Menu choice tips for healthy dining

After a long wait to be seated, you may be feeling exceptionally hungry as you are presented with the menu. This is the best time to ask for a tall glass of ice water with a lemon slice. Otherwise, restaurants will take this opportunity to satisfy your senses (and curb your hunger) by bringing those beautiful, warm, buttered rolls. Then, the first question asked may be, “would you like a drink, sir/madam?” Looking through the menu, those hot rolls not only smell great but also, along with a nice drink, can ease almost any diner into a good mood. Unfortunately, before the waiter returns to take your order, you may have consumed hundreds of calories with little nutritional value. Value? Before one can have a heart-healthy dining experience one should also define what gives food their value. Taste, smell, nutritional content and cost are just a few aspects of food that diners must take into account before making their selection.

The trick to a heart-healthy dining experience – whether eaten at home or out – is to keep your nutritional goals in mind. To that end, a heart-healthy meal should be not only satisfying to your senses or to your wallet but also to your heart. This means avoiding excess calories, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol and salt without compromising taste or budget. The fat content of the meal can be controlled by keeping in mind the types of foods that are particularly high in fat. For example, high-fat meat choices include marbled steaks; fatty cuts of pork or beef; buffalo chicken wings; bacon, sausage or kielbasa; and pepperoni and high-fat deli meats such as salami or corned beef. Instead, look for leaner cuts such as sirloin steak, London broil or filet mignon. Other items on the menu that are high in fat to avoid are cream based soups, fried foods and high-fat desserts.

Next, find out how the food is prepared. In general, choose foods that are steamed, poached, baked, grilled, roasted or broiled. Menu items described as fried, crispy, creamy, au gratin, battered or breaded are likely to contain added fat and typically are higher in calories and saturated or trans fats. Examples include the following:
- Fried chicken/fish/burgers/rice
- Chicken fried steak
- French fries
- Onion rings
- Doughnuts
- Refried beans

Once you have determined how your food will be cooked, check to see if it will be served with one of the following high-fat or high-salt sauces or dressings:
- Alfredo sauce
- Béarnaise sauce
- Hollandaise sauce
- Lobster sauce
- Soy sauce
- Cheese sauce, melted cheese or shredded cheese
- High-fat sour cream
- Gravy
- High fat salad dressings
- Melted butter

If you choose to have a sauce, keep it on the side so you can control how much is used. Remember that it is in the restaurant’s best interest to lather food in tasty (and often unhealthy) sauces. An entrée is often served with one or more side dishes. Consider brown rice and steamed vegetables as healthy alternatives to sides such as:
- French fries
- Home fries
- Fried rice
- Deep-fried mushrooms, okra or other vegetables
- Deep-fried egg rolls/spring rolls
- A baked potato swimming in butter or high-fat sour cream (a plain baked potato is fine)

Finally, choose water instead of caffeine beverages. If you want to drink wine, drink no more than a glass or two. The average bottle will serve about four wine glasses. If you cannot find any heart-healthy choices on the menu, then perhaps it would be wise to consider avoiding that restaurant in the future or, at least, not going there frequently.