If you don’t “dish” often enough to enjoy a Let’s Dish! meal every night of the month (wink, wink!), you may find yourself occasionally heading out to a restaurant, especially during the weekend. We asked Catherine Joiner, registered dietician and our nutrition resource from the American Heart Association, to provide readers with some tips for eating out and staying healthy.

Despite popular belief, you can eat out and still eat somewhat healthy foods. The key is to thoroughly review the menu and never hesitate to make special requests. Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Don’t be afraid to ask for your food to be prepared with some type of vegetable oil, such as olive or canola oil, rather than with butter. Request that the cook trim off the visible fat from your meats before he/she cooks them. You can also ask for your foods to be prepared with less salt or no salt at all. Look for foods that are baked, broiled, grilled, steamed, or roasted and avoid those that are fried, sautéed, prepared with cream sauces or gravies, or au gratins.

• If you order a food that comes with gravy or dressing, ask for it to be served on the side. A great way to cut down on these typically high calorie additions is to dip your fork in the gravy or dressing before you put the food on your fork. That way, you get just enough of the flavor added to your food while only taking in about a third of the gravy or dressing you normally would.

• Avoid things that you know are definitely high in sodium. Most Asian dishes are higher in sodium due to the soy, teriyaki, or stir fry sauces, as well as the use of MSG (something to look for in all cuisines). If you see the words pickled, smoked, or au jus, you can bet on a high sodium meal. Stick to the fresher foods on the menu.

• Small requests can make a huge difference in calorie intake. Ask for 1% or skim milk rather than whole milk if you are eating out for breakfast. Request a soft margarine rather than butter for your bread. Choose diet soda over regular soda. Sweeten your tea yourself with a sugar substitute. Most importantly, control your portion sizes. If you don’t have anyone to split the meal with, then take half home and have it for lunch or dinner the next day.

• Lastly, choose desserts wisely. Try to stay away from desserts with heavy creams or pastries, which are made with loads of saturated fat. Instead, look for a fruit dessert like sorbet, or maybe a low-fat ice cream. Most restaurants will have at least one healthier option.

For more information on specific cuisines, please visit the American Heart Association’s website for healthy eating tips.
Catherine Joiner
Cardiac Clinical Dietician

Catherine Joiner, a registered dietician and volunteer for the American Heart Association, joined the Food for Thought blogging team as a guest writer as Let’s Dish! focuses on heart health in February. If you’d like to ask Catherine a question, please email us or add a comment to any one of her posts.