A few simple tricks to help stay on track
TLANTA -- So how are you doing on your goals to eat healthier in the new year? If you’re like most people, the focus to bring in a healthier new you starts at home with a clean sweep of the fridge and pantry and a vow to toss more salads and hide the potato chips.
Certainly, stocking a kitchen with a cast of figure- friendly vegetables, fresh fruits, lean meats, whole grains and fat-free or low-fat dairy is the best foundation for sticking to a weightloss diet.
But what happens when you leave the house? Statistically, the average American eats out at least four to five times a week, with certain age groups, such as those in their 30s, dining out even more. That includes everything from a breakfast muffin to late-night taco stops, so you can see how episodes defined as "eating out" can really add up.
That means no matter how pictureperfect your display of grapefruit and granola looks at home, if you eat out a lot, you’ll have to make some healthy changes in your restaurant habits if you want to see a smaller number when you step on the scale.
But what does "eating lighter" really mean when you’re staring at the menu board at a fast-food place or listening to the specials at your favorite restaurant? Here’s a list of do’s and don’ts to guide you through some of the basic strategies for choosing the dishes that can help you trim fat and calories when you’re dining out.
Plan ahead
Rather than just thinking, "I feel like Italian tonight," make a mental meal plan ahead of time. Decide before you go that you are going to start with a salad and then choose an entree with marinara sauce, not cream and cheese sauce. Go to the restaurant’s Web site to see what’s on the menu. Some chain restaurants even supply calorie information. Research shows that dieters who make a plan and stick with it are the most successful in the long run.
Go green
No matter where you’re dining, resolve to add more vegetables to your menu choices. Even if it means asking to Biggie-Size the lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles on your fast-food hamburger; you’re adding more veggies to your diet. This adds low-cal or no-cal nutrients to your daily intake, and the fiber in cooked vegetables and salads helps you feel full. The good news is that a lot of restaurants are ready for salad-happy dieters in January, so they add more greens to their menus.
Read between the lines
Menu descriptions don’t always tell the whole story about the added fat in a dish. If it says "crispy coating," it probably means fried, and always ask the server how the sauces are made. For example, is it a "light" tomato sauce because it’s made with cream and the color is lighter? It can happen!
Skip the extras
It’s not the craving for pizza that "done your diet wrong." It was the decision to add pepperoni or double the cheese that sent the fat and calories over your limit. Watch out for extras such as fried croutons on salads, bacon slices on burgers and cheese sauce slathered on steamed broccoli. Think of these high-calorie additions as accessories to use sparingly.
Some flavors are free
There are plenty of ways to jazz up steamed vegetables, grilled fish and other menu choices you might otherwise garnish with a high-fat sauce. Lemon juice, salsa, steak sauce, barbecue sauce, hot sauce, soy sauce and vinegars are low- or no-cal options for adding flavor without fat. If you’re watching your sodium intake, go easy on soy and steak sauces.
Portion sizes
You’ve heard the mantra "It’s not what you’re eating, but how much you’re eating."
Size matters, and many restaurants today serve heaping portions, often two to three times the size of what you’re supposed to be eating. So either share with a friend, ask for the doggie bag or leave some on your plate.
Registered dietitian Jo Lichten says not to feel bad about not cleaning your plate. "Would you rather waste it? Or waist it?!"
Liquid calories still count
Is that free refill on sweet tea or soda really "free"? Not if you add up the cost in calories. Don’t forget the liquid portion of portion control. Choose water, unsweetened iced tea or fat-free milk if you’re looking for the leanest liquids on the menu.
Want to eat more?
You’ll have to move more. If your New Year’s diet mission includes adding exercise to your days, you’ll get to order dessert, too. The U.S. dietary guidelines include allowances for discretionary calories or "splurge calories" that are dependent upon how active you are.
• Sort of Active - less than 30 minutes a day - 195 extra calories a day
• Moderately Active - 30 to 60 minutes a day - 265 extra calories a day
• Really Active - more than 60 minutes a day - 290 extra calories a day.
Whether it’s a morning jog before breakfast, a lunchtime yoga class or dancing after dinner, exercise not only helps you maintain the weight loss you achieved, it also allows you to eat more without gaining the weight back. (NYT)
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