Dining Out in Our
Town
How to navigate the
menu, plan for splurges, estimate portions and more.
Article By: Duane Swierczynski
If you eat in a
restaurant 4.2 times a week you are officially an average American.
Unfortunately, the typical American is also overweight. Part of the reason is
that restaurant portions tend to be oversized, and it's hard to monitor the
ingredients and means of preparation, which often means high fat and calories.
But that doesn’t mean you have to shun your favorite neighborhood eateries. The
best way to make informed, on-Plan choices is to know your options.
Start with these smart
dining strategies
Hold the
butter
A University of Illinois study of 340 patrons in an Italian
restaurant found that diners who dipped their bread in olive oil ate an average
of 23 percent less bread, reported feeling full sooner, and consumed 50 fewer
calories overall than the customers who used butter.
Stick
with a classic appetizer
Get the shrimp cocktail for 4
PointsPlus® values. (A quarter cup of cocktail sauce = 2
PointsPlus values; 4 ounces of large shrimp is 2.)
Keep
greens lean
Order salad dressings and sauces on the side. Dip your
fork in the dressing, instead of pouring it on your greens, and you'll consume
far less without noticing much of a difference in flavor.
Make it a
spud light A plain baked potato has 5 to 6 PointsPlus
values, depending on size. The blob of butter or sour cream it cries out for has
twice that. Squeeze a lemon wedge or use salsa instead.
Halve it
your way
Ask your server to plate half your entrée and bring the
other half in a doggy bag. You’re serving will probably still be larger than a
"standard" portion size.
Nix the
prix fix
The automatic addition of an appetizer and dessert adds
PointsPlus values and is harder to resist — after all, you've paid for
them.
Redefine
surf and turf Steamed fish and grilled chicken breast are the
champs of sea and land, at 3 and 4 PointsPlus values respectively for a
4-ounce portion. Request your chicken grilled dry (without
oil).
Roasted
chicken surprise
Some chefs put butter or oil under the chicken
skin. Ask them to refrain when you order.
Have your
just desserts
If you opt to share a dessert with a dining companion,
go for the sorbet.
Look out for these “red
flags” used to describe dishes that contain plenty ofPointsPlus values
- au fromage
- au gratin
- au lait
- battered
- bisque
- cream of
- dipped
- double-baked
- hollandaise
- just like mom’s
- Newburg
- pan-fried
- parmesan
- sautéed
- tempura
- crispy
Plan sensible and satisfying restaurant
meals and share your faves
