How to decode healthy food side in Restaurant Meal?

Eat healthy in Restaurant in 2013

After the success of my blog on cook at home Restaurant-style recipes, I want to write a blog in which you can enjoy in Restaurant Meal via decoding healthy ideas.

How much healthy adult should eat?

A healthy adult should be eating around 2,000 calories a day, 20 grams of saturated fat and 1,500 milligrams of sodium. Any more than this and they increase their chances of becoming obese as well their risk of developing diabetes and serious cardiovascular complications later on in life.

However, more and more chains are serving dishes that on their own exceed the number of calories one should eat on a normal day and have almost five days' worth of recommended saturated fat intake.

The meals that win the top places when it comes to being unhealthy, according to Xtreme Eating, include:

The Country Fried Steak & Eggs combo at IHOP, which is a deep-fried steak served with two fried eggs, deep fried potatoes, and buttermilk pancakes all generously poured over with gravy and syrup.

The meal contains a total of 1,760 calories, 3,720 mg of sodium and 23 grams of saturated fat. It is the equivalent of having five McDonald's Egg McMuffins.

A combination of the Johnny Rockets' Bacon Cheddar Double Burger (,770 calories, 50 grams of saturated fat, and 2,380 milligrams of sodium) with a side order of Sweet Potato Fries (590 calories) and a Big Apple Shake, a shake which contains an actual slice of apple pie in it (1,140 calories).

In total this whopping 3,500 calorie meal (two days' worth) is equivalent to eating 3 McDonald's Quarter Pounders with Cheese along with large fries, a medium vanilla shake and 2 of their Baked Apple Pies.

Uno Chicago Grill serves a Deep Dish Macaroni & 3-Cheese meal which includes four cups of pasta loaded with full fat cheese and topped with a creamy Alfredo sauce. The meal has more than three and a half days’ worth of saturated fat as well a day's worth of calories (1,980).

Going out to eat can be fun, easy and a wonderful way to celebrate an achievement or catch up with friends. But do you find yourself getting anxious just thinking about dining out knowing how many dishes is loaded with calories? Although your woes are well-founded (some restaurants cram as many as 1,800 calories into one entrée), there are ways to beat the system!

Take a step back from ordering what "sounds good" and make a smart (and still delicious!) choice when dining out. Use these tips to help you choose something that is tasty, nutritious and comes in at a more appropriate calorie level. 

1. Decipher the menu

Know which culinary words are a "go" and which are a "no" when it comes to healthy ordering. Some culinary practices add much more fat, salt, and/or sugar to achieve the effect. Stick to menu descriptors like broiled, baked, marinated, steamed, and vinaigrette; methods like these are likely to be lower in saturated fat, high in good fats, and can be lower in calories overall. Check out this article for a complete list of words to watch for when scanning a menu.

2. Replace the side dishes with healthy choices

Many standard side items are fried, refined carbohydrates. Replace items like fries, onion rings or potato chips with whole grain or high fiber choices such as brown rice, steamed vegetables, or a plain baked potato. If there is an up charge, it’s up to you to decide if it’s worth $1.99 to save hundreds of calories and get extra fiber, vitamins and minerals to switch from fries to veggies.

3 Start smart

Appetizers can pack in more than 500 calories, easily. For a "pre-meal snack," that’s closing in on most of our calorie goals for the meal before it even starts. If you are ordering an appetizer, stick to something light in calories like grilled shrimp or high in nutrients like steamed edamame. If the venue has fried shrimp on the menu, see if you can order it grilled. If there is not an optimal appetizer to choose, stick to a small salad with veggies and vinaigrette, a broth-based soup or water/unsweetened tea until your meal comes.

4. Behave with beverages.

 Drinks, both non-alcoholic and alcoholic, can pack in many calories during a meal, especially if the server keeps topping off your soda or you’re pouring from a carafe of wine. Whatever you choose to sip on, be sure to take the liquid calories and nutrients (or lack thereof) into account when choosing your meal. To really get the lowdown on the health of beverages, turn to this healthy beverage guide.

5. Do not get too buttery

Restaurants sneak butter into many unexpected places without spelling it out on the menu. Take initiative and ask if you suspect extra butter is used in preparing the meal you’re considering. Some common spots that butter turns up is on the bread (sometimes both sides) of grilled sandwiches, melted and coated onto vegetables, or added in with rice. Sometimes, holding the butter is not an option since many restaurants will batch cook dishes, but it’s definitely worth asking so you know exactly what you’re ordering.

6. Change the size (watch portions)

There are a few ways you can control the portion size of your meal. Some restaurants offer half portions or small plates right off the bat, but if it’s not advertised, ask. The venue you are visiting may be willing to split your plate, sell you half portions, or at least place half of your meal in a to-go container to take with you when you leave. Eating proper portions is half the battle when it comes to achieving calorie balance.

7. Slowdown in eating enjoy more environment

The ambiance of restaurants can be distracting, relaxing, grounds for a long meal, or all three. This type of environment can cause us to overeat or eat mindlessly. Take note of this effect, and consciously slow your eating and drinking. Sit back between bites, enjoy the conversation, and pay attention to how much of your meal you’re consuming, as well as whether or not you’re full.

8. Ask questions

The biggest factor in successful restaurant ordering is asking questions. The server is there to help, so don’t be afraid to tap into his or her knowledge. Asking for clarification is one area where many of us falter. Whether it's to preserve integrity or save time, ditching a request to explain what an unknown term means could lead to a poor meal choice (either in taste or nutrient quality). So when no one at your table can define broasted, carpaccio, or roulade, ask!

9. Don’t be shy to say putting dressing on side

One of the biggest reasons restaurant-goers give for not ordering exactly what they want is that they didn't want to "be a pest" or something of that nature. The saying, "those that ask, receive" is true when ordering dinner! The person prepping salads will only put your dressing on the side if you ask. If you do feel uncomfortable making requests, start small. Even asking for water with or without lemon is going to set you on the right path to assertive ordering. If you need more motivation, remind yourself that you are a paying customer and deserve to have a reasonable amount of choice in your meal.

10. Nix the extras

 

Extras can add on a quick 100 calories without us even thinking or blinking! Get into the habit of saying a polite "no thank you" when asked if you want extra cheese, Parmesan cheese on salad or pasta, or bread prior to your meal. Personal-size desserts are also in this category. Although they’re small, trendy and cute, then can still add up to 100 calories or more. After a meal that is likely over the 400-600 calorie mark, 100 extra calories "here and there" definitely add up.

11. Start substituting

Yes, it’s OK to substitute items on a menu! See tip #2 and make that switch. If a menu item sounds good, but you find yourself thinking "I would use a lighter sauce, like marinara, instead of alfredo," try it! Some great swaps to make that increase nutrients, decrease calories, or both are:

Asking for beans in place of meat

Ordering double veggies instead of choosing meat in pasta dish or stir fry

Switching to whole grain bread, rice, tortillas or chips if possible

Asking for slivered almonds, chopped walnuts or extra veggies instead of cheese on a salad

Replacing a cream sauce with a broth or tomato-based sauce