Mexican, Asian, Indian, Thai. . .oh my.
Continued from our Retreat & Renew Daily Tip.
How to avoid dieting disaster at your favorite restaurants.
Dining out is the new everyday dining. And we like our global cuisine and ethnic flavors. Staying healthy at your favorite eateries can be challenging, but there are ways to navigate the world of choices.
• MEXICAN CUISINE
• Pass on the tortilla chips and order warm corn tortillas (they’re whole grain!) instead.
• “RE” fried beans? Doesn’t that mean fried twice? Switch to boiled black beans.
• Switch the ‘-illa to –ita’: turn the quesadilla order into fajita and you’re saving loads of calories and saturated fat.
• Shift the Margarita to beer with a lime for a cool 300 calorie savings. Sparkling water works wonders, too!
• ASIAN CUISINE
• Choose dishes with lots of veggies.
• Skip the tempura temptation.
• Watch the soy sauce: go low sodium, dilute with water or skip it altogether.
• Put the sushi rolls, sushi or sashimi you intend to eat on your plate.
• Choose chopsticks to slow the pace.
• INDIAN CUISINE
• Spice it up – ask for herbs and spices instead of salt.
• Order a veggie dish and/or chicken or seafood dish.
• Avoid dishes cooked in butter or coconut oil.
• Instead of samosas, have a salad or ‘small’ piece of naan, or better yet chapatti.
• Swap curries made with high fat coconut milk for veggie or dal based curry dishes
• ITALIAN CUISINE
• Choose your carb and be selective
• Olive oil is a liquid, bread is a sponge (pass on the bread if you dare!)
• Choose Red and veg (pasta with marinara) over white and cheesy (be afraid-o the alfredo).
• Choose a veggie minestrone soup to start and appetizer portion of pasta; call it a meal
Wendy Bazilian, DrPH, RD
Wendy Bazilian is a doctor of public health, registered dietitian and freelance writer in San Diego. She is also the Nutrition Advisor at the renowned Golden Door and Co-owner of Bazilian’s Health Clinic with her husband and business partner, Dr. Jason Bazilian. Dr. Wendy is author of The SuperFoodsRx Diet (Rodale).
