Healthy Restaurant Eating: The Best and Worst Options

We are all guilty of indulging at our favorite restaurants while enjoying the company of family and friends. But, how does your restaurant eating affect your diet? There are many menu options that can make or break your diet and it is important to understand which are the best ones to go for and which are the worst and should be avoided.

There are many things that look healthy on the menu, but are often filled with fatty ingredients such as oils and butter. Here is a quick guide to restaurant eating and maintaining a healthy diet.

1. Salads: Everyone knows that salads are typically regarded as healthy, but what many people do not know if many of them can be very unhealthy. The best things to looks for are salads with a lot of vegetables, fruit, beans, and lean protein (fish or grilled chicken). Make sure to choose a dressing that is vinaigrette based and get it on the side so you can use it sparingly. The worst salads are those that are loaded with cheese, croutons, nuts, sour cream, fried chicken or fish, tortilla chips, and other fatty meats. Dressing that is mayo or cream based such as Ranch, French, Blue Cheese, and Thousand Island are also loaded with fat.

2. Soups: Soups can be a very healthy option but often times they are filled with highly saturated creams or dairy, oil, and butter. The best soups are those that are stock or broth based with vegetables, beans, chicken or fish. Examples of these healthy soups are Chicken Noodle, Manhattan Clam Chowder, Minestrone, and Gazpacho. The worst soups are those filled with milk, cheese, or cream such as Broccoli Cheese, New England Clam Chowder, and Bisques.

3. Appetizers: Ordering an appetizer is a great way to eat light while eating out. However, many appetizers are greasy and fried that have a lot of fat. The best appetizers are those with grilled, seared, or boiled lean meats such as chicken. Vegetable based appetizers are also healthy options such as vegetable spring rolls and grilled vegetables. Fish appetizers like tuna sushi roll or Shrimp Cocktail are great delicious healthy appetizers. The worst appetizers are those that are fried and those with a lot of cheese and come with chips and bread such as chicken fingers and artichoke and spinach dip.

4. Side Items: Many sides are vegetable based which is great for getting the essential nutrients and fiber. When ordering potatoes order sweet, baked, or boiled potatoes and avoid mashed or fried potatoes. When ordering vegetables, choose grilled or steamed without oil. Stay away from vegetables that are combined with cheese, cream, or milk such as creamed spinach. Also avoid sautéed vegetables as they are cooked with a lot of oil and overcooking can decrease the needed nutrients.

5. Main Courses: The best meats to order are lean meats like grilled fish or chicken. Avoid anything breaded or fried, stuffed meats, and fatty meats such as sausage. The best pasta to order are those with broth or tomato based sauces such as olive oil and garlic and marinara. Pastas with lean meat and vegetables are also healthy options. Avoid pastas with cream, meat, or cheese based sauce such as Alfredo, pesto, and Bolognese.

Source:

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/healthiest-and-unhealthiest-options-at-a-restaurant-488393/;_ylt=Aq9VIP5_lj5.rSB9aHBzPKSCfNdF