A healthy diet: Sometimes it's the little things that count most
By Lisa Snider 08/28/2008
Unless I am writing a food and wine feature, my usual dining-out routine consists of ordering condiments on the side, water with lemon, something with vegetables, a side of fruit instead of fries and a to-go box. I keep the service staff on their toes, but I tip well to make up for it. All of these little things — call them exceptions or adjustments — add up quickly. Here is a list of my “little things,” which help me maintain a healthy weight without feeling deprived:
There are a lot of calories in alcohol, so keep the consumption in check. When we drink more, we eat more, so a glass of wine, instead of a whole bottle, is just fine with my husband and me when we dine out. Not only is the check a little cheaper, we’ll have fun with it by ordering different glasses and trading back and forth. At home, a bottle can last as many as three nights. After that, we just drink water. Some things, though, like my Friday night Hendrick’s gin martini, are simply non-negotiable!
I love a good deli sandwich. I especially love tuna — a tuna salad sandwich with lots of mayonnaise. Come to think of it, I like a mayo sandwich with tuna. So my exception here is to make it at home with low-sodium tuna and low-fat mayonnaise and mustard. When I dine out, I don’t order traditional deli sandwiches because they are laden with fat, cholesterol and sodium. If you just substitute mustard for mayonnaise, though, you are doing yourself a huge favor with little sacrifice.
At home, we use fake salt, which tastes exactly the same. At restaurants, we ask them to hold the salt. Sodium keeps the pounds on and can lead to problems later on, like hypertension and heart disease. Unless you’re training for a marathon, you don’t need extra salt.
Soda is another big culprit, loaded with sugar, calories and sodium. Get into the habit of drinking water instead. It’s cheaper, especially if you are getting it from the tap, and your body will be better hydrated. Remember the eight-by-eight rule (eight glasses, eight times a day).
Practically every restaurant portion exceeds what is considered to be a healthy portion, so don’t eat everything you are served. I always remember this great tip I got from Jason Womack of www.FitAndEffective.com, which is to put half of your meal into a to-go box. A lot of us are value-eaters and when we look at the menu price of an item, we expect to get more than our money’s worth with a very full belly. But if we think in terms of how many meals we can get out of it, that’s a healthier thought. And by removing what’s served to you immediately into a to-go box, it’s out of your fork’s reach.
Avoid buffets at all costs. Again, the value-eating comes into play here. If you skip the buffet and order from the menu instead, you will get less food, but you will also get a trimmer waistline, and I would certainly call that a good value.
If the buffet is your only choice, visit it once. Seek out fruits and vegetables first, serve yourself small portions and leave room on your plate. Eat slowly, and then wait. It takes a while to start to feel satisfied, which is why it’s so easy to overeat. Your patience will pay off, though.
Try incorporating just a few exceptions or adjustments this week. Chances are, you won’t miss a thing, except maybe a pound or two!
Lisa Snider is a local freelance writer. For more, go to www.LisaSnider.com.
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