Eating Out

Fast food restaurants often come under fire and are blamed for poor nutrition. If you are an uninformed consumer this will be true: fast food places can offer the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's up to you to make the adequate nutritional choices as opposed to picking the quick non-nutritional fix (Ref. 7, p. 254-257).

Let's take the common scenario of lunch, and you are entering a hamburger place.

Eating out: LUNCH

1. Choose the grilled chicken item. Do not order the chicken burger, hamburger or chicken nuggets.

2. Order your grilled chicken without mayonaise and eat only half the bun.

3. Order a side salad and ask for dressing on the side, not poured over it.

4. Have a piece of fruit for dessert (bring an apple or buy one at the corner store.)

This type of selection fulfills the criteria of:

having a protein food (about the size of the palm of your hand)
having carbohydrate food (a bit of the bun and a salad, as well as the fruit)
having a moderate amount of fat intake.

Dinner is frequently eaten in restaurants.

Eating out: DINNER

1.Study the menu and pick a choice of protein food that is lean. Look for non-breaded fish or meat, or choose tofu, if you are in an asian restaurant.

2. Order a salad. Skip the croutons and order the low fat dressing on the side.

3. At the time of your order request an extra side vegetable instead of the pasta, rice or potatoes.

4. Forget the garlic bread or the dinner buns with butter.

5. Once your meal arrives, eat only the meat portion you need(remember the palm of your hand measure.)Ask for a doggie bag for the surplus. You will enjoy it the day after.

6. Skip dessert, unless it is a piece of fruit.

Even though you are likely eating breakfast at home, things will be different, when you are travelling.

Eating out: BREAKFAST on the go

1. Forgo the pancakes with syrup or the hash browns.

2. If there is a breakfast bar, have a small helping of oatmeal, eat a portion of scrambled egg and enjoy same fruit. It may be a little higher in fat than your usual breakfast.

3. Some restaurants will offer "heart smart" choices like an omelette made with either egg substitute or more egg whites than egg yolk. This would be a good choice along with some fruit.

4. Drink tea or coffee with no sugar, or add sugar substitutes like Splenda (comes in powder form or as prepackaged mini paper bags). Some cream is O.K.

5. Remember: No bread, no toast, no ordinary cereal flakes as this would within 1/2 hour be pure sugar in your system starting the hyperinsulism cycle promoting the syndrome of insulin resistance.

If you are on the run, and it is getting late, it is better to have a snack as a touch-up. An apple and fruit (e.g. mandarin orange), a piece of mozzarella cheese (string cheese is also handy), and 4 almonds will tide you over till the next larger meal. Another option is to carry a nutrition bar in your pocket. Look for a product with a good balance of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Some power bars do not offer you balanced ingredients: either they are too high in carbohydrates or they over emphasize the amount of protein. One product are Zone Perfect Food Bars (made by Zone Perfect Nutrition. according to Dr. Barry Sears' directions) Another option are the Balance Bars.

Return to weight loss and diet

Health, nutrition and fitness

Disclaimer:

This outline is only a teaching aid to patients and should stimulate you to ask the right questions when seeing your doctor. However, the responsibility of treatment stays in the hands of your doctor and you.

References:

1. B. Sears: "The age-free zone".Regan Books, Harper Collins, 2000. Also see Dr. Sears' site.

2. B. Sears: "Zone perfect meals in minutes". Regan Books, Harper Also see Dr. Sears' site.

3. B.J. Wilcox, D.C. Willcox and M. Suzuki: "The Okinawa Program." Clarkson Potter,2001, N.Y., U.S.A.

4. E.L. Rossi: The psychobiology of mind-body healing. Norton &Co., 1986, N.Y., U.S.A.

5. Vitamins and Foods. Audio-Digest Family Practice Vol 49, Issue 29, Aug.7, 2001.

6. P.C. McGraw: Life strategies. 1999, Simon&Schuster Source, N.Y., U.S.A.

7. B. Sears: "The top 100 zone foods". Regan Books, Harper Collins, 2001. Also see Dr. Sears' site.

Last Modified: March 25, 2007