Health Services: Eat Smart - Eating Out
Health Services - Tips for Eating Out
(From the Alliance for a Healthier Generation)
Chicken Night
Choose grilled chicken or chicken salad instead of a fried chicken
sandwich. If you’re going for fast food, skip the order of fries and
order low-fat or fat-free milk (instead of soda) for the kids.
Mexican Foods
Get vegetarian refried or plain black beans. Opt for soft tortillas
(such as a burrito) instead of fried taco shells. Replace the cheese or
sour cream with salsa or guacamole.
Pizza
Opt for a thin crust and double the vegetables instead of doubling the
cheese. Before you eat, grab a few paper napkins and blot the excess oil
off your pizza. This saves you a few grams of fat right off the bat.
Indian Foods
Order the yogurt-based salads, tandoori chicken and fish, lentil or dal
dishes. Go for the pappadams instead of thick naan bread. Watch out for
food cooked in coconut milk, cream, or ghee (which is clarified butter)
and try to stay away from the fried Samosas and thick creamy Korma
dishes.
Italian Foods
Try to avoid creamy sauces and pesto on pasta that can add a lot of fat
and calories. Instead, try a marinara sauce, pasta primavera, or a clam
sauce. Consider sharing a pasta entrée and a salad with someone else.
Chinese Foods
Ask for wonton or sweet-and-sour soup. Order steamed rice, boiled,
steamed, broiled or lightly stir-fried dishes. Pile on the vegetables
such as broccoli and bok choy. Try to avoid from deep fried dishes,
fried rice, egg dishes, and salty sauces.
Deli Foods
Cut the fat on sandwiches by omitting bacon, mayonnaise, cheese, and
special sauces. Ask for mustard, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and pickles
instead. Try out lean meats (such as turkey breast) on your sandwiches
and go for the wheat roll.
Japanese Foods
Opt for miso soup and steamed vegetables such as edamames and omega-3
containing fish such as salmon. Avoid anything “tempura” which indicates
“fried.” Sneak in some avocado in your rolls, they add richness and
contain unsaturated fats.
Burger Night
Opt for the regular or kid-size portion. Load on the lettuce and tomato
and try to skip the cheese. Try a side salad instead of fries or onion
rings. Go for a low-fat milkshake instead of a soda for an extra calcium
boost.
On- the-Go Breakfasts
Opt for a whole-wheat high-fiber muffin, bagel or toast (and be size
wise about the portion). Go for the low-fat yoghurt or fruit instead of
the home fries. Replace the bacon or sausage with ham. Watch out for
sugar-loaded fruit juices.
Extra Tips for all Take-out Meals
Decipher the Take-Out Menu
Look for key words that indicate a low-fat option. These often include:
au jus (in its own juices), baked, broiled, fresh, grilled, poached,
lean, roasted, and steamed. Avoid menu items that might be high in fat
like those described as au gratin, buttered, breaded, casserole,
creamed, fried, crispy, rich, or sautéed.
On the Side
Ask that all sauces and salad dressings be served on the side so that
you can control how much is added. Add a little bit at a time as you eat
your meal. Try to avoid the creamy sauces such as ranch or mayonnaise
and opt for lower-fat options such barbeque sauce, mustard or low-fat
salad dressing.
Doggy-Bag
Before you start your meal, use a Tupperware in the house to make
yourself a pre-meal doggy-bag. Take-out portions are often very large
and this reduces the temptation to clean your plate on the first
sitting.
Contacts
Health Services Director
Kate Siegrist - 258-4986
ksiegrist@co.missoula.mt.us
Nutrition Services Supervisor
Mary Pittaway - 258-4837
mpittaway@co.missoula.mt.us
Eat Smart Coordinator
Rebecca Morley - 258-3827
rmorley@co.missoula.mt.us
CATCH Coordinator
Lisa Tims - 258-3894
ltims@co.missoula.mt.us
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