BEST CHOICES
Grilled Chicken
Soft taco
Fajitas
Tamale
Hold the Sour
Cream, Cheese &
Guacamole
GO EASY
Crispy Shell
Beef Taco
Burritos
Nachos
Adding Sour
Cream, Cheese &
Guacamole
Mexican
Casual &
Upscale
Dining
• Ask your server not to bring tortilla
chips to your table.
• Flavor your meal with pico de gallo and
other fresh salsas to add spice.
• Avoid refried beans, as these are
typically made with lard. Instead,
choose plain red or black beans.
• Choose corn over flour tortillas to add
more fiber to your meal.
• Use guacamole in moderation. Even
though guacamole (avocado) is full of
good fats, it is also loaded with calories.
• Count calories in beverages!
• Avoid all-you-can-eat buffets
— you are more likely to eat
more than you need.
• Choose meats that are lean
such as filet mignon, fish,
skinless poultry and pork
tenderloin
• Skip the food items you feel
neutral about and make your
calories count.
Chinese
BEST CHOICES
• Look for dishes rich in vegetables
GO EASY
• Share dishes with the table, select
at least one vegetarian option. Fill
your plate once.
• Use chopsticks. This can help you
slow down, tune in to your level
of satisfaction and help you stop
before you are too full.
BEST
CHOICES
BEST
CHOICES
Broth-Based Soup
Grilled Chicken
or Fish
Sandwich w/out
Mayonnaise
Steamed Vegetables
GO EASY
BEST
• Squeeze lemon juice onto your
veggies, meat, and fish instead CHOICES
of traditional cream sauces.
Falafel
Kebabs
• To limit calories and additional
Chicken and
fat and sodium, request your
Lemon Soup
meals without olives, additional Hummus
olive oil, and feta cheese.
• Use carrot sticks or cucumber
slices instead of pita bread to
GO EASY
enjoy traditional dips.
Moussaka
• Opt for fresh fruit salad as your Kalamaria
Baklava
dessert.
Japanese
Halvas
Mastering
BEST
CHOICES
• Choose a seaweed, cucumber, or
house salad or miso soup to start
your meal.
Sashimi
• If you enjoy sushi, try sashimi; a
Brown Rice
type of sushi or raw fish that does
Low Sodium Soy Sauce not have any rice.
• Use chopsticks to enjoy smaller
bites and allow the stomach to
GO EASY
have time to realize it is full.
Tempura or
• Order brown rice instead of
Crunchy Rolls
white to incorporate whole
White Rice
grains into your day.
Regular Soy Sauce
BEST CHOICES
GO EASY
1 tsp =
or
Indian
dining out!
Dine by Choice — Not by Chance
Flexibility and moderation are the keys to
success. Use this guide to learn how to
successfully fit your favorite restaurant foods
into your day.
Thai
Decide where and what you’ll eat!
Jenny’s flexible meal planning suggestions can give you an idea
on what to order and how much you should eat.
• Coconut milk is a key ingredient
Know your food groups, calories and
servings. Use any tools that list calories such as food labels,
in Thai dishes and adds extra
Yam or Yum Salads
(vegetables & noodles) calories and saturated fat.
Tandoori
• Choose lighter, stir-fried dishes
Lychee
Steamed Rice Noodles and fresh spring rolls.
Dishes using cream
Peanut Sauce
Coconut Milk
Fried Noodles
Ask the big three questions
1. What are the ingredients?
2. How are they prepared?
3. What is the portion size?
1/4 cup
(4 Tbls) =
or
BEST CHOICES
Modak
(steamed dumpling)
Vegetable-based
Curry
Chicken or Seafood
Pulao (rice dish)
GO EASY
Kheer (rice
pudding)
Cream-based Curry
Beef or Lamb
Malpua
(pancake sweet)
Menu Lingo
Look for low-fat cooking
techniques versus high-fat ones.
Don’t be afraid to make a
special request!
or
• Avoid foods containing ghee, a clarified butter used
in many Indian foods, especially the fried foods.
• Avoid breads fried or soaked in fat, such as
chapatti, naan, kulcha and roti. A better option is
roasted papadum bread that is often made from
lentils.
• Choose food items that contain the word tandoori,
a type of oven that cooks food at high temperatures.
• Select from the vegetarian menu items. Sabzi, sag
or bharta are generic terms for cooked vegetables.
BodyMedia™ activity monitor, restaurant websites and mobile apps.
• Try a dish high in vegetables to
fill you up on fewer calories.
• Meat skewers (also known as
satay) are a great choice, just
go easy on the dipping sauces.
1 Tbl =
White/Cream
Sauce
Garlic Bread
Italian Sausage
Cannoli
• If you go for bread, ask your
server to leave off the butter
or oil.
• Select lower-fat sauces such as
marinara or pomodoro instead of
Alfredo, bolognese or carbonara.
Greek
or ask for extra.
Egg Drop, Miso, or
Hot & Sour Soup
• Use low-sodium soy sauce! 1 Tbl
Stir-fried or
regular soy sauce has 900 mg
Steamed Dishes
sodium compared to 1 Tbl lowSteamed or
Baked Tofu
sodium soy sauce with 530 mg.
Steamed Brown Rice
Fried Egg Rolls
Battered or
Deep-fried Dishes
Deep-fried Tofu
Fried Rice
• Order pasta or pizza dishes with
whole-wheat pasta or wholeMarinara/Red
wheat crust, if available.
Sauce
Minestrone Soup • Avoid dishes like lasagna,
Grilled Options
casseroles and ravioli that contain
Sorbet
layers of calorie-dense cheese.
GO EASY
Cream Soups
Deep-fried Dishes
Gravy
Breaded Items
Italian
1/3 cup
=
or
Portion Control!
1/2 cup
=
or
1 cup
=
or
1oz
BEST CHOICES
4oz
meat/cheese =
meat/cheese =
or
or
• Ask for a “split” entrée to share.
• Request a to-go box when your main dish is served.
• Order an appetizer as your main dish.
Train your eyes to calculate portion size! • Avoid items that are “jumbo,” “giant,” “deluxe,” or “superUse these visual cues listed as a guide.
sized”.
Baked
Boiled
Broiled
Charbroiled
Garden fresh
Grilled
Poached
Roasted
Steamed
GO EASY...
Au gratin, in cheese
sauce
Buttered or buttery
Cream(ed)(y) sauce
Fried or crispy
In its own gravy
Marinated in oil or
butter
Pastry, rich, á la
mode
Peanut sauce,
coconut milk
Scalloped,
escalloped
Scampi-style,
breaded
• Budget your calories. If you know you’re going to be dining
out, eat lighter meals the rest of the day. Don’t skip meals
because you may eat more later.
• Pay attention to what you’re eating and enjoy the
experience. Try to chew slowly and savor it.