Healthy Restaurant Eating
Joe Serpico

Here’s food for thought….did you know the average restaurant meal has over 1,000 calories? That’s enough to blow any healthy eating plan. Fortunately, by following a few simple guidelines, you can dine out without having to sacrifice good taste and nutrition.

1. Avoid ordering an appetizer. It’s not widely known that some appetizers have more calories and fat than the main course. Plus, many appetizers are fried and served with heavy sauces which will add to your intake of saturated fat as well as trans fats and calories. It’s not a healthy way to start your meal.

2. Say “yes” to salad. Salad is a healthy eater’s best friend. Not only will it fill you up so you’ll consume fewer calories overall, but it will also give you a hefty dose of antioxidants which are heart healthy. Be sure to ask your waitress to hold the croutons and cheese which will further reduce your caloric load. Also, choose your dressing wisely. Avoid cream based dressings and go for the vinegar based ones. You also have the option of using vinegar and olive oil which is heart healthy.

3. Make the right entree selection. Go for broiled and grilled rather than fried. Not only will you save calories and fat grams, you’ll also avoid trans fats which are so prevalent in fried foods. Instead, consider asking for a doubles order of vegetables with your entree. Very few Americans are getting the 7-9 servings of fruits and vegetables recommended for optimal health. Plus, by avoiding the starch, you’ll be reducing your caloric and carbohydrate load. Also, stick to tomato based sauces rather than cream based and you’ll enjoy a considerable calorie savings. Lastly, ask for the sauce to be served in a separate dish on the side so you can control the amount you eat.

4. Think about what you’re drinking with your meal. By not ordering an alcoholic beverage, you’ve saved yourself a considerable number of calories. Try sipping iced tea sweetened with a noncaloric sweetener, a diet soft drink, or water with lemon. You’ll be glad you did when you consider the calorie savings.

5. Indulge your sweet tooth wisely. Many of the chain restaurants now offer a low fat or low carbohydrate dessert selection such as a low carb cheesecake. These are wise choices for the health conscious eater and still allow you to end the meal on a sweet note. If a healthy dessert option isn’t available, try a cup of coffee with skim milk to help satiate your desire for something sweet.

6. Learn to control your portions. Many restaurants are serving larger quantities of food than in the past. If this is the case, put aside a portion of your entree at the beginning of the meal to take home with you. If you remove it from your plate before you start eating, you’ll be less tempted to overindulge.

By following these steps, you can make your dining experiences not only healthy, but enjoyable. Your heart will thank you!

About the Author

Joe Serpico is webmaster at aa-fitness-guide.com. For much more information regarding exercise, health, nutrition, and fitness, visit http://www.aa-fitness-guide.com

Tags: Alcoholic Beverage, Appetizer, Appetizers, Author, Calories And Fat Grams, Croutons, Dressings, Entree Selection, Food For Thought, food;, Fried Foods, Fruits And Vegetables, Good Taste, Healthy Eating Plan, Hefty Dose, Joe Serpico, olive oil;, Optimal Health, Saturated Fat, Serpico, Starch, Sweetener, Trans Fats, Vinegar, Waitress, webmaster —

Healthy Fondue A Guide To Making Broth and Hot Oil Fondues
Anthony Tripodi

A pot of hot oil that you dip meat into sounds downright barbaric but it can also be heart healthy. Broth and hot oil fondues are much less decadent than their siblings, cheese and chocolate fondue but theyre just as tasty. If a little care is taken when selecting ingredients and overeating is avoided, then both broth and hot oil fondues can become a healthy meal.

Fondue Bourguignonne (also known as hot oil fondue) consists of diners who cook their own food on long forks in a pot filled with hot oil. The oil is heated in a fondue pot to about 325 degrees and guests spike cubes of meat and place them directly into the hot oil. While waiting a minute or two for the meat to cook and also to enjoy some wine and their company (the best part of fondue) the cube is removed from the oil and ready to be dunked into a variety of dipping sauces.

In order to make hot oil fondue healthier you need to start with the oil. Peanut oil is low in saturated fat and cholesterol and high in monounsaturated fat. This means that that just like olive oil, peanut oil will improve the ratio of good cholesterol to bad cholesterol.

Next you will need to use lean cuts of meat. Beef tenderloin, pork tenderloin and loin of lamb are good but chicken or turkey breast are your best bets. And keep the portions small. The general guideline is that the portion should be about the size of your palm of your hand.

Dipping sauces can also be made healthier with ingredient substitutions. Try using low sodium soy sauce or fat free sour cream. Take a small dip and dont drown your food in the sauce. Just say no to the barnaise or hollandaise sauce.

Broth fondues are similar to hot oil fondue except they are cooked in broth instead of oil. The benefit of cooking in broth is that it takes on the flavors of the ingredients dunked in it and you can eat it. Often broth fondue (or Shabu Shabu) is followed by a course of noodle or rice soup that is made with the leftover broth.

Start your broth fondue with low sodium chicken or beef broth. Like hot oil fondue you should use lean cuts of meat, small portions and limit the use of dipping sauces. Broth fondues add vegetables to the mix. Try adding mushrooms, green onions, carrots and celery to the broth. Loading up on vegetables will not only fill you but theyre healthy for you.

When running low on ingredients, add the remainder to the fondue pot along with some noodles or rice. Let simmer for a few minutes and serve this wonderfully flavored soup as an after dinner treat to your guests.

Chocolate fondue is delicious but fattening. Cheese fondue is not something you should eat every day. When dieting you should probably skip them both and stick to broth and hot oil fondues. If some care is taken while gathering ingredients, fondue can become a healthy meal.

About the Author

Anthony Tripodi is the webmaster of GoFondue.com – The Home of Fondue. For more information about fondue including recipes, ideas and equipment, visit GoFondue.com

Tags: Anthony Tripodi, Author, Bad Cholesterol, Best Bets, Broth Fondue, Chocolate Fondue, Cuts Of Meat, Cuts Of Meat Beef, Dipping Sauces, Fondue Pot, food;, GoFondue.com, Good Cholesterol, Hot Oil, hot oil fondue, hot oil fondues, Ingredient Substitutions, Lean Cuts Of Meat, Loin Of Lamb, Low Sodium, Oil Fondue, Oil Fondues, oil;, olive oil;, Palm Of Your Hand, Peanut Oil, Sodium Soy Sauce, Turkey Breast, Turkey;, webmaster —

Fats and carbohydrates – their place in your healthy diet
Zaak OConan

Lately it would seem that fats and carbohydrates have both gotten a bad rap. First it was fat that was the culprit in all dietary ills, and low fat diets were all the rage. Then the two switched places, with carbohydrates being the bad guys and fat reigning supreme.

As with most extremes, the truth lies somewhere in the middle. There is no such thing as a bad food, only bad dietary choices. While some foods are naturally better for you than others, there is no reason that all foods cannot be enjoyed in moderation. After all, the most successful diet is not one that you can follow for a day, a week or even a year. On the contrary, the only successful diet and nutrition program is one that you will be able to follow for a lifetime.

Both fats and carbohydrates play an important role in nutrition, and both are important to a healthy diet. It would be impossible and unwise to eliminate all fat from the diet, since fat is important for the production of energy, and for carrying valuable fat soluble vitamins like vitamin D, vitamin E and vitamin K, throughout the body. In addition, fat plays a vital role in regulating various bodily functions.

Even though some fat is essential to a healthy body, too much fat can be harmful. Excessive levels of dietary fats have been implicated in heart disease, stroke, high cholesterol levels and even some cancers. Most nutritionists recommend limiting daily fat intake to less than 20% of calories, although taking that level lower than 10% is not recommended.

Of course not all fats are created equal, and some fats are more harmful than others. Saturated fats and trans fats are generally understood to be more harmful in the diet than polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. These lighter fats, like canola oil and olive oil, should form the basis of cooking a healthier diet.

Keeping saturated fats and trans fats to a minimum is important to a healthy diet. Trans fats, which are solid at room temperature, are most often found in highly processed foods like cookies, cakes and other baked goods. In addition, trans fats are often found in fried foods and in salty snacks like potato chips. While these foods are fine in moderation, it is best to avoid large quantities of such snacks.

One additional word here about good fats – yes there are such things, and one of the most powerful of these are the so called omega-3 fatty acids. These fats are most often found in fish, and they have shown great promise in preventing and even reversing heart disease and high cholesterol levels.

When limiting your daily intake of fat and cholesterol, it is good to have an understanding of nutritional labels. These government mandated labels can be a huge help to those who take the time to read and understand them. Not only do nutritional labels provide valuable information on calories, fat content and sodium, but they provide valuable information about the most important vitamins and minerals as well.

Like fats, carbohydrates are found in a variety of different foods, some healthier than other. For instance, both Twinkies and whole wheat bread are sources of carbohydrates, but while one can form the basis of a healthy diet, the other is best used as an occasional snack.

In addition to cereals and breads, carbohydrates are also present in fruits and vegetables and in milk and other dairy products. Carbohydrates and fats are both important to a healthy, varied diet.

As with many products, less is often more when it comes to choosing foods rich in carbohydrates. For instance, less refined whole grain bread is generally more nutritious than white bread which has gone through a greater amount of refining. That is because the refining process tends to reduce nutrient content over time.

Of course, there are some elements in the diet that should be limited. Two of these elements are sugar and salt. Most Americans consume too much salt and sugar, and this has led to epidemics of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other ills. Limiting sugar and salt, while choosing good fats and unrefined carbohydrates, is a great way to maximize the nutritional value of the foods you eat.
About the Author

Zaak O’Conan discovers and presents useful information on how to enhance and/or repair your life, body and relationships. You’ll find his other articles on eating better and other ways how to improve your life at http://your-health-center.com

Tags: All The Rage, Author, bad food, Bad Rap, Bodily Functions, cancers;, Canola Oil, D Vitamin, Daily Fat Intake, dairy products;, diabetes;, Diet And Nutrition, Dietary Choices, Dietary Fats, energy;, epidemics, Excessive Levels, Fat Soluble Vitamins, Healthy Diet, heart disease;, High Cholesterol, High Cholesterol Levels, Low Fat Diets, Monounsaturated Fats, Nutrition Program, obesity;, olive oil;, Polyunsaturated Fats, Potato Chips, Saturated Fats, Stroke, Trans Fats, Vitamin D, Vitamin K —

Eating Healthy Doesn’t Have to Be Hard
Rachel Williamson

So many people dread the idea of “health food,” but the truth is that many foods labelled “healthy” are actually quite delicious. The key is the way you eat them, what you combine them with, and how much you eat.

When you think of healthy foods, do you think of boring Brussels sprouts and bland broccoli? Think again! You can have all the flavor you want and still keep the number on the scale down and keep your heart healthy.

Take your favorite recipes and look at the ingredients. Decide which ingredients are the least healthy and replace them. It’s as simple as that. For recipes that call for butter, try to replace it with olive oil. For recipes that call for whole milk, replace it with skim milk (or soy milk). For recipes that call for chicken broth, replace it with vegetable broth.

One big thing you can do to lower your intake of saturated fats is to lower your consumption of red meat. Whenever you can, replace red meat with fish. If you’re adventurous, you can replace red meat with soy substitutes. There are many soy products on the market that taste delicious. Soy crumbles are particularly good in homemade tacos and casseroles.

If eating healthy is difficult for you, don’t be too hard on yourself. Focus on changing gradually. If you can’t give up your usual dinner, have a healthy lunch. Every little bit helps. While it may not be true that “you are what you eat,” it is true that your health is directly affected by what you eat. You owe it to yourself and your body to feed it the proper fuel.

Besides replacing your old stand-bys with healthier alternatives, try to add 4-5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day. You’d be surprised how easy this is. For example, you might add some sliced banana to your morning breakfast, have an orange with lunch, have an apple for an afternoon snack, eat some beans with dinner, and have some blueberries on top of ice cream for dessert. Find your own way of adding fruits and vegetables into your diet so it works for you.

Small changes in your diet can make a huge difference. Don’t beat yourself up if your diet isn’t perfect. The important thing is to make it better than it was before. Even if you only add one or two pieces of fruit per day, you’re on the right track! You’ll begin to feel the difference and that will encourage you to do even better.

About the Author

Rachel Williamson shares healthy recipes and food news in Eat This!, a food blog.

Tags: Afternoon Snack, Author, Blueberries, Broccoli, Brussels, Brussels Sprouts, Bys, Casseroles, Chicken Broth, Dread, Favorite Recipes, food blog, food news, Fruits And Vegetables, Health Food, Healthy Foods, Morning Breakfast, olive oil;, Proper Fuel, Rachel Williamson, Red Meat, Saturated Fats, soy products, Tacos, Vegetable Broth, Whole Milk —