Hints
Water
Drink a glass or water in advance of going to a restaurant. It will help curb your appetite.
Know in advance what you want to order and stick with it! Reading over the menu may trigger visual cues too tempting to withstand. Be the First to order so as not to be tempted by other people’s choices.
Key words to look for
Broiled, grilled, roasted, baked steamed, or poached. Even though these words imply a low-fat alternative, most foods are often basted in butter. Ask how they are prepared to make sure they follow your plan. Feel free to request foods be prepared to meet your needs. Foods in the fried section of the menu can often be grilled or broiled instead.
Always stay within the program guidelines. Example: A steamed vegetable must be one that is on the acceptable list for the program.
Be careful with salad bars.
Salad bars contain many hidden fat selections. Some of the salad bar foes are: Potato salad, coleslaw, meat salads, marinated vegetables, pasta salad, cheese, bacon croutons, and salad dressings. Many low fat dressings are loaded with sugar. When ordering a premade salad, ask for the dressing on the side or take dressings that are acceptable on the program.
When you read the menu
Some key words to avoid are: Au Gratin, béarnaise sauce, béchamel sauce, beurre sauce, buttered, butter sauce, buttery, cheese sauce, creamed, cream sauce, creamy, crème, crispy, en croquet, scalloped, fried, hollandaise sauce, in pastry, meuniere, newberg, parmigiana, panfried, sautéed. These words most often represent a high fat selection.