FXB Guide to Dining Out

Are YOU busy? For most of us that is a major understatement. Eating on the run is almost a fact of life. I would recommend re-reading page 16 in the FXB manual about eating out and travel.

Eating out can be problematic at restaurants where you do not control the preparation of your food. I recommend you only eat out once a week for your free meal. You can indulge during that meal without worrying about how the food was prepared or modifying the meal to suit your needs. You can, however, make low glycemic index choices at most restaurants. Page 15 in the FXB manual has some example low G.I. substitutions. Many restaurants now have healthy meal choices that would be appropriate on this plan. WATCH PORTION SIZES.

Think of the glycemic index as how quickly the food is digested and turned into glucose for your body to use. The lower the G.I. the slower the digesting - and that is a good thing - you won't be as hungry as quickly. For more information on the glycemic index - go to this website: Glycemic Index Info.

General Tips
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1. Stay away from buffets. All you can eat buffets tend to lead to overindulgence. Although low G.I. foods may be available, portion sizes are difficult to control when you can fill your plate as often as you choose. 2. Order a dinner salad if possible. If a salad bar is available, fill your plate with fresh vegetables and fruit. Pasta and fruit salads are often made with high G.I. sauces and should be avoided. For salad dressings, choose a low calorie Italian or oil and vinegar. 3. Avoid the breadbasket. They often contain bread with high G.I. values such as French bread.
4. For side dishes, avoid baked potatoes, mashed potatoes and French fries. Instead choose a sweet potato, steamed vegetables or fresh fruit if available. 5. When ordering a sandwich, choose whole-grain bread. Avoid mayonnaise because of the high calorie content. Instead use oil and vinegar, light Italian or mustard on your bread. Add extra vegetables if possible. 6. Order "a la carte" to make your meal as G.I. friendly as possible. 7. Look for main dishes that are steamed, broiled, grilled, roasted, blackened, braised, stewed, or served in their own juices. If you choose stir-fried, ask that minimal oil or butter be used. 8. WATCH PORTION SIZES. Sometimes it is not what you eat, it is how much. 9. REMEMBER TO DRINK PLENTY OF WATER WITH YOUR MEAL. A full glass of water before eating can help you control your appetite.

Fast Food Restaurants
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Fast food restaurants are beginning to appeal to health conscious consumers by making nutritional information available at the restaurant or on the web. Reading the labels ahead of time can help you make an appropriate choice to fit your needs. I've included examples of sample menu items from selected chains below.

Salads at fast food restaurants tend to be good sources of vegetables and protein (i.e. grilled chicken breast, turkey, etc). A couple words of warning about salads though: 1. Watch the dressing. Low fat dressings can be high in carbohydrates and low carb dressings may be high in fat. If possible, read the nutrition information first and choose one that is low in calories, fat, and carbs. If in doubt, you can always carry your own salad dressing. 2. Watch the croutons and bacon toppings. Croutons are often made from high glycemic index breads and may contain a lot of fat. Bacon adds a lot of fat to your salad and is low in protein.

The bread for sandwiches and hamburgers tends to be highly processed with a high glycemic index. If choosing whole grain bun or sandwich bread, pay close attention to portion size. For example, the hearty breads at subway are a good choice, but with 49 grams of protein per six-inch sub, three inches is probably an appropriate portion size for your meal.

Low carb wraps are available at many fast food restaurants for low carb dieters. Chains such as Arby’s and Subway have made them a desirable choice. Again, watch the fixings. Adding too much to a wrap, such as mayo, can significantly increase the number of calories and fat. As always, WATCH PORTIONS SIZE!

Subway
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Subway is famous for having 7 sandwiches with six grams of fat or less. These tend to be healthy choices for most adults. However, on this plan we are also watching the glycemic index. Some of their fresh breads are whole grain and thus have a lower glycemic index. However, these breads contain 47 grams of carbs per six-inch sub. Therefore, a three-inch sub would be an appropriate size and the other half can be saved for the next meal. But in order to get the proper protein amount, 'double the meat' could be needed if you are going to cut your sandwich in half. Again, watch the bacon/mayo/dressings to keep them low in total calories as well.

Salads are a great option at Subway. Their fat-free Italian salad dressing has only 35 calories, not fat and only 7 grams of carbohydrate. The other dressings have approximately 200 calories/ serving and are high in fat and/or carbs. Again, you may choose to carry your own salad dressing. Eat Fresh!!!

McDonald's
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McDonald's now has several salads on the menu for health conscious consumers. Again, the salad dressing labels should be reviewed first. Newman’s own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette and Newman's Own Salsa are low in calories, fat, and carbohydrates.

Sandwiches at McDonald's and similar chains use high processed white flour for the buns. Eating a grilled chicken breast with no bun may be an option. Save the whole sandwich as an indulgence for your weekly free meal. I’m Lovin' It!

Arby's
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Many of the traditional sandwiches at Arby’s are made on white buns. Again, try a grilled chicken breast without the bun, or the bunless low carb menu items. The market fresh sandwiches are made on honey whole wheat bread. Although not a highly processed bread, it may have a moderate glycemic index. The main area of concern is the size and thus the calories on the market fresh sandwiches. The sandwiches range in calories from 700 to 860 and have 74 to 92 grams of carbohydrates! More than even two meals on this plan. Arby’s also has tasty wraps as a menu option. I'm thinking Arby’s!

Chinese
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Traditional Chinese cuisine contains less fat than the Americanized version. Here are some general suggestions of low G.I. menu options:

1. Choose steamed brown rice over sticky white rice. 2. Steamed vegetable and fish dishes 3. Stir-friend meats, seafood, and vegetables (ask them to minimize the oil if possible) 4. Lower glycemic index sauces include black bean sauce, oyster sauce, Szechuan sauce and hot mustard sauce. 5. Soups such as wonton, hot and sour, and egg drop.

Italian
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Pasta with lower glycemic index values are made from seminola or wheat four. Adding eggs to the noodles lowers the G.I. Here are some low G.I. menu choices:
1. Pasta sauces that are tomato based such as marinara, puttanesca, or red clam sauce will have a lower G.I. value. Avoid creamy white sauces. White sauces tend to be very high in calories and fat.
2. Select broiled or grilled chicken or fish over pasta.
3. Vegetable or bean soups, such as pasta fagioli, are good options.

Mexican
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Many Americanized Mexican (Tex-Mex) restaurants have lighter items available on their menus. Some now offer grilled seafood or chicken, salads, low-fat refried beans, grilled vegetables, whole-wheat tortillas and low-fat cheese. Here are some general suggestions:

1. Skip the chips offered before the meal. 2. Substitute the rice side dish with vegetables. 3. Choose grilled entrees. 4. Top salads with light dressing or salsa and forget the sour cream. 5. Chicken tacos, burritos, and quesadillas make good choices if not fried and preferably made with whole-wheat tortillas. 6. Fajitas sautéed in minimal oil make an excellent meal. 7. Good sauces: salsa, Pico de Gallo, red enchilada sauce, green chili sauce, ranchero sauce, and tomatillo sauce. 8. Avoid: guacamole, sour cream

French
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French bread has a high glycemic index and should be avoided. The cuisine often uses a lot of creamy sauces thus increasing the caloric intake. Many French restaurants offer Mediterranean-style items, which tend to be lighter. Select from the following:

1. Broth based soups such as consommé. 2. Chicken, beef, or veal stews in wine or tomato sauce. 3. Seafood or vegetable bouillanaisse. 4. Seafood and poultry that are broiled, steamed, or cooked in papillote (in parchment paper). 5. Steamed vegetables. 6. Salads with light or vinaigrette dressings.




Standard American Restaurants
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Many American style restaurants offer good, healthy food. The biggest problem tends to be PORTION SIZE. For instance, many restaurants serve steaks that are 22 or more ounces. Appropriate portion size would be three to four ounces. Some general tips:

1. WATCH PORTION SIZE 2. Choose beef, pork, chicken, or fish prepared on the grill, broiled, baked, roasted, or blackened. 3. Request sauces be left off or served on the side. 4. Skip the breadbasket and start with a salad or broth-based soup instead. 5. Substitute steamed vegetables for rice or potatoes. 6. WATCH PORTION SIZE 7. Salad dressings: choose a light vinaigrette or low calorie Italian, Oil and vinegar is often available. Request dressings served on the side. 8. Instead of desert, choose a fruit cup. 9. Avoid alcoholic beverages except during your weekly free meal. 10. WATCH PORTION SIZE

Have a great Week 3! And WATCH YOUR PORTION SIZE when you are dining out! :-)