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Post by bmazzo on May 2, 2024 23:47:55 GMT
Challengers:
Cherry — Do some form of exercise most days
Cathy — Honestly track everything
Judy — move more
Holly — Maintain Lifetime at Goal Status
Bev — More cautious of what I'm eating
Jan — Adding more fruits and veggies into my meals, no after-work snacking
Hosts:
March 25 through March 31 — Cherry
April 1 through April 7 — Cathy
April 8 through April 14 — Judy
April 15 through April 21 — Holly
April 22 through April 28 — Jan
April 29 through May 3__Bev
"One step back doesn't mean you're defeated. It only means that you're going to take the same step forward again" Unknown
8 tips for making healthy choices at a restaurant
Restaurant dining can be a landmine for those watching what they eat. Tempting menu options, secret calorie bombs and a just-this-once mindset can wreak havoc on even the most disciplined diet.
“Dining out is tricky because restaurants add extra calories, fat and sodium with oil, butter and salt,” says Shayna Komar, a licensed and registered dietitian at Cancer Wellness at Piedmont. “Unfortunately, this is a challenge for those who are trying to eat well.”
1. Remember “no BOSS.” Whenever possible, ask that your meal be prepared without butter, oil, salt and sugar. Ask for your vegetables steamed with butter on the side, request that no salt be added to your entree and ask for salad dressing, sauces and creams on the side. You can still have butter, oil, salt and sugar, but this strategy allows you to control how much you consume.
2. Don’t drink your calories. Smoothies, alcoholic beverages and soft drinks cause calories to add up quickly. That fancy cocktail can be the caloric equivalent of a milkshake. Stick with good old H20. If you crave more flavor, request lemon, lime or cucumber slices for your glass.
3. Choose a healthy appetizer. It’s easy to consume a lot of calories when you start with an appetizer. Many are fried and/or come with creamy dips. This starts the meal in the wrong direction. Your body will crave more fat, salt and sugar.
4. Look at portion sizes. Restaurant portion sizes are often much bigger than what we should consume, so share an entrée or take half of it home to eat the next day. Even when you can’t control the content, you can control the quantity of what you eat, says Komar.
5. Fill up on vegetables. Most restaurants are willing to work with customers. A simple way to save calories and fat, plus sneak in extra nutrition, is to swap out a carbohydrate-heavy side dish (think: pasta, rice or potatoes) with a side of steamed vegetables (sans oil, butter or salt).
6. Watch your toppings. Take a turkey club sandwich, for example. Sounds healthy, right? Not necessarily. If you add mayonnaise, bacon and avocado, you are looking at hundreds of extra calories.
7. Avoid sneaky salad saboteurs. Salad can be healthy, but many contain unhealthy ingredients – like fried tortilla strips, cheese, dressing and bacon bits – that ramp up the calorie count. Ask for dressing on the side and use it sparingly. The best way to spruce up greens, according to Komar? Add fresh, colorful veggies – the more color, the better.
8. Nix the extra salt. Salt acts as a food enhancer, but it doesn’t actually provide flavor, says Komar. Plus, too much salt can lead to some serious health problems. Put down the salt shaker and try fresh lemon or lime juice, or vinegar instead.
FUN: What is your favorite restaurant memory? Who were you with? Was it a special occasion? What is your favorite food to have when you dine out?
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Post by cathygeha on May 3, 2024 6:32:18 GMT
Good article with advice that is worth being reminded of for eating out
FUN:
What is your favorite restaurant memory? * Probably eating at The Royal Opera House in London with my daughter or having High Tea at Fortnum and Mason or another meal with her somewhere. The Royal Opera House was rather nice, though
Who were you with? Was it a special occasion? * See above but we were together for a conference she attended then went sightseeing one time and the other time she was doing research and I tagged along
What is your favorite food to have when you dine out?
* Used to be Italian but now...if in the USA...cheese enchiladas, beans and rice
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Post by jasimons on May 3, 2024 12:46:21 GMT
I don't remember one meal in particular, but, not long after we were married, my husband and I visited his uncle and aunt who lived in Hawaii at that time. I remember little differences, such as the fast food chains having menu items unique to the area.
What I'd choose to eat would depend on the restaurant - do they have a specialty that sounds interesting? and my mood - what am I hungry for that day? When we get pizza, I do have a favorite combo - chicken, sun dried tomato, spinach, feta & mozzarella cheese with a white garlic sauce.
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Post by Holly Gail on May 3, 2024 12:49:51 GMT
Great tips. I was aware of many of them, but I never think to ask in advance for my meal not to be cooked with salt (my main "problem" and I generally don't order things that obviously come with butter / oil / added sugar). Although, at a Chinese restaurant, I will ask for either light soy sauce and/or no extra salt if there's soy sauce in the preparation of the dish. I rarely drink my calories and I don't need an appetizer. DH loves to order appetizers, and I think the only times I give in are when we're at one particular restaurant (see below) and the food is completely fresh and vegan. I typically bring half of a meal home (sometimes more than half and have an entire second meal plus snack or lunch). My salad orders are always veggie-only (I always say "hold the croutons") with any dressing on the side; if it's a salad that has to come with the dressing already on it (one example: Chinese chicken salad), I ask for HALF the dressing and repeat it after I've given my order to the server. I don't care much for mayo, so I always say to "hold" it, plus I don't eat anything from a four-legged animal so of course I don't eat bacon. As for avocado, if it's only the flesh of the avocado itself, I will eat it because it's one of the "healthy" vegetable fats, but frankly, it's too frequently an extra dollar for only a few slices and where I live, I can buy a large avocado for the same dollar...
There are many memories of great meals in terrific settings with wonderful people. Here's only one memory and it's from the most recent decade. My DS, DDIL and youngest DGS were coming for a few days, and DGS had recently become a vegetarian. I asked around and heard from quite a few people about this one restaurant not far from our house. At the time the menu was vegetarian Thai food (it has since changed to vegan Thai). Not only was it a good restaurant (good service, etc.) and really delicious food with four dining companions I love, but afterward, DH told me again how much he enjoyed the food and wanted to go back again. I was flabbergasted! He was a meat and potatoes man and had always been one. And he was asking to return to a vegetarian restaurant! (He has since favored less meat and more vegetarian meals even at home.) Ladies, that restaurant has become our favorite. Prior to the pandemic, we went to that restaurant more often than all other restaurants combined (although that last statement makes it sound like we went a lot; we didn't go out to eat that often, but when we did, it was mostly to the same Thai [now vegan] one).
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Post by jan on May 3, 2024 14:39:34 GMT
Since joining WW all those years ago, I have always gotten my dressing on the side. When the dressing has been poured on the salad, it seems like it is drenched rather than dressed.
I have (like others) been bringing half my meal home for another day.
I also like that restaurants include the calorie count for their food now. Seeing the calories on something you are thinking of getting may steer you in another direction to a healthier choice.
Recently I went to a high tea out at a restaurant at the coast. It was multiple courses but each course had tiny portions.
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Post by cherryt38 on May 3, 2024 15:30:12 GMT
I seldom worry about extra calories or salts, fats, or sugars any more, as I seldom go out for dinner. When I do, if I'm with my kids, we'll share a meal, and even then bring some home. When I did go more often I always asked for salad dressing on the side, and brought home half my meal to eat later, and was a little more picky about salt and butter and other condiments.
My most memorable meals were in the Seattle area when we would go out with some scuba diving friends. They would dive for Dungeness crabs, DH would run the boat and pick them up, and they would bring the crabs back to shore and we would cook them in big pots on the shore and eat them, along with side dishes and beer we each brought. Before that, when we first got out there we went to a restaurant and I ordered a Dungeness crab and ate the whole thing by myself. DH and the friends we were with had other kinds of seafood.
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Post by bmazzo on May 3, 2024 16:00:25 GMT
I guess my favorite restaurant meal was mine & DH's 50th anniversary. The kids arranged a private room in a nice Italian restaurant in Nashville. We didn't want a big celebration, so it was perfect for us. They had invited about 15 guests & the food was excellent & the service was great. I enjoyed myself so much that night. We also used to go to a Brazilian restaurant in downtown Nashville. We used to go there often, the food was great. It was one of those places where the brought the meats to the table & carved them right there. The atmosphere was great. In fact, that is where we had DS#2's wedding rehersal dinner. We used to go there for a lot of family celebrations, birthdays, etc. The place is no longer there, but I have very fond memories of it.
I always ask for dressing on the side. I stick my fork in the dressing then pick up a bite of salad with the fork. This is an old WW trick.
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