Order This, Not That Restaurant Advice

Posted by amy in News

One of the trickiest things to navigate when eating out is the menu. you want to eat healthy but sometimes you get tripped up on the code words used in the dish’s description.

So while christmas is over – it’s never too early to start thinking about your naughty and nice list!

How well can you decode menu terms?

Smothered – Nothing about this word says good for you. I’ve never seen anything smothered in broccoli so usually this means that it will include a large quantity of cheese, gravy or butter.

Country style – This is one that usually shows up close to smothered and it almost always means there will be lots of gravy and probably the frying of something.

Baked – This is a great way to enjoy a chicken, fish or potato.

Crusted / Crunchy – These are usually menu code words for fried!
…Same goes for battered and breaded.

Broiled and roasted – These are both healthier ways to prepare food so these are on the nice list.

We have a couple of tricky ones here:
Au gratin – This one always sounds so delicious but this means that there is usually going to be a ton of cheese on top of the dish.

Hollandaise – This is another one that seems fancy and delicious but it is just a high calorie white sauce made of eggs and butter.

What do you think about cream, creamy or white sauce? White sauce is code for high calorie and when you see creamy soups, this also means high in calories. Instead opt for tomato based sauces and soups.

I’ve just given you a pile of foods you can’t eat so here are some that you can – grilled, steamed and my favorite FRESH!

My last comment is on salads. Everyone that wants to eat healthy orders a salad and many times they are being misled. Many times, the meat on the salads is fried and there are tons of high calorie items like bacon and cheese and loads of sugary dressing. If you want a healthy salad, request that the fried chicken be substituted for grilled. Get the dressing on the side so you can add your own amount and then decide if the bacon and cheese are worth the splurge.

Check out the segment on Talk of the Town: Watch Video Now!