 Ossie-Sharon 10 years ago | Hi, Boxermom. Avoid fried foods, go for the smallest portions, water instead of other beverages, whole grain if they offer it, salads without extras like ham/cheese/croutons (dressing is OK – go for oil & vinegar, if they have it). At McDonalds, for example, grilled chicken or basic hamburger, whole grain buns if available, salad, fruit. At Subway, whole grain roll, 6-inch (not 12!), the more vegetables in the sandwich the better; if you like meat avoid processed meat and favor fresher meats like roast turkey/chicken/beef; if you like cheese, mozzarella instead of cheddar. No supersizing, of course!
When going out to a regular restaurant, a few tips:
• Avoid any high-carbohydrate/high-fat filler that a restaurant may offer before a meal, like chips or breadsticks.
• Order any sort of vegetables that you can. Vegetables are healthy filler, so always find a way of introducing them to your meal. This can be in the form of marinara sauce, salsa for your Mexican chicken, or just grilled vegetables as a substitute for potatoes or other fillers.
• If butter or a heavy sauce (i.e. cream sauce) is used, ask for it to be left out or served on the side so you can control how much you use.
• For salads, lemon or vinegar with oil is best for your metabolism. This is a good thing to request on the side so you can control the amount – 1 or 2 tablespoons of such a blend should be enough for a single salad.
• Grilled (but not charred) and baked are best for meat, poultry, and fish items, instead of fried or even sautéed (though sautéed is better than deep-fat frying). Fish is usually a better choice – salmon, of course, is the ultimate. Do remove the skin from poultry. If you order beef, ironically the cheapest cut in a restaurant is usually the lowest in saturated fat.
• Be wary of portion sizes, and if they look big, split your plate with someone or leave part of it for a doggy bag – this goes double for dessert.
• Avoid ordering a beverage other than water or unsweetened tea (you can always add your own sweetener brought from home). |
 Boxermom 10 years ago | If you have to eat out..traveling for instance or going out with friends..what do you do? How do you order at Subway or McDonalds for instance? I know these are not the places to go, but when you are with family sometimes you have no choice.. Any help is appreciated |
