Eating Out Guide

Eating out doesn't have to be a disastrous experience if you are watching your weight and your health. With a little planning, you can actually enjoy yourself, without detriment to your healthy lifestyle program. Think through your order before you get to the restaurant. As with grocery shopping, don't go to a restaurant hungry. If you are starved, you'll have trouble making the best choices. Choose a restaurant with success in mind. Then, when you arrive, look at what you can eat, not at what you can't ! Remember, you are paying for your food. It's OK to make special requests. It is better to have the cook make the changes, than to try to remove sauces, avoid high sugar, or high fat foods that are already on your plate. Here are some general guidelines:

The aim when you are eating out for any meal, is to order AT LEAST a fist-sized serving (4-6 oz) of LEAN PROTEIN, and NO MORE THAN one serving of UNPROCESSED CARBOHYDRATES (2-3 cups vegetables or 1 cup fruit or 1 cup whole grains or legumes (non-starchy vegetables are best); and, where you can, get 1-2 tablespoons RAW FAT OR OIL. It may be difficult to get a serving of raw fats/oils, however you can never go wrong with a large serving of lean protein and a vegetables/salad. Remember, what follows is how to put together an “on program restaurant meal.” If you are eating a cheat meal, anything goes.

LEAN PROTEIN
( At least “a fist”) This is the most important part of the meal. Ask for two servings if you are still hungry .

BREAKFAST:

• Egg white/egg beater or whole egg omelet (free-range where possible)
• Poached, scrambled or boiled eggs (free-range where possible)
• Sliced grilled chicken or turkey
• Cottage cheese
• Plain yogurt (non-fat if available)
• Smoked Salmon (lox)

DINNER/LUNCH:

• Grilled, broiled, or baked chicken breast
• Grilled, broiled, or baked salmon (salmon contains protein as well as good fat-a great choice)
• Grilled, broiled or roast venison, buffalo, moose, or other wild game, or London broil (lean cut of beef)
• Grilled Ahi tuna
• Steamed mussels, oysters, or clams
• Sautéed or grilled or skewered prawns/shrimp or scallops
• Boiled lobster
• In-shell oysters
• Water packed tuna
• Roast turkey (white or dark meat)
• Egg white/egg beater or whole egg omelet (with chicken)
• Boiled whole eggs (on salad or as a side)
• Cottage cheese (on side or with salad)

NOTE : Ask for any sauce or gravy on the side and use sparingly or not at all. Substitute with a squeeze of lemon or drizzle of olive oil, pepper and balsamic vinegar.

CHOOSE 1 SERVING OF UNPROCESSED CARBOHYDRATES NOTE : Avoid bread. If you do eat bread, ask for whole grain and eat it with oil and balsamic vinegar. And remember, bread counts toward your one serving of carbohydrate. If you have bread, that is your one serving of carbohydrate for the meal.

BREAKFAST:
• Fresh fruit
• Green salad
• Grilled tomato, onion, mushroom or other non-starchy vegetable (no hash browns)
• Sliced tomato
• Whole grain or sprouted grain toast (1 slice)

DINNER/LUNCH

• Baked, grilled, broiled, roasted, steamed or stir fried asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, green beans, spinach, zucchini, beets, tomato, yam, sweet potato, squash (Any green, yellow, red, or orange non-starchy vegetable is best. Avoid starchy vegetables like white potatoes, carrots, corn. These are starchy vegetables. )
• Spinach salad
• Winter or summer greens salad
• Mixed vegetable salad
• Marinated grilled vegetable salad
• Sliced tomato
• Pear, pecan and gorgonzola salad
• Mixed Bean salad
• Fresh fruit

NOTE : Ask for olive oil and balsamic vinegar for salad dressing instead of regular salad dressing.

TRY TO GET SOME RAW FATS & OILS
NOTE : You are better off having fat of some kind even if not raw fat, to slow down the conversion of the carbohydrates into glucose.
• Oil (preferably extra virgin olive oil) and vinegar (balsamic or red wine)
• Almonds or cashews or pecans or any nut (raw is best) with stir fry or in salad
• Avocado
• Guacamole
• Pine nuts
• Raw seeds on your salad
Note: If you are vegetarian, for your protein portion, choose eggs, egg whites, cottage cheese, tofu, tempey, yogurt, or other meat substitute.

General Hints
MANAGE YOUR FAT INTAKE:
Ask for foods "dry", baked, broiled, or steamed.

ITEMS TO AVOID:
Anything fried, regular salad dressings (order it "on the side"), butter, cream sauces (béarnaise, hollandaise, tartar), cheese of any kind, cheese sauce, sour cream, bacon bits, oil of any kind (except olive oil), mayonnaise, margarine

MANAGE YOUR SUGAR/CARBOHYDRATE INTAKE:
Alcohol is the most concentrated form of sugar. It does not have to be broken down at all—it is absorbed directly through your stomach lining. Therefore, it is the most disruptive to your blood sugar and to your insulin levels, particularly on an empty stomach. If you are carbohydrate sensitive, we recommend you eliminate or at least avoid alcohol. And never drink on an empty stomach. Eat some lean protein and/or raw fats/oils before you indulge.

Remember, too, it is OK to finish a meal without dessert. It is also OK to skip the bread and focus on vegetables with your meal.

When you order a meal, instead of accepting all the side dishes that come with the meal, which can be a baked potato, salad, and rice (3 servings of carbs) ask for a side salad with oil and vinegar, or a baked yam, or steamed asparagus instead.

ITEMS TO AVOID:
Teriyaki sauce, syrup of any kind, glaze, catsup, sweet & sour sauce, deserts of any kind (other than whole fresh fruit)

MANAGE YOUR SODIUM INTAKE:


RESTAURANTS TO BE CAUTIOUS OF:
Chinese, fast food, Italian (pasta-only restaurants)

ITEMS TO AVOID:
Salt, mono-sodium-glutamate (MSG), Tamari, soy, teriyaki, catsup

MANAGE YOUR PORTIONS:
You don't have to eat everything just because you paid for it. You can share portions with a friend, leave food, or take extra food home.

Note that we have made reference to “reasonably clean menu choices.” This means the meal may not be exactly “on program” but close enough to it to count as an “on program” meal rather than a “cheat” meal.