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DASH diet: Top 5 tips for dining out
3. Avoid oversized servings as you stick to the DASH diet
The DASH diet comes with specific recommendations about serving sizes. But if you've eaten in restaurants in recent years, you know that servings are often heaping, especially pasta dishes.
To avoid overeating:
- Remember that you don't have to clean your plate.
- Ask for the lunch size, even if you're eating dinner.
- Substitute an appetizer for an entree.
- Split a meal with a companion.
- Put half the meal in a takeout container before you start eating.
4. Keep DASH diet principles in mind when ordering
Most restaurants recognize that many people are trying to follow healthier diets such as the DASH diet. Many now use icons on menus to identify low-fat items, or they list healthier fare in a special section. Many also accept special requests to prepare a dish with less fat and salt.
As you weigh your options, from drinks to desserts, keep these tips in mind:
- Drinks. Choose water, club soda, diet soda, fruit juice, tea and coffee. If you want an alcoholic beverage, stick to moderation. That means, in general, one drink a day for women, two a day for men. Avoid tomato juice, unless it's low in sodium.
- Appetizers. Choose appetizers with vegetables, fruits or fish, such as chopped, raw vegetables, fresh-fruit compote or shrimp cocktail with lemon juice instead of high-sodium cocktail sauce. Skip fried and breaded appetizers.
- Soups. You're often better off avoiding soup and choosing fruit or salad. Broth- or tomato-based soups are often high in salt. Chowders, creamed or pureed soups, as well as some fruit soups, may contain more fat. Before ordering soup, ask how it's prepared.
- Salads. Order fruit salad, tossed greens or spinach salad. Avoid cheese, eggs or meats as salad toppings. Ask for dressing on the side, limit yourself to one spoonful and stick to low-fat varieties. Ask what varieties of vinegar and olive oil are available. Avoid bacon bits and prepared salads like potato salad. Don't salt your salad.
- Breads. If you don't want to skip the bread course entirely, ask for whole-grain bread, rolls or breadsticks. Try to stick to just one piece. Muffins, garlic toast and croissants generally have more calories and fat, and crackers can be high in both salt and fat.
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Entrees. Choose a baked, broiled, grilled, poached, roasted or steamed entree. Ask that dishes be prepared without extra salt, butter or oil. Meats and vegetables sauteed or stir-fried in a small amount of oil, broth or water are usually lower in fat.
Avoid entrees that are fried, fricasseed or creamed, and those sauteed or stir-fried in heavy oil. Steer clear of broasted, stuffed, buttered, breaded or basted entrees, as well as gravies. If the name of an entree contains the term "au gratin," "a la king," "Alfredo" or "parmigiana," choose something else. Always ask for sauce to be served on the side.
- Side dishes. Choose vegetables and fruit. Baked potatoes, boiled new potatoes and rice also may be good options. Skip the french fries, potato chips and onion rings, as well as vegetables slathered in cheese or cream sauces. Ask that the chef prepare your side without butter, margarine or salt. Top your potatoes with salsa instead of butter or sour cream. Most restaurants will substitute a healthier side dish if you ask.
- Condiments. Choose fresh tomato, cucumber and lettuce for sandwiches. Avoid olives, pickles and sauerkraut because of their high salt content. Use ketchup, mustard and mayonnaise sparingly, and use pepper or lemon juice in place of salt.
- Desserts. Wait before ordering dessert to let the main course settle. It takes a while for a feeling of fullness to register in your brain. If you can't resist dessert, though, choose fresh fruit, gelatin, sorbet, sherbet, fruit ice, meringues or plain cake with fruit puree.
5. Be careful when ordering at fast food restaurants
Fast-food restaurants are notorious dietary danger zones. But if you're careful, you can occasionally enjoy a fast-food meal while sticking to the DASH diet.
Keep these tips in mind when you're ordering on the run:
- Take time to read the nutrition information so that you can make healthier selections. If information isn't available in the restaurant, it may be available on its Web site.
- Seek out the healthier fare that many fast-food restaurants have, such as grilled chicken, whole-wheat bread, low-fat milk and yogurt.
- Don't order extra-large portions. If you can bear to, order a children's size meal, or at least a regular size.
- Be aware that salads aren't necessarily as healthy as they may sound. Many are thick with add-ons, such as cheese and dressing, that significantly increase salt and fat content.
- Choose items that are grilled, broiled or steamed. Avoid those that are fried or battered.
- For drinks, stick to water, reduced-fat milk, tea, coffee or diet soda.
- Go easy on condiments such as dressing, ketchup, cheese sauce, mayonnaise and others that are high in salt and fat.
(2 of 2)
- Your guide to lowering blood pressure with DASH. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/hbp/dash/new_dash.pdf. Accessed June 3, 2009.
- Healthier eating with DASH. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/prevent/h_eating/h_e_dash.htm. Accessed June 3, 2009.
- Tips on how to make healthier meals. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/prevent/h_eating/tips.htm. Accessed June 3, 2009.
- A word about fats. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/hbp/prevent/h_eating/fats.htm. Accessed June 3, 2009.
- Sheps SG, ed. Mayo Clinic 5 Steps to Controlling High Blood Pressure. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2008.
- Tip sheet: Eating healthy when dining out. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/public/heart/obesity/lose_wt/dine_out.htm. Accessed June 3, 2009.
- Healthy eating on the run: A month of tips. American Dietetic Association. http://www.eatright.org/ada/files/Healthy_Eating_on_the_Run.pdf. Accessed June 3, 2009.
