Dining Out & Gluttony: It's Not Just Where You Eat - It's What You Eat and How You Eat It

Malaysia should be known as "the land of million dishes". Our country has so much to offer in term of the variety of gourmet foods that it is difficult not to succumb to gluttony. My American friend, Maurice, is about 1.8 metres tall and weighs a burly135 kilograms. He is my prime example of what good Malaysian foods can do to a person who claims that eating out is sheer fun. When he came to our fair shores in 1998, he was only half his present weight. However, after so many years of dining out, and his "little" over-consumption of "fun" Malaysian foods, he has finally accomplished, shall we say, a "massive achievement".

Recently, my boyfriend and I dinned with Maurice and his lovely Malaysian wife at a Chinese restaurant. Apart from worrying that the exquisite restaurant chair might not hold Maurice's weight, we were worried about not having enough food to feed him. Chopsticks served no challenge to his skillful fingers. Watching the amount of chow that he dished into his mouth, we suspect that he should reach 200 kilograms soon.

As good friends, we are definitely concerned about Maurice's health. So, this article is partly for Maurice and of course, for many of our readers who have to dine out a lot. Here are seven simple tips that I hope will be helpful to you. Right, Maurice?

Have Something Light Before Going Out

It is advisable to snack on something light at home or office before going out for dinner. This can be a healthy snack like an apple, a banana or a small bowl of cut fruits. If you always leave for dinner from the office, you may want to snack on nutritious munchies like energy bars or high-fibre digestive cookies that you have conscientiously stored. This light snack will help you combat the hunger while waiting for your food. Another benefit is that when you are not hungry, you will tend to order a smaller portion. This is also helpful in keeping the blood glucose level stable for people with low blood sugar or hypoglycemic condition. Of course, the best of all, it helps avoid overeating and thus gluttony.

Know Your Restaurant

If you are watching your diet, you may not want to visit the "mamak" stalls too often. Instead, you may want to go to organic restaurants or health-food stores. Just remember that choosing a healthy place to dine is a critical factor for your food choices. Most people want to eat the most with the lowest price. This can be a dangerous decision. Recently, a new restaurant, near my office, offered a tempting all-you-can-eat buffet for only RM10. It was a good marketing tactic for the restaurant but it is bad for its customers' health. All-you-can-eat foods can easily become all-you-can't-lose calories.

Select Wisely

The Ancient Greek aphorism of "Know Thyself" may be converted to a modern Malaysian aphorism of "Know Thy Foods". The first thing you do in a restaurant is to know what kind of dishes it is offering you. Read the menu. Ask if you need to find out more on how a particular dish is prepared. Be informed before you make your choices. Generally, be familiar with foods that are high in complex carbohydrates like multi-grain rice and high-fibre breads because they are not only healthy but give you a longer satiety feeling. It is not true that healthy and organic foods are tasteless. Today, organic chefs are able to produce great tasting organic foods that are comparable with delicious conventional ones. Write to me and I can recommend you some such organic restaurants.

"Yes" To Appetizer, "No" To Dessert

With more Western restaurants starting up in Malaysia, we have all become accustomed to appetizers and desserts. Appetizer is good to start a meal but dessert should be avoided if possible. Control the portion of dressings you need by asking for the sauce to be placed separately from your salads. A clear vegetable soup is good as an appetizer as ironically, it can help to decrease your appetite. Like the pre-dinner snack, an appetizer is good in restraining you from diving hungrily into your entrée. You can reward yourself with a dessert once in a long, long while. However, my advice is that you avoid it completely. Do remember to count those extra calories you are taking in with those "harmless" desserts. Maurice, are you taking notes?

Go For Grilled Instead Of Fried

Besides adding more calories to the dish, fried food also has another health issue - trans fat! Studies have found that trans fat will increase the risk of obesity and heart problems. Avoid deep fried foods sold by street-side stalls because these low-budget businesses tend to repeatedly use the same frying oil for a long time. Some unscrupulous stall owners even buy used cooking oils discarded by big restaurants or hotels. The kitchen staffs of such establishments sell these used oils as a means of getting extra income. Hydrogenated cooking oil that is used over and over again will become a cancer-causing agent.

For people, like Maurice, who insist on eating less-than-healthy foods - sausages, chicken, fish fingers and burgers are just as tasty when grilled. The positive difference is that grilled foods have a lower fat content. Oven-baked potato chips are also lower in fat than the deep-fried chips.

I highly recommend that you eat raw and steamed foods. My boyfriend says that eating raw vegetables is like eating "grass" but he would never refuse a dish of delicious steamed chicken or seafood. Good Chinese restaurants always have a good list of steamed dishes. Next time, when you dine out, consciously request for steamed foods before you go for grilled foods.

Take Smaller Portions

This is a cardinal rule for people suffering from hypoglycemic and diabetic conditions - spreading the meals into smaller portions, over a few times a day, is better than three heavy meals. The Malaysian proverbial "5-meal-a-day" makes good sense if we were to abide to it by consuming only small portions. (Maurice, remember, only small portions). Small portion means about half of your normal meal. Learn to maintain these standard portion sizes. Discipline is needed and whenever you dine out, eyeball your food and insist on sticking to the appropriate portions. If too much food is served, split the meal with your dining partner. If not, simply ask the waiter to pack the other half of your meal in a take-away bag before you begin your meal. By keeping to this rule, you will not need to worry about enjoying many meals a day.

Some helpful hints: half-cup serving of canned fruit, vegetables or potatoes looks like a tennis ball sitting on your plate, three ounces of meat, fish or chicken is about the size of the palm of your hand, a cup serving of milk, yoghurt or fresh greens is about the size of your fist and a teaspoon of oil is about the size of your thumb tip.

Enjoy Your Company While Dining

The most important of all when dining out is the opportunity to fellowship with your friends or associates. Do not get too busy with eating and forget about the intangible benefits of establishing relationships. Have you noticed that most people who love talking during meals are usually the slimmer ones? Well, this is not a scientifically proven observation but it makes sense. Talk more and eat less makes one slim.

Here are some tips and hints on how you can really have a great dining experience with your companions: Always taste your food before seasoning it. Fill only a third of your spoon with food so that you will not need to open your mouth too wide to put in all the food. Being ravenous is not only unsightly but may give your dining companions a wrong impression of you. Therefore, cut only enough food for the next one-third portion. Chew your food completely before swallowing. Let your saliva do some pre-digesting first. Try to make it a habit to put your fork and spoon on the table while chewing. Since you do not talk with your mouth full, a third of the amount of food should not keep your mouth full for long. Engage in your business discussion or fellowship with your friends before taking another one-third portion. Plan to finish your meal at the same time as your host or the majority of your dining acquaintances at the table. It is always fun to dine out. Invite your friends to patronize a new restaurant or eating outlet. Just observe these seven tips and remember that gluttony is still a sin. Maurice, are you still around?