Here are a few tips if you're eating out this weekend.
Appetizers & Starters - Skip em. Most are deep-fried or loaded with cheese and fat. Ask them to take bread/buns and butter away from the table. Have a few sips of wine or beer to hold you until entree time. Or if starving, ask for a side salad.
Water - Not every restaurant uses a tonne of salt when seasoning their food, but 95% do. It’s also used as a preservative in most frozen or prepped foods like french fries, canned foods, dressings, etc. It's just part of eating out. So we are going to limit some of the effects of this onslaught of Salt. We are going to be drinking more water today at our desk, tonight at dinner, before bed and tomorrow before lunch.
Alcohol: Skip the dark beers, tonics and pop mixers. Go with light beer or lighter coloured beers, wine, and use club soda mix in hard alcohol drinks. Don’t mess with the bellini drinks or frozen margaritas.
Entrees: Salads are not always the safe option. Look at the ingredients. Does the salad have cheese, creamy dressing, nuts and avocado with corn or wonton chips. Stay away. Best Bet: A piece of protein (fish, chicken, beef), grain (not fries) and vegetables or side salad. Oil & Vinegar dressing or Balsamic.
Dessert: Here’s my move. If they have chocolate gelato I get it. If they don’t, I like to go somewhere else that does, and get gelato and wine. Or I have the gelato in my freezer at home. Chocolate or berry gelato packs a big taste punch and can satisfy your need for something sweet. Let me help you with a comparison. Chocolate cheese cake is 500 cals plus per slice with lots of fat. Small Chocolate Gelato is 90 calories.
Game plan. More water than usual. No Appie. Lighter drinks with no sugar bombs. Protein based entrees. Chocolate gelato. Have a fun weekend. I will talk to you on Monday.