At the bar: Avoid the fatty appetizers
Especially stay away from the breaded and fried ones, which have too much (trans) fats, and too many calories.
At the bar: Beef burger, hold the mayo
If you hold the mayo (and the cheese), a burger with condiments may be the best bet.
At the bar: Chile is good
Its one of the few items you can order at the bar that is not fried.
At the bar: Don't fall for crispy chicken
Crispy means FRIED. Go for grilled or roasted chicken instead.
At the bar: Go for side orders
The healthiest meal on the menu will be a side order of steamed veggies, and a baked potato. Use hot sauce, not butter.
At the bar: Watch your chicken salad
Steer clear of the crispy chicken and ranch, go for the grilled chicken and vinaigrette.
BBQ: Avoid the presweetened tea or lemonade
These often have huge amounts of sugar or other sweeteners added. Order tea unsweetened and add sugar to taste.
BBQ: Go baby back
These ribs are the leanest - order them dry rubbed to taste the meat (and avoid the sugar in the sauce).
BBQ: Go lean with the brisket
Order beef brisket "lean" not "wet" to reduce the fat and unnecessary calories.
BBQ: Order a side dish carefully
Baked red beans have great protein, fiber and antioxidants. Stay away from breaded, fried, creamed, or tossed in mayo choices.
BBQ: Order blackened catfish
Stay away from the battered and fried version for a flavorful meal that is good for you!
BBQ: Stay away from fatty ribs and BBQ sauce
The sauce loads up sugar and calories, and St Louis and Texas style ribs have too much fat.
BBQ: Try the chicken
It's the leanest meat you'll find in a BBQ restaurant, if you order it rotisserie or baked, not fried.
Breakfast: Avoid anything fried
Especially home fries/french fries, which are a fatty carb load you can do without for breakfast.
Breakfast: Avoid eggs benedict
Any dish covered with Hollandaise sauce will bust your fat and calorie budget, even before you get to the egg yolks.
Breakfast: Choose wheat toast over white
Make it dry (no butter!), and add a small amount of jam or jelly for flavor.
Breakfast: Choose bacon over sausage
Neither is very good for you, but there is less fat and fewer calories in a slice of bacon than a pork sausage.
Breakfast: Choose Canadian bacon over ham
There is less fat in and more protein in Canadian bacon.
Breakfast: Eat oatmeal
The whole grain oats provide fiber without fat or salt.
Breakfast: Try feta and spinach omelettes
Feta is lower in fat than other cheeses, and spinach is a great source of vitamins A and C, and iron.
Chinese: Avoid the "crispy"
Crispy dishes are breaded and fried, adding unnecessary fats and calories. Its even worse when the sauce is laden with sugar.
Chinese: Avoid the fat
Sesame, orange, and General TSO's preparations are crispy breaded or fried".
Chinese: Enjoy the fortune cookie
It's too small to hurt you.
Chinese: Lo Mein, high fat
The problem is the fat used to cook the noodles, not the fat in the added pork or beef.
Chinese: Order brown rice
Whole grain rice is better for you than white rice (it has more fiber), but limit your intake of these relatively empty calories.
Chinese: Order it steamed
Always the best option, as it preserves food's natural flavors, and skips the added fat and sugar.
Chinese: Peking duck is pretty good
At least, it has less fat than the stir fry.
Chinese: Savor the soup
Won ton and hot and sour soups are lean, nutritious, and great options on the menu.
Chinese: Split the entrees
Each one will serve at least two people, so share. If two people order two entrees, plan on taking half of each home with you.
Chinese: Stay away from sweet and sour
It's deep fried and covered in sugary sauce.
Choose the low fat appetizer
A salad or a vegetable dish will have fewer calories, and much less fat.
French: Avoid the "confit of …"
Any confit meat dish is slowly stewed in its own fat.
French: Beurre blanc badness
This sauce has way too much unsaturated fat, next only to Hollandaise in unhealthfulness.
French: Fill-up on Fruits de Mer
The variety of seafood is all good -- but stay away from any creamy or buttery dipping sauces.
French: Share the crème brulee
It has too much fat and sugar for any one person. Better yet, order a dish with fruit (pie or crepe).
French: Skip the onion soup
It's the layer of Gruyere cheese and the croutons that get you. The soup itself is pretty good.
French: Steer away from Steak Frites
It's a fatty cut of beef, topped with a fatty sauce, and served with fat-laden, deep fried potatoes.
French: Try Steak tartare
If you like the taste of raw meat, this lean cut of beef is unadorned with fatty sauces.
French: Try tuna Nicoise
It's one of the best items on the menu. It provides a lean protein in the tuna, plus a great selection of vegetables.
Indian: Do the Dal
Dal dishes are stewed lentils, a great source of fiber, protein, and antioxidants.
Indian: Go vegetarian
The maximum nutrition comes from combinations of chickpeas, lentils, mushrooms, spinach and tomatoes.
Indian: Pass on Pakora
Battering and deep frying kills the benefit of these mangled vegetables.
Indian: Pick the soup
It's the most nutritious appetizer, and lets you steer clear of the fried alternatives.
Indian: Skip the Samosas
They are fried, which adds unnecessary calories and fat.
Indian: Try Chicken Tikka, avoid Tikka Masala
The former is lean meat with yogurt and spices, the latter is filled with cream.
Indian: Try Tandoori
It's dry oven baked with spices for lean tasty results.
Mexican: Avoid the rice
White rice is of little nutritional value. Worse, it's often fried in oil.
Mexican: Choose corn tortillas
Soft flour tortillas have up to 250 calories, versus only 150 for corn. Avoid the hard shell tortillas - they're higher in fat.
Mexican: Choose whole beans over refried
The refried beans are mashed and cooked in lard; whole beans have lots of fiber and complete protein.
Mexican: Guacamole is good
The fats in avocado are mono unsaturated, so they are not so bad for you. Plus, avocados have lots of vitamin E.
Mexican: Mole is great
This traditional Mexican sauce covering chicken is a nutritional delight -- much better than the cheese and sour cream alternative!
Mexican: Skip the enchiladas
They are filled with fat, too much cheese, and sour cream. With 55% of the calories coming from fat, make a wiser choice.
Mexican: Steer clear of taco salads
The sour cream, beef, cheese, and fried shell all conspire to load up on fat and calories. Where's the salad?
Mexican: Try the fajitas
Stuff just the meat, onions, and peppers in a tortilla -- leave out the sour cream and cheese for a low fat, high nutrient meal.
Pizza Parlor: Add a salad
If you fill up on salad, you will end up eating fewer calories and less fat from the pizza.
Pizza Parlor: Ask for low fat
Ask for low fat mozzarella cheese, and avoid the high fat toppings: pepperoni, sausage, hamburger, extra cheese.
PizzaParlor: Avoid anything "parmesan."
Breading, frying, and adding cheese to anything bulks up on calories and fat.
Pizza Parlor: Go for the garlic
Fresh garlic reduces your cholesterol. (You may want to make sure your partner joins you).
Pizza Parlor: Pesto is second best
Red marinara sauce is best, but pesto sauce is better than white clam sauce, or - heaven forbid - creamy alfredo sauce.
Pizza Parlor: Stick to red sauces
Red sauces have fewer calories and fats, and more nutrients, than white sauces.
Seafood: Consider Cioppino
This assortment of fish in a low fat broth is fabulous, and good for you too.
Seafood: Fooey on fried shrimp/oysters/crab cakes
The fryer adds way too much saturated fats and calories. Choose the grilled, broiled, baked alternatives.
Seafood: Go red
Try the tomato-based bisques. Stay away from the white, cream-based stews and soups.
Seafood: Go shrimp cocktail
It's lean meat with nothing added. But keep to fewer than 5 to limit the cholesterol they carry.
Seafood: Minimize the mercury
Fish with high mercury levels include swordfish, shark, and king mackerel -- AVOID if pregnant or under 16 years.
Seafood: Prepare it blackened
The blackened spices are a tasty preparation that keeps the fish lean.
Seafood: Stay away from clam chowder
At least, stay away from the white, cream-based chowders. Go for the red, Manhattan chowders instead.
Seafood: Toss the tartar
Its tempting, but keep away from this creamy, fatty, unhealthful sauce.
Steakhouse: Go filet mignon
It is the leanest cut. But stay away from the bearnaise and any other creamy sauces.
Steakhouse: Go filet mignon
It is the leanest cut of beef. But stay away from the bearnaise and any other creamy sauces.
Steakhouse: Go for grass-fed beef
Its leaner and has more omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed beef.
Steakhouse: Keep it lean
Stay away from prime sirloin and porterhouse - too much unsaturated fat. Go for the leaner cuts (top sirloin, filet mignon).
Steakhouse: Lobster without the butter
Lobster is a very lean meat that contains 1/2 the cholesterol of shrimp. So keep it healthy by skipping the butter.
Steakhouse: Stay away from rib-eye
Its juicy, but all that marbling is unsaturated fat inside the meat that you cannot cut away.
Steakhouse: Try top sirloin
The leanest cut other than filet mignon. But stay away from the bearnaise and any other creamy sauces.
Sushi bar: Try edamame
This steamed soy bean is high in fiber and protein, and low in fat and calories.
Sushi bar: Try yakitori
These skewers of lean meat and vegetables are rich in nutrients, and low in calories.
Thai: Enjoy the curries
Whether green, yellow or red, the coconut-milk base is a heart-healthy foundation for these curries.
Thai: Forget the fried rice
You know that it is soaked in oil for too many calories and too much fat.
Thai: Go for veggies
Thai preparation of veggies is flavorful, and fat free. Enjoy the ginger, garlic, and chilies.
Thai: Pad Thai is OK
This noodle dish has low saturated fat -- but watch your portion size to minimize the carbs.
Thai: Pass on Pla Lard Prik
This is another crispy dish -- deep fried, fat laden, and altogether too many calories.
Thai: Skip the fried Tofu
The Tofu absorbs too much fat when it is fried.
Thai: Skip the iced tea
Thai iced tea is loaded with cream and added sugar.
Thai: Succulent Satay
Chicken satay is lean meat with a spicy peanut sauce -- good for you.
Thai: Summer not spring
Spring rolls are deep fried, summer rolls aren't; 'nuff said.
Try the raw shrimp
Shrimp are low in fat but high in cholesterol, so take it easy (10 medium shrimp give you 30% of your suggested daily cholesterol).
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