When dining out, it's all too easy to enjoy the most fattening choices on the menu and regret it the morning after. You should remember, though, that when going out to dinner, it's still possible to indulge yourself and eat healthfully: All it takes is a little extra attention and polite questions.
The new National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute Obesity Guidelines offer a winning meal plan for dining out. Here are some of their suggestions:
- To begin with, many restaurants are happy to serve diners fat-free (skim) milk rather than whole milk or cream. Just ask; you have nothing to lose.
- If you're ordering poultry or meat, opt for broiled, baked and roasted dishes and avoid fried ones. Also ask the waiter or waitress if the chef could please trim visible fat from poultry or meat.
- To enjoy a main course that's lower in fat, ask if you could please have all butter, gravy or sauces taken off the dish. Fish dishes that are poached, broiled or baked are also good lower-fat choices, especially if they come without creamy or buttery sauces.
- You may also want to cut calories on your vegetable courses by asking for oil and vinegar salad dressing served on the side, and by only eating vegetables that are steamed and sauceless. Lightly sauteed or stir-fried dishes can be heart-healthy choices, provided that they're prepared with olive oil rather than high-calorie sesame or peanut oil.
- For dessert, actress and cookbook author Marilu Henner suggests sticking to fresh fruits, fruit sorbets or low-fat frozen yogurt made with tofu rather than dairy products. Henner, the author ofHealthy Life Kitchen, is a longtime vegetarian who also avoids foods containing white sugar.
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