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Articles
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Healthy Eating
In Restaurants and
And On Vacation
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You may be pleasantly surprised at the ease of getting a satisfying
and tasty vegetarian meal at a restaurant. Since becoming health-conscious
vegetarians, we have yet to have a really bad dining out experience - at any restaurant!
Nicole came the closest to a bad experience when she went with a group
of friends to a hamburger chain restaurant (fast food places are the most
challenging). There was absolutely nothing healthy on the menu and
she was hungry. But a brainstorm hit her, and she ordered a hamburger,
hold the hamburger! They put lots of lettuce, tomato, and sautéed
onion between the buns and she didn't have to starve. (And her friends
were impressed!)
Here are some suggestions to help you stay healthy when eating out.
MEXICAN FOOD
Mexican restaurants are great - so much to choose from! A few
items you may select are bean burritos, meatless tostadas, veggie fajitas
(no meat, of course), guacamole, and bean and/or veggie tacos. Just
make sure that the beans are not cooked in lard or meat stock.
CHINESE FOOD
Like Mexican food, there are usually lots of good choices here too.
There will usually be a number of vegetable dishes on the menu. Just make
sure that your dish has not been cooked with meat or in meat stock, and
that no MSG was used. And for fat reduction, in most Chinese restaurants
you can request that your meal be prepared in a "dry wok." This will
ensure that your chow mein isn't dripping with grease.
ITALIAN FOOD
We're finding a trend toward more vegetable-based Italian menu items
as well. But even at the more "old fashioned" Italian restaurants,
you can dine well on pasta with marinara (you may like to have some mushrooms
added), or pasta primavera (with lots of veggies). Bruschetta (broiled
or grilled Italian bread with olive oil, garlic and tomatoes) can make
a great appetizer (heck, it's almost an entire meal!). Minestrone
can be delicious, but in restaurants it's usually prepared with beef or
chicken stock, so order a salad instead (make sure your salad comes without
cheese). Oil and vinegar or Italian dressing are good choices for
toppings.
PIZZA
Yes, pizza restaurants too can yield a healthful experience. We used
to think that pizza isn't pizza without the cheese, but some places offer
really tasty marinara sauces and great toppings like spicy eggplant and
artichoke hearts. So pile on all your favorite veggies, leave off
the cheese, and enjoy!
FAMILY-STYLE RESTAURANTS
If you can't find something healthy listed in the entrees, how about
combing some side dishes. Try ordering a baked potato (maybe topped
with sautéed mushrooms or other veggies) and a dinner salad.
Or how about hashed brown potatoes, cooked on a dry skillet, to go with
that salad?
Some restaurants offer hot vegetarian sandwiches that can be quite good.
Nicole has placed her savvy "hamburger, hold the hamburger" order at some
of these restaurants, and had sautéed mushrooms, avocado slices,
and other veggies added to the sandwich. (This is especially good
served on French bread). Nicole sometimes orders a club sandwich,
hold the meat. Remember to hold the mayo (or any other "special sauce"
or dressing) and the cheese when you order your sandwich. Mustard
is a good addition.
Imagination is the key. One lady told me she went to brunch with friends
and couldn't find anything she could eat on the menu, so she ordered a
vegetable omelet, hold the eggs and cheese! She had a lovely plate
of sautéed veggies served with whole wheat toast.
UPPER SCALE (you know, the places with real tablecloths)
We've gone to "nicer" restaurants and had wonderful experiences.
A couple of places where they didn't have vegan (not only meatless, but
eggless and dairy-free) items on the menu, we've told the waiter our special
dietary needs and they have been very accommodating. In each case,
the chef came up with wonderful dishes that weren't found on the menu.
And waiters often have imaginative suggestions for standard menu items
that can be altered to fit your diet and preferences.
WATER is always the beverage of choice. We recently had the great opportunity
to hear Charles and Frances Hunter speak. Frances says that when
the food server asks the inevitable beverage question, she never answers,
"Just water." Instead, she says, "God created water and no one has
ever improved on it." She often turns a simple beverage request into
an evangelistic opportunity!
(You can check out the Hunter's web site at http://www.cfhunter.org.
Don't miss an opportunity to hear them if they are speaking in your area!)
As you consider your own personal favorites, you'll come up with many
more solutions, I'm sure. (Please email us with those thoughts -
we're always looking for new ideas!)
Of course, when you eat out, it's not going to be the quality of food
(nutritionally) that you would prepare at home. And you have to expect
some things you wouldn't ordinarily eat, like extra salt and bleached flour.
But have fun and enjoy!
MORE SUMMER FOOD TIPS:
Healthy eating at summer shindigs (party, even BBQ, and stay healthy!).
Summer Food Safety (know the difference between wisdom and myth).
Back to Articles
All articles and information on this website are for educational purposes only. They are not to be regarded or relied upon as medical advice. The articles and information have not been evaluated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. AIM products are not intended to cure, treat, heal, mitigate, or prevent a disease or illness. Results may vary per person. Consult your health practitioner if you have health problems.
copyright (c) 2001, 2002, 2003 Clarence Russell, Healthy Perspective.com
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