Eating out the heart healthy way
Fat, calories and sodium can all add up quickly when you eat out. Here are six tips to help you make heart healthier choices when dining out:
- Visit restaurants that use heart healthy ingredients. It’s easier to follow heart healthy eating when the menu includes salads, whole grain buns or noodles, vegetable dishes and fruit-based desserts. If the restaurant has a website, go online first and look at the different menu items. Some restaurants highlight the lower-calorie and lower-fat entrées. Go ahead and make heart healthy requests. Ask for lower-fat salad dressing or lower-sodium soy sauce. Choose a salad or a baked potato instead of French fries.
- Watch the portion size. Food portions at restaurants are usually much larger than what you would typically eat at home. Share an appetizer or even an entrée with a friend. Tell yourself that it’s okay to leave some food on the plate, or take the leftovers home. If you’re eating fast food, order the smallest size of everything.
- Read the menu descriptions carefully. “Grilled,” “steamed,” “baked” and “stir-fried” are clues that the food is probably cooked with little added fat. Avoid choosing menu items that are fried or deep-fried, or that are served with gravy, butter or rich sauces. These will add extra fat and calories to your meal. If you’re watching your sodium (salt) intake, ask for your food to be prepared with sodium-reduced sauces, if possible. Choose “pickled” and “smoked” foods less often.
- Load up on the veggies! Wherever you dine, there’s always an opportunity to get an extra bite or two of vegetables. Ask for tomatoes, lettuce and peppers on sandwiches. Start off your meal with a spinach salad lightly drizzled with a
raspberry dressing. Order an entrée that is made or served with vegetables, such as pasta primavera or grilled salmon with asparagus tips.
- Enjoy a sensible dessert. Try a bowl of fresh fruit salad, a scoop of lower-fat strawberry sorbet or biscotti dipped in a latté made with lower-fat milk. If you decide to have something more decadent, share it with at least one other person.
- Look for heart healthy choices. Whatever cuisine you enjoy, there can be some heart healthy choices. Take a look at the table below for some ideas.
| If you like to eat… |
…try to choose these more often |
| Chinese food |
- Steamed dim sum items (rice, steamed buns and steamed dumplings)
- Stir-fried vegetables, such as bok choy, broccoli, carrots and bean sprouts
- Noodles in a lower-sodium broth
- Lean meat stir-fries
- Tofu-based entrées
- Fresh fruit or red bean pudding for dessert
|
| Greek food |
- Greek salad with lower-fat dressing on the side
- Meatless dolmades (stuffed grape leaves)
- Avgolemono soup (egg-lemon soup with chicken)
- Baked fish or souvlaki
|
| Indian food |
- Basmati rice
- Chapati (whole wheat flatbreads)
- Dahl (lentils)
- Spicy chick peas (chana masala)
- Aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower)
- Tandoori-baked chicken
- Mango salad
|
| Italian food |
- Marinated vegetable antipasto
- Minestrone soup
- Pasta in marinara or primavera sauces
- Grilled fish, poultry or meat
- Cappuccino or latté made with lower-fat milk
- Biscotti or sorbet for dessert
|
| Japanese food |
- Steamed rice
- Sushi or sashimi
- Edamame (soy beans boiled in their pods)
- Cucumber salad
- Udon noodles in a lower-sodium broth
- Sukiyaki (beef, tofu, vegetables and noodles cooked in a hot pot)
- Grilled teriyaki salmon, chicken or beef
- Green tea
|
| Mexican food |
- Black bean or gazpacho soup
- Rice and beans
- Salsa with lower-fat tortilla chips
- Ceviche (fish or scallops marinated in lime juice)
- Chili (vegetarian or meat)
- Fajitas with grilled lean meat, peppers, onions, salsa and lower-fat cheese
|