top of the pizza to remove excess oil and save up to 100 calories.
• Go for thin crust.
• Limit 1-2 slices.

Mexican

• Avoid the Mexican rice. Ask your server if you can substitute the rice with a side salad.
• Avoid the tortilla chips that are presented at your table.
• Refried beans often contain lard, cheese, or bacon. Do not assume they are fat-free unless stated on the menu. In their place, ask for cooked pinto or black beans that are not mashed or fried.
• Go light on the toppings. Use salsa in place of sour cream, guacamole or cheese.
• Pile on extra lettuce, tomatoes, and salsa.
• Request soft corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas.
• Soft corn tacos or vegetable fajitas are the best way to go since you can control the toppings. Just be sure the ingredients are not breaded and deep-fried.
• Watch out for taco salad shells that can have more than 1,000 calories.

Side Items

• Choose healthier side items such as green salads, baked sweet potatoes and steamed vegetables.
• Avoid French fries, large portions of baked/mashed white potatoes, coleslaw or potato salad.

Most Important

Stop eating when you are satisfied, not full. Eat slow and savor your food.