Low Calorie Restaurant Food Guide
From
a reader:
I am a working girl who is trying to get back in shape.
I can’t always bring a pack lunch from home because I am too busy to prepare
it. What are some of the restaurants/ fast food chains we can go to that offer
more healthful cuisine?
Do you have any helpful hints when looking at a menu? And what are our most healthful bets when ordering Filipino/ Japanese/ Chinese/ Italian/ American/ Indian cuisine?
Yes, it is possible to eat out and still maintain your weight. You just have to know how to make lower calorie restaurant choices. Nutritionist Joy Bauer, author of “The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Eating Smart”, shows you how to enjoy dining out without guilt. But don’t think that you can eat double or triple portions just because you have chosen food from the lower calorie list. All excess calories end up making their home in your hips, thighs or abdomen. Eat moderately and enjoy your food.
Chinese
Food
Lower Calorie Food
Hot and sour soup
Wonton soup
Steamed dumplings (vegetable, chicken or seafood)
Stir-fried or steamed chicken, beef, seafood, tofu, vegetables
Steamed whole fish
Moo-shu vegetables (with pancake roll-ups)
Steamed brown or white rice
Fortune cookies
Lychee nuts
Orange and pineapple slices
Higher calorie food
Egg drop soup, egg rolls, egg fu yung
Fried dumplings and wontons
Fried rice
Cold noodles with sesame sauce
Moo-shu pork
Sweet and sour pork
Fried chicken and seafood dishes
Seafood with lobster sauce
Spare ribs
Roasted duck or goose
French
Food
Lower calorie food
Steamed mussels
Consomme
Endive and watercress salads
Nicoise salads
Poached or steamed fish
Lightly sauteed vegetables
Bouillabaisse
Chicken in wine sauce
French bread and baguettes
Flambeed cherries
Peaches in wine
Fresh and poached fruit
Fruit sorbet
Wine in moderation
Higher calorie food
Appetizers with olives, anchovies or capers
Quiche
French onion soup with cheese
Cream-based soups
Pate, fondue, crepes, brioche
Duck or goose with skin
Anything with Bearnaise, Hollandaise, Bechamel, or Mornay Sauce
Anything with the word “cream” or “au gratin”
Chocolate mousse
Crème caramel
Croissants
Pastries and eclairs
Indian
Food
Lower-Calorie Food
Tamata salat
Mulligatawny soup
Chicken or beef tikka
Tandoori chicken, beef or fish
Chicken, beef , and fish saag or vandaloo
Shish kabob
Gobhi matar tamatar
Matar pulao
Steamed rice
Papadum or papad
Coriander, tamarind, and yogurt-based sauces
Chapati
Naan
Kulcha
Mango, mint, and onion chutney.
Higher calorie food
Anything made with Ghee
Coconut soups
Samosas
Korma
Curries made with coconut milk or cream
Pakora
Saaq paneer
Creamy rice dishes
Fried breads
Honeyed pastries
Italian
Food
Lower calorie food
Roasted peppers
Mussells marinara
Steamed clams
Lightly marinated mushrooms
Grilled calamari
Minestrone soup
Pasta with meatless marinara sauce, primavera (not creamy, red and white clam
sauce, marsala
Chicken breast with red sauce
Chicken cacciatore
Shrimp, chicken, or veal in wine sauce
Chicken and veal piccati
Pizza with fresh vegetable toppings
Fresh Italian bread
Fresh strawberries
Italian ices
Skim milk cappuccino
Wine in moderation
Higher calorie food
Fried calamari
Fried mozzarella
Garlic bread
Caesar salads
Prosciutto
Sausage and meatball heros
Calzones
Antipasto salad with high-fat meats and cheeses
Cheese or meat-filled ravioli
Meat lasagna
Cheesy vegetarian lasagna
Cannelloni
Baked ziti
Fettuccine alfredo
Manicotti
Pizza with pepperoni and sausage
Shrimp scampi
Chicken or veal scaloppini
Chicken, veal, or eggplant parmigiana
Cannoli and other cream pastries
Spumoni
Japanese
Food
Lower calorie food
Miso soup
Steamed vegetables
Fish and vegetable sushi
Sashimi
Hijiki
Oshitashi
Yaki-udon
Yakitori
Su-udon
Sukiyaki
Nabemono
Yosenabe
Miso-nabe
Shabu-shabu
Sumashi wan
Chicken, fish, or beef teriyaki
Steamed rice
Fresh fruit
Higher calorie food
Vegetable or shrimp tempura
Tonkatsu
Fried dumplings
Fried bean curd
Oyako domburi
Chawan mush
Yo kan
Mexican
Food
Lower calorie food
Gazpacho
Corn tortillas with salsa
Ceviche
Chicken fajitas
Enchiladas
Camarones de hacha
Arroz con pollo
Cheeseless burritos
Grilled fish or chicken breast
Frijoles a la charra
Borracho beans and rice
Soft chicken taco
Chicken tostada
Salsa, pico de gallo, and cilantro
Jalapeno peppers
Higher calorie foods
Tortilla chips
Nachos with cheese
Flour tortillas
Chorizo
Carnitas
Refried beans
Quesadillas with cheese
Beef tacos
Burritos with cheese
Beef and cheese enchilada
Chimichangas
Sour cream and guacamole
Frozen margaritas and pina coladas
American
Food
Lower calorie food
Shrimp/seafood cocktails
Tossed salad with lite vinaigrette
Broth and vegetable-based soup
Turkey, roastbeef, and grilled chicken sandwiches
Broiled, blackened, or grilled fish, chicken, and lean meats
Plain hamburgers, turkey burgers, and veggie burgers
Grilled chicken on top of salad
Grilled vegetable plates over rice
Chicken kabobs and rice
Baked potatoes (with dijon mustard, ketchup, marinara, salsa, or small amounts
of
butter
Pasta with tomato-based sauce
Steamed or lightly sauteed vegetables
Frozen yogurt, fruit ice, or sherbet
Fresh fruit
Angel food cake
Higher calorie food
Creamy soups
Caesar salads
Salads with avocado, bacon and creamy dressings
Buffalo/chicken wings
Fried zucchini and mushrooms
Cheeseburgers
Fried fish or chicken nuggets
Grilled cheese sandwiches
Philadelphia cream steaks
Reuben sandwiches
Tuna melts
Tuna, egg, or chicken salads
Fried chicken or fish
Hot dogs
French fries
Potato salads
Fruit pies, cookies, and cakes
Creamy coffees
Ice cream sundaes
Filipino
Food
This list contains my personal suggestions for eating Pinoy-style.
Lower calorie foods
Chicken tinola
Fish or shrimp sinigang
Grilled fish, seafood,chicken, or pork
Steamed fish or seafood
Steamed or sauteed vegetables
Pancit
Steamed rice
Fresh lumpia
Halo-halo with ice only (no ice cream or evaporated milk)
Mais con yelo
Fresh fruits
Higher calorie foods
Beef or pork sinigang
Bulalo
Fried rice
Fried lumpia
Fried fish, seafood, chicken or pork
Kare-kare
Crispy pata or lechon kawali
Lechon
Halo-halo with ice cream
Leche flan