Restaurants offer a variety of delicacies that are often very high in calories. Although it is a fantastic experience for the palate, it is not always so for your diet or your health, because calories accumulate quickly in creamy sauces, cheese fillings and dressings. However, do not despair, it is still possible to eat healthily even at the restaurant.
Steps
Step 1. Avoid bread
Although it is a very important part of our diet, it is also a trap for those who are not careful. Bread flavored with garlic and breadsticks are often full of oil and butter with a very high calorie content. In low-quality restaurants, the fats used may also be trans-type. Be very careful with the scones too, they are small, but they harbor a huge amount of oil and butter. When you eat pizza, another type of "bread" with cheese, avoid ordering the version with "double mozzarella"! Keep the consumption of fatty baked goods to a minimum. If you can't get rid of the bread, here are some alternatives:
- Common bread without butter.
- Common bread with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar as a sauce (be very careful with the oil though!)
- A bruschetta as an appetizer (with tomato, basil, garlic and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil), but beware of the more caloric versions that contain a lot of calories due to the fats and seeds used.
- Try some Turin breadsticks, a couple are a good choice to start the meal.
Step 2. Choose the appetizer with great care
While delicious, this dish greatly increases the total calories of a meal. To stay on something healthy, choose vegetables in pinzimonio. They are often accompanied by spreadable cheeses and cold cuts, but try to limit yourself to the vegetables (avoiding the salami slices which are highly processed) because they are the winning horse if you want to eat healthy. If there must be cheese on the plate, ask for feta.
- Try a bowl of soup as an appetizer. Order one with lots of vegetables like minestrone.
- Be careful of fried food. Mozzarella in carrozza is often offered as a snack while you wait for the main course; know that in terms of calories and fat content this is not a very healthy food. Another dish that is found at the restaurant and which is widely consumed, consists of fried squid rings; these add 800 calories to your meal, so think carefully before ordering them! Instead, opt for steamed, grilled or baked dishes.
Step 3. Enjoy a good salad
It's always a great course, but be careful about ordering the dressing - those that are too rich should be avoided. Most restaurants bring plain salads to the table to allow each diner to provide according to personal tastes. Choose a mixed green salad or a pasta or bean salad.
- Try a caesar salad. Order it from the waiter without croutons (which are cooked in oil), without seasonings and grated cheese.
- Cold vegetable salads are a delicious dish, as are those of potatoes and beans with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
- If you decide for a pasta salad, check the dressings to make sure there are not too many fats or cheeses.
Step 4. Always ask for the amount of cheese to be halved
It is found in many dishes in our kitchen and can sometimes be difficult to avoid. The trick is to order dishes in which the cheese is added at the end of cooking; in this way you can ask the waiter not to put it, or to halve the quantity. In fact, a pizza with half mozzarella is just as tasty, without however exceeding in fat.
- The dishes you should avoid are lasagna, ravioli, cannelloni, eggplant and chicken parmigiana and other types of baked pasta where cheese is an integral part of the preparation in cooking and cannot be eliminated. Alternatively, ask for a small portion (as an appetizer) and accompany it with lots of steamed vegetables or a salad.
- Avoid stuffed pasta, as it is often rich in some type of cheese. Also in this case, mini-portions can help you if you are a lover of this dish. Don't forget to fill your plate with healthfully prepared vegetables and salads.
- Pay attention to the risottos. Although at first glance they may seem like an excellent choice, this is not the case if they are rich in cheese. Always ask the waiter for information before ordering.
Step 5. Choose pasta sauces that do not contain cream
The best are the tomato-based ones prepared in the simplest possible way, the meat sauce as long as it does not contain cream or cheese, a clam sauce or pasta sauteed in a pan with garlic, aromatic herbs and a drizzle of olive oil. The sauces to avoid are definitely carbonara and those based on butter, parmesan and cream.
- As for the pasta itself, ask for it to be wholemeal.
- If you are concerned about the amount of carbohydrates you are getting, then avoid pasta and stick to meat and vegetables.
Step 6. Find a healthy pizza if you have decided on this dish
Toppings make the difference between a good pizza and a full fat one. For example, a pizza with sausage and spicy salami is high in fat and nitrates and therefore is not a healthy choice. In fact, pizzas for "meat lovers" are a magnet for sausages and highly processed meats, so avoid them or ask for simple ham or chicken. Cheese is also a trap: ask for a little added or a “lean” type. This is the best thing you can do to cut down on fat and calories. Many locals will be very happy to accommodate your request to cut the amount of cheese in half, but they need to know! An alternative are pizzas without cheese, it may seem strange at first, but they are no less tasty if there are other ingredients, and it is by far the best choice for those who cannot consume dairy products.
- If there is a "special pizza" on the menu it could be a good choice, because it is a product that the restaurant is very proud of and for which the best ingredients are used, in addition to the fact that there should be no problems in customizing it. according to your tastes. In addition, the special pizzas could be even smaller than the normal ones.
- Try rosemary and garlic focaccia instead of regular cheese pizzas. Usually it is a simple pizza dough topped with extra virgin olive oil, rosemary and garlic. They could be quite salty and the dough is caloric: choose the small version.
- A cheese pizza is not a good choice, it is probably able, on its own, to satisfy half of your daily intake of saturated fat without providing a balanced amount of nutrients, in addition to the fact that it is very caloric.
- Avoid "double dough" pizzas and calzone stuffed with cheese: they contain many more calories than thin pizzas.
- Never eat a family pizza alone! They are just useless calories.
Step 7. When ordering the first course (which is served before the main course), always follow the same rule:
no cream, cheese, fried. Request that the chicken, fish, or veal be cooked on the grill but not fried or stir-fried. Also avoid breading and fillings and as a side dish stick to salads or vegetables instead of french fries or gratin with cheese.
Step 8. If you want a dessert, choose a light one
A fruit sorbet with biscuits can be fine, as is a great idea to share the dessert with another diner. Tiramisu lovers should know that a normal serving contains 300-400 calories.
If there is the possibility of having fresh fruit, this is the best way to end the meal
Step 9. In any case, be smart and play with the portions
If it is very abundant, do not try to clean up the plate, eat only half of it and ask for the doggy bag to take home the leftovers; even if in Italy it is not a consolidated habit, in recent years it has been gaining momentum. Do not fear the judgment of the waiter and the other diners, after all you have paid for your entire meal, why waste it? If, on the other hand, you know that this is a restaurant with particularly large portions, ask the waiter to halve them or share the dish with another diner. You are in control of how much food you eat, so be conscientious and know when to stop instead of emptying your plate.
- Portion control is essential with pizza. Just because you ordered a whole pizza doesn't mean you have to finish it in one meal. Eat a slice or two with a lot of salad and share the rest with other diners or ask to take it home.
- Don't devour food. Savor your meal by eating slowly and with awareness. If you eat calmly, you will fully enjoy each bite and give your stomach time to realize that you are eating enough. By doing this you will not be tempted to order more food.
Step 10. Know which foods are responsible for the calorie surge at the restaurant and choose carefully on the menu
Here's what you need to watch out for in detail:
- Sauces with cream: the fat content greatly increases the calorie intake. Also, if you are on a fat control diet, cream will be enough to complete your daily ration.
- Foods Rich in Oil and Butter: Anything that is drizzled with oil or drowned in butter is usually delicious but is a killer of your waistline. Avoid ordering too many dishes that are high in fat, but don't deprive yourself of the taste which is just as important. Be careful how much olive oil you use; While it's the healthiest topping, bread absorbs it like a sponge, which means you could be filling up on calories without even realizing it.
- Cheeses: usually Italian cuisine, despite having a great dairy tradition, does not include dishes dripping with melted cheese. However, some low quality restaurants tend to overdo it to mask sub-optimal ingredients or to add flavor when the preparation is not of a good standard. Unfortunately, the greater the amount of cheese, the more caloric the dish is. Always order dishes with half the amount of cheese rather than hoping that the cook has an intuition.
Advice
- Sometimes you would like to indulge in some high calorie delicacy. In this case, you will need to distribute your weekly calories by taking them into account and preparing yourself to eat particularly healthy after your meal at the restaurant. Consume all calorie foods in moderation, taking only small portions. Even a small dish can be satisfying if you learn to appreciate calorie food in small quantities.
- The fats in our diet come mainly from cheeses, olive oil, butter, eggs, salad dressings and cream. Some are present in baked goods and processed foods that are not prepared from scratch by the restaurant kitchen.
- This guide mainly refers to Italian restaurants abroad, where our recipes are often "interpreted" to get closer to the tastes of the host country and do not always follow the rules of the Mediterranean diet. However, it doesn't hurt to be aware of what's on your plate and pay attention to the portions.
- In some restaurants, healthy and smart dishes are also listed on the menu. Look for them, in case you want to eat out without "straying" from the diet. It also doesn't hurt to ask the restaurant service staff for some advice.
- Don't forget to count what you drink as well. Soft drinks are an unhealthy choice that adds calories without any nutritional benefits. Choose mineral water (sparkling or not), small amounts of wine and a coffee at the end of the meal. Some restaurants also have orange or lemon flavored waters, they are tasty and refreshing.
