Small Steps to Health

Make the Smarter Choice – American Food

April 17th, 2008 by asithi · 1 Comment

Last time we discussed the smarter choices when eating at fast food restaurants. Here is the second post of our making smarter choices when eating out series. We will be discussing what to avoid, the smarter choice to make, and special requests we should be making when we eat at restaurants that serve American food.

For American food restaurants the fat traps to avoid are:

• large main course portion size.
• fried or sautéed food.
• cream sauce and dressing.

The smarter choices are:

• broth based soup
• salads
• lean meats
• grain dishes

Consider making these special requests:

• take home half of the main course or share
• choose an appetizer or lunch size portion for dinner
• whole grain rolls or breads
• olive oil instead of butter
• sauce or dressing on the side
• light on the oil
• vegetable of the day or extra vegetable at dinner

Most restaurants use large food portions to lure the customer in. And the customer has come to expect that of American restaurants. It is rare to go to an American restaurant and leave hungry. If you eat the entire amount of food they serve you, the average person will have eaten 75% or more of their recommended daily calorie amount in one meal. So the key here is portion control. Take some of the meal home or make sure to leave a few large bites on the plate. Make the smarter choice.

Until next time and thanks for stopping by.

Tagged Dining Out

« Previous - Make the Smarter Choice - Fast Food | Next - When Your Spouse is Too Fat »

Related Posts:

• Make the Smarter Choice – Italian Food
• Make the Smarter Choice - Indian Food
• Make the Smarter Choice - Fast Food
• Make the Smarter Choice - Asian Food

Comment Policy

I love comments. When you leave a comment, I will visit your blog and try to leave a comment in return. Lively discussion is encouraged and we do not always have to agree. But any comment may be deleted.