This document provides strategies for eating healthy when dining out or getting takeout. It summarizes that portion sizes have increased dramatically in recent decades. Eating out can make it difficult to achieve nutrition goals due to large portions, calories from sauces and cooking methods, and misleading nutrition information. However, the document provides six survival strategies for maintaining a healthy diet when eating away from home, such as knowing what you want before going, making special requests, considering portion size, drinking water, and supplementing meals with healthy snacks.

1. Lesson from a series of 8 classes:

2. Americans Are Eating Out
More and Cooking Less
• Average person
eats more than 4
meals per week
prepared away
from home.

3. The Challenges
• Fat, fat everywhere!
• Portions are large
• Loads of sodium
• Focus on meat
• Fruits and
vegetables few and
far between

4. Do You Suffer From
“Portion Distortion?”
According to the National Restaurant
Association’s Dinner Decision Making
Study, most consumers rank portion
size as one of the 10 “hallmarks of a
great place to eat.”

5. Calorie Difference: 165 Calories
250 Calories
20 ounces
85 Calories
6.5 ounces
Things have changed….
20 Years Ago Today

6. Portion Choices

7. 1520 calories
111 g fat
66% of calories are fat
Source: Men‟s Health 20 Worst Foods in America
Worst Burger
Carl‟s Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger

8. 1,145 calories
71 g fat
Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger
Worst "Healthy" Burger
Source: Men‟s Health 20 Worst Foods in America

9. Watch out for misleading information
on some restaurant nutrition websites!
CABOT AGED CHEDDAR & MUSHROOM BURGER
Serving Size(g) 245g Servings 2
Calories 600 Calories from Fat 360
Total Fat 40g
Saturated Fat 16g
Trans Fat 2g
Cholesterol 120mg
Sodium 910mg
Total Carbohydrates
25g
Dietary Fiber 2g
Sugars 2g
Protein
34g
Source: http://www.unos.com/kiosk/nutritionUnos.html (UNO Chicago Grill)

10. Can You Achieve Your Nutrition
Goals and Still Eat Out?

11. Survival Strategy #1
Know what you want before you go in.
• Call ahead for the menu –
decide what you will eat
when you are not hungry.
• Don‟t consider other
menu items once you get
there.
• Order before others to
avoid changing your
mind.

12. Survival Strategy #2
Don‟t be afraid to special order.
• Ask if special
preparation
requests are
possible
• Request items on
the side or
removed
• Pay attention to
menu descriptions
May I have the
fish grilled, please?

13. Beware of these high-calorie
menu descriptions:
• Fried, deep fried
• Sautéed in oil or butter
• Crispy
• Creamy
• Batter-dipped
• Cheese sauce
• Golden brown
• Au gratin
• Creamed
• Alfredo sauce
“A little more butter
will make it taste
even better...”

14. Opt for these lower-calorie
preparations:
• Grilled
• Broiled
• Stir-fried
• Blackened
• Light wine sauce
• Broth (soups)
• Low-fat or fat-free
salad dressing or
mayonnaise

15. Survival Strategy #3
Curb a ravenous appetite.
• Eat light snack (100-200 calories)
1 hour before meal if extremely hungry:
– Fruit or whole grain crackers with a protein.
• Curb your appetite at the restaurant:
– Drink water with lemon.
– Eat broth-based soup.
– Start meals with salad
(light dressing) instead of bread

16. Salad Tips
• Good choices - fresh vegetables,
fruits, beans.
• Limit salads with mayonnaise ---
coleslaw, potato salads and pasta
salads.
• Go easy on cheese, eggs, nuts and
croutons.
• Skip bacon bits.
• Dress the salad with vinegar, lemon
juice or low-calorie dressings.
• To eat, use the „dip and stick‟ method.

17. • Let it slow down your eating pace
• The perils of the bottomless beverage
• Caution: alcohol and calories
– Limit or greatly reduce your intake.
– Choose lower calorie options.
– Does the pleasure justify the calories?
– No nutritional value.
– Pour small amounts, savor the flavor
– “Uninhibiting” effect  “what the heck”
Survival Strategy #4
Drink water with your meal.

18. • Share food with dining
companions.
• Divide large entrees in
half.
– Add salad or soup,
if needed.
• Order appetizers,
soups, salads in place
of entrees.
Survival Strategy #5
Consider the portion size.

19. • Plan to take
leftovers home.
• Ask for a take-home
container when the
food arrives. Fill it
before you eat.
• Ask if smaller
portions are
available:
– Kiddie/junior size
– Lunch size

20. Survival Strategy #6
Pack a meal from home occasionally.
• Healthy “planned-overs”
• Lower-calorie frozen entrees
• Made-ahead soups and stews
• Fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables
• Salads with reduced calorie dressing
• Potatoes or sweet potatoes with toppings
• Know the benefits of brown bagging
– Controlled portions
– Healthier
– Cost-efficient
– Time for exercise

21. Steak/Seafood/Southern Cooking
Restaurants
• Forego the appetizer .
• Limit bread.
• Choose smallest steak possible – leanest cuts include
filet and sirloin….OR
• Choose grilled fish or chicken (small portions).
• Watch portion size of potatoes (think size of fist).
• Order steamed or grilled veggies – request without
butter or sauce.
• Choose boiled seafood over fried.
• Limit mayo-based seafood dips
(each little cup is 2 T. – mostly mayo @
100 calories per T.)

22. • Skip the hushpuppies, cornbread and
biscuits or have just one….not one of
each.
• Consider having a vegetable plate -
Ask how each choice has been
prepared (some have lard, bacon fat,
etc. added)

23. Balancing the Buffet – AYCE!
(such as Ryan‟s, Golden Corral, etc.)
• Survey before you serve.
• Use smallest plate possible.
• Pile no thicker than deck of cards.
• Take 1-2 tablespoon portions –
lots of white space.
• Fill ¾ of plate with lower calorie
vegetables and fruits.
• Select one portion of a non-fried
meat .
• Sit away from the buffet table.
• Wait 20 minutes before getting a dessert. Choose ½ cup
portion of one dessert, if you still want it. (visualize your
little dish from class)

24. Ying and Yang of Chinese Food
• VERY high in sodium.
• Order from the menu (what menu???)
– Beef and Broccoli
– Shrimp and Lobster Sauce
• Green tea may have benefits.
• Egg drop, won ton or hot & sour soup good for
starters.
• Choose chicken and seafood over duck and
pork, if not fried.
• Look for dishes that feature vegetables.
• Choose plain rice rather than fried rice or
noodles - brown rice may be an option.
• Limit dishes with sweet and sour sauces or
nuts.
• Those green beans are shiny for a reason!
• Habachi grill? Request no oil or butter.
• Desserts – sherbet, fruit, fortune cookie (about
25 calories!)
An egg roll can have
300-400
calories, mostly from
the fried wonton
wrapper.

25. Making the Most of Mexican
• Healthy ingredients: rice, beans,
grilled chicken and lean steak,
salsa, limited avocado
• What makes it unhealthy: cheese,
sour cream, tortilla chips - ask for
these on side or removed
• Chips and salsa?...think 10
calories and 1 g fat per chip.
• Eat taco salad without shell
• Chili & other soups often low fat
and high fiber
Less healthy choices:
1.Crispy shell chicken taco
2.Refried beans
3.Steak Chalupa
4.Crunch wraps or gordita-type
burritos
5.Nachos with refried beans
6.Adding sour cream or cheese
Healthier choices:
1.Grilled chicken soft taco
2.Grilled vegetable fajitas
3.Black beans
4.Shrimp ensalada
5.Grilled „fresco‟ style steak burrito
or fajitas
6.Veggie and bean burrito

26. Italian Restaurants
• Pasta Dishes
– Choose tomato or marinara
sauces instead of:
• Alfredo, carbonara, saltimbocca, parmigiana
• Lasagna, manicotti, stuffed pastas
(all have lots of cream and cheese)
– Bread/Breadsticks often doused in butter or oil - request
them plain. Eat just one.
• Pizza
– Order thin crust…..not original, deep dish, pan or hand-
tossed; avoid stuffed crust
– Lowfat toppings: pineapple, Canadian bacon, ham, grilled
chicken, vegetables; request “light on cheese”
– High-fat Toppings: extra
cheese, pepperoni, sausage, bacon, alfredo sauce

27. Fitting In Fast Foods
Fried Chicken

28. Breakfast on the Go
Less Healthy Choices
• Biscuits or croissants
• Sandwiches with sausage and/or
cheese
• Bagels loaded with cream cheese
• Donuts
• Lattes, mochas and cappuccinos
with whole milk
Best Choices
• Bagels with spreads on side
• Jams/jellies
• Breakfast sandwiches with
bagels or English muffins and
egg
• Flavored coffees with skim milk
Less Healthy Option
• Sausage biscuit with egg
• Orange juice (8 oz.)
= Meal total
670 calories
33 grams fat
1,015 mg sodium
Healthier Option
• Egg, Canadian bacon, cheese
on plain English muffin (no
butter)
• 1/2 Orange juice (4 oz.)
= Meal total
390 calories
12 grams fat
830 mg sodium

29. Best Choices
• Regular, single-patty
hamburger without mayo,
special sauce or cheese
• Grilled chicken sandwich or
strips
• Veggie burger
• Garden salad with grilled
chicken and low-fat dressing
(check out serving size on back
of dressing package)
• Baked potato (watch toppings)
• Yogurt parfait
• Apples or other fruit
Less Healthy Choices
• Double-patty hamburger with
cheese, mayo, special sauce, bacon
• Fried chicken sandwich
• Fried fish sandwich (tartar sauce)
• Salad with toppings such as bacon,
cheese, and ranch dressing
• French fries
• Milkshakes
• Chicken “nuggets” or tenders
Burger Chains

30. Sub Sandwich Chains
Less Healthy Choices
• Foot-long sub
• High-fat meat such as bacon,
meatballs, or steak
• Mayo-based, like Tuna Salad
• The “normal” amount of higher-
fat (Cheddar, American) cheese
• Mayo, oil and special sauces
• Keeping the sub “as is” with all
toppings and condiments
• Choosing white bread or “wraps”
Adding chips and cookies
Best Choices
• 6-inch sub
• Lean meat (roast beef, chicken
breast, lean ham) or veggies
• One or two slices of lower-fat
cheese (mozzarella)
• Low-fat dressing, light mayo or
mustard
• Add extra veggie toppings
• Choose whole-grain bread or
take the top slice off your sub
and eat it open-faced
October 2007 Journal of Consumer Research study
found that people tend to eat 350 more calories per
meal at a sub shop than at McDonalds.

31. Fried Chicken Chains
Best Choices
• Grilled or skinless chicken
breast without breading
• Honey BBQ chicken
sandwich
• Garden salad
• Mashed potatoes
• Limited gravy and sauces
• Remove skin before eating
fried chicken
Less Healthy Choices
• Fried chicken, original or extra-
crispy
• Teriyaki wings or popcorn
chicken
• Caesar salad (unless you request
dressing on side and no
croutons)
• Chicken and biscuit “bowl”
• Extra gravy and sauces

32. Add Healthy Snacks
To Meet Your Goals
• Low-fat milk
• Low-fat yogurt
• Fresh fruit
• Baby carrots; carrot
or celery sticks
• Vegetable juice
• Cereal, fruit and
skim milk

33. Summary: Make Eating Out
Healthier for You
• Choose restaurants that offer healthier selections.
Do your homework.
• Plan ahead what you‟ll eat.
• Make special requests.
• Consider the portion.
• Share meals or request
to-go box.
• Drink water with your meals
• Supplement your meals with healthy snacks.

34. Presented by:
Debbie Melvin, MS, CFCS
Area Nutrition Agent
Lafourche and Terrebonne Parishes
De'Shoin York Friendship, MPA, CFPP
Associate Specialist - Nutrition
Southern University AgCenter

35. Smart Portions Curriculum Team
A. Kay Singleton, M.S., R.D.
Associate Extension Agent (FCS/4-H), Southeast/Crescent Region
Debbie Melvin, M.S., C.F.C.S.
Extension Agent (Nutrition), South Central/Crescent Region
Terri Crawford, M.S.
Extension Agent (Nutrition), Central Region
Penny Thibodeaux, M.S.
Extension Agent (4-H), Southwest Region
Joan P. Almond, M.S.
Extension Agent (FCS), Northwest/North Central Region
Beth Reames, Ph.D., LDN, R.D.
Professor and Extension Specialist
Evva L. Z. Wilson, Ph.D.
Extension Specialist and
FNP Curriculum Coordinator (retired)