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April 2006
Avoiding food allergies on the menu
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Everyone has their likes and dislikes when it comes to dining out. Two girlfriends can’t tolerate the sight or smell of bell peppers in anything. They are horrified! Others can’t stand the scent of cilantro and swear it smells like sweaty socks, when others crave the refreshing bite of what is also called Mexican parsley. But, what about the very serious situations when you must at all costs avoid a certain ingredient because you are allergic to it? Peanut allergies can be deadly. Seafood allergies can send you to the ER. And folks who are avoiding gluten for health reasons, are anxious to avoid any kind of wheatfoods. OK….so how do you do the detective work when reading a menu to avoid offending foods? It’s easy to say “I don’t want any strawberries on my cereal” if you’re allergic to them; but, sometimes ingredients are used in a sauce or as an extra “bonus” to the dish. I get very ill when I eat mollusks ( mussels, clams, oysters, scallops) but, I can happily eat lobster, shrimp and crab. What worries me is when crab comes with a “sauce” that might have been made with a stock of mollusk shells. Fabulous taste but disastrous medically.. at least for me. Then…..I want to know about the folks who say they’re “allergic” to certain foods..but, really aren’t. An allergy is a medically defined reaction. Some people take that to dramatic extremes….and insist they’re allergic to pink foods or frozen vegetables. Come on………….. let’s talk about it.
Are you drinking your calories?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
That fruity drink with rum sounds great after a long day at work but do you know how many calories it has? What about that bowl of snack mix? It’s easy to get carried away while winding down. Would worrying about calories kill your relaxation buzz?
Would you like to order dessert now?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
What do you do when you’re trying to choose healthier restaurant foods and it’s time for dessert? Do you ask for the check and run for the door? Or do you order that brownie your sweet tooth is craving? How do you deal with indulgence? Maybe your idea of splurging is the deep fried calamari or the creamy lobster bisque? Do you feel guilty when you order high calorie/ high fat food items? Or do you plan for the occasional splurge? The Healthy Eating Out topic today is not about the virtues of bean sprouts and tofu…..it’s about the real life stategies of adding a little sweet fun to meals.
Can I have the sauce on the side?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Ahhhhh! The special menu request and the special restaurant customer, who loves to ask for spinach instead of potatoes, sauce on the side, fish broiled without any butter and a bowl of extra lemons to squeeze on everything. And do you have any real salt? I mean sea salt? Oh no…I’m talking about myself! Aloha to any of you who work the waiter over in Meg Ryan style! Remember that line in “When Harry Met Sally”? NO! Not that line!! When she said, “If the pie is hot, I want the ice cream on the side. If the pie is cold, put the ice cream on top.” And if you don’t have apple pie…just give me the ice cream. Or something like that.
As a registered dietitian who cares deeply about enjoying fabulous restaurant meals without dealing with unwanted calories from soupy sauces, fish doused in butter sauce and another pet peeve - disappointingly small servings of vegetables…I want to know …what do you do when you customize your restaurant meals to fit your dietary dreams? How do you talk to the server? Or are you afraid of the being labeled “special order” nightmare guest?
Before we go on, here is some pretty good advice. And it has nothing to do with the kitchen or the menu itself, it has to do with the human spirit. Let’s say a party of four diet conscious diners is out to lunch. The waiter comes over and hears, “We are all having appetizer portions of everything and then we want four forks to share one dessert.” The waiter is aghast! No big tip for them tonight. Love this table!!!! Instead try this, “HI! If you help us eat a little less, we’ll tip you a little more. Smaller hips, bigger tips.” All of a sudden the waiter loves you and will go to bat to help you make your special requests.
Dress down that salad
What do you do to 'lighten up?'
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Good for you! You’re going to order a salad.
Whether you’re trying to cut calories to lose weight or add a few more nutrient-rich veggies to your diet, you are headed in the right direction.
But, when dining out, watch out for salads that are the healthy menu version of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Make sure that vegetables get the top billing and aren’t pushed to a secondary role, with heavyweights such as cheese, egg, meat, fried croutons and salad dressing grabbing all the attention. (How did those crunchy Chinese noodles become part of the salad world anyway?)
Here are some vital statistics on salad staples to help you choose among toppings that restaurants are offering. Eat freely from this garden: lettuce, spinach, arugula, endive, watercress, cucumber, green peppers, broccoli, celery, sprouts, cabbage and radishes. They rack up only 25 calories a cup. Vegetables such as artichokes, tomatoes, beets, carrots and onions are perfectly acceptable additions at 50 calories a cup.
Cut back on dressing to keep your salad healthy. Mayonnaise-based dressings, such as ranch and Thousand Island, ladle on 80 to 100 calories a tablespoon. And most restaurants freely toss a single serving of salad with twice the recommended serving of dressing.
How much chopped onion do you need anyway? Consider the simple garden salad. It’s better if it’s more complex. More veggie variety in the bowl ups your consumption of a greater variety of vitamins and other plant nutrients.
The trouble starts when salad recipes are dolled up with ingredients not found when you look up the word “produce.” For instance, each ounce of crumbled blue cheese, shredded cheddar or bacon bits adds at least 100 calories. Having said that, it’s OK to enjoy a Cobb salad or chef’s salad. Just make sure these entree salads aren’t overloaded with meat, egg and cheese. Think of these toppings as accessories. No one looks good in an outfit overwhelmed with too many baubles, bangles and beads. And, sure, avocados, olives and nuts contain good-for-you mono-unsaturated fats, but if cutting calories is your goal, use them only as delicious accessories, too.
LIGHTEN UP Here’s how to keep your salad light:
• Ask for it to be topped or tossed with minimal dressing.
• Ask for dressing on the side and dilute it with lemon juice or vinegar.
• Dip your fork into the dressing and then pierce bites of salad.
• Read the nutrition facts on fast-food dressing packets; try to use only 2 tablespoons.
• If an entree salad is large, split it with a friend or have the server put half in a carryout container before bringing it to the table.
Meet Carolyn O’Neil
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
CAROLYN O’NEIL, MS, RD is a registered dietitian and award-winning food and health journalist. She is the co-author with Densie Webb, Ph D, RD of “The Dish on Eating Healthy and Being Fabulous!” published by Simon & Schuster Atria Books. The 2005 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards chose The Dish as best food and nutrition book in the world. The Dish was nominated for best nutrition book in the 2005 World Food Media Awards.
She reported on food and health at CNN for nearly 20 years as Executive Producer and Senior Correspondent for On The Menu and anchor of CNN Travel Now. She has earned two James Beard Foundation awards for her work in broadcast food journalism and was inducted into the James Beard Who’s Who in Food and Beverage. The American Heart Association, The American Dietetic Association and the National Restaurant Association have presented O’Neil with awards for food and nutrition education in the media.
O’Neil is a frequent television guest with appearances on NBC Weekend Today, Fox & Friends, The Food Network and Turner Broadcasting. She hosted the nationally televised PBS series “Cook Off America.”
O’Neil has a master’s degree in Nutrition and Communication from Boston University and an undergraduate degree in Foods and Nutrition from Florida State University.
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