Characteristics:
Steakhouses serve extra-large portions of hearty, filling heartland food without much spice or variety. Plain side dishes and a smaller number of sauces and toppings make it easier to control calories with smart choices and special preparation requests.
Common Ingredients:
Menus are dominated by meat, pastas, various potatoes slathered with gravy or toppings, and deep-fried appetizers. Vegetables are few and far between, except for potatoes, which are often fried in some form. Most offer salads, but many have only starch and pasta-based side dishes. Many restaurants are offering healthier chicken and fish alternatives.
Hidden Dangers:
* Steakhouse cheeseburgers can pack nearly 1,000 calories.
* Shrimp Scampi is often drowning in butter and packs nearly 1,000 calories.
* Fried Chicken has 910 calories and 54 grams of fat. To make it healthier, choose breast meat and remove the skin.
* Two Potato Skins can have almost 500 calories—before adding sour cream. Read more…
Characteristics:
With rich textures and flavors—especially in desserts and sauces—these dishes are often high in fat, but are usually served in smaller portions. Lighter “Nouvelle Cuisine” options are sometimes offered.
Common Ingredients:
Lots of cheese and heavy cream sauces—bread & cheese, cheese slices, melted cheese, au gratin—it’s everywhere! Salads are often plentiful on French menus, but butter and cream are also common ingredients. Hidden Dangers:
* Avoid creamy sauces like hollandaise, bernaise, béchamel, beurre blanc, veloutee and mornay, which are all very high in fat.
Watch for these words:
o Au Berre (with butter)
o Au Gratin (with cheese)
o En Croute (wrapped in pastry)
o Graisse (fat or greased)
* French Onion Soup comes covered in bread and cheese and packs nearly 400 calories and 20 grams of fat. It’s also very high in sodium.
* Escargot is usually smothered in a garlic butter sauce. Just three ounces carries 450 calories and 25 grams of fat.
* Just 2 ounces of Goose or Duck Liver Pate has 260 calories and 20g fat.
* Roasted Duck Breast: 1,500 calories, 25g fat
* Quiche Lorraine: 817 calories
* Cassoulet: 640 calories
* Steak Frites: 1,546 calories, 66g fat
* Brandade de Morue (salt cod and potato puree): 1,316 calories, 75g fat
* Steak Bernaise: 1,744 calories, 132g fat Read more…
Characteristics:
Reflects many different cooking styles, traditions, customs, ingredients and flavors from multiple regions of China. Cantonese, the most popular form in the U.S., features grilled meat, steaming and stir-frying, and flavors are not as intense as other regions, such as Szechuan or Hunan.
Common Ingredients:
High emphasis on a very wide variety of vegetables and complex carbohydrates like rice and noodles. Meat, poultry and seafood are usually sliced and served in smaller portions. Tofu is a popular ingredient in many dishes.
Hidden Dangers:
* Avoid anything fried, including spring rolls, dumplings, fried rice, crispy beef, egg foo yung and battered pork.
* One spare rib can contain 1-3 tablespoons of fat.
* Avoid the crispy noodles served with soups.
* Soy sauce is very high in sodium.
* Sweet and sour dishes are usually fried and/or high in fat and calories.
* Stir fried dishes can be oily and fatty, but can be prepared with smaller amounts of oil.
* Tangerine or orange beef isn’t as healthy as it sounds (a fried peel with breaded and fried beef).
* Walnuts can be healthy, but are often caramelized (sugared and fried).
* Eggplant can soak up a lot of oil during preparation.
* Beef Chow Mein: 940 calories and 60 g fat
* Sweet and Sour Fish: 1160 calories and 58 g fat
* Chicken/Shrimp Omelet: 990 calories and 82 g fat
* Lemon Chicken. 1,350 calories and 88 g fat Read more…
Lemon Chicken
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Chicken Chop Suey |
Which Chinese takeout dinner is healthier? Read more…
Characteristics:
This cuisine features smaller portions that are lower calories and lower fat (IF you avoid fried options) and emphasizes rice and soybean products. Sometimes features tabletop stir-fry cooking, some foods are fried, but most are grilled, broiled, braised, simmered or steamed. Common Ingredients:
Generally meat, fish or chicken combine with fresh veggies. Dishes contain lots of rice, noodles, tofu, and seafood, a limited amount of additional oils and fat, and are usually accompanied by edible garnishes, such as vegetables or seaweed. Hidden
Dangers:
* Ask that your dish not be prepared with soy sauce, fish sauce or MSG, all of which are high in sodium.
* If you’re watching your sodium, also go light on miso and teriyaki sauces.
* “Tempura” dishes are batter-coated and fried. Just 3 large tempura prawns with veggies will cost you 320 calories and 18 grams of fat. Read more…
Dining out: Mexican Cuisine
Characteristics:
In the United States, these dishes come in huge portions. If you’re not careful, you can easily consume a full day’s worth of calories in a single meal. Dishes are often fried with lard and topped with cheese. Most dishes are combined with several other items to create large platters.
Common Ingredients:
Mexican cuisine is loaded with potential calorie landmines, from cheese and sour cream to crispy tortilla shells and guacamole. Staples include great sources of complex carbohydrates and protein like rice and beans, along with tomatoes, fresh fish, corn, beef and poultry.
Hidden Dangers:
Many restaurants still make their refried beans with lard.
Guacamole is usually very high in calories.
Taco salads can carry more than 1,000 calories. Most of the ingredients inside the salad are usually healthy, but extra condiments, cheese, beef and a calorie-laden tortilla shell can sabotage your meal.
Avoid deep-fried entrees like Chile Rellenos, Chimichangas, and Flautas.
The fish in Fish Tacos is usually breaded and fried. Try to get grilled instead.
Watch for these words: Read more…