A friend of mine recently suggested I write about oatmeal. I quickly replied, “But I don’t like oatmeal. I like oatmeal raisin cookies and crunchy granola made with oats, but I don’t like hot cereal.” I don’t like salmon that much either.
It got me thinking about all the advice I dish out on healthy eating habits and the importance of considering personal taste preferences.
For instance, dietitians are quick to recommend we top pizza with vegetables instead of pepperoni, choose the whole-grain version of everything and eat more salmon and oatmeal.
What if you don’t want broccoli on your pizza? As the saying goes, “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink.” That’s why we all need options and nutrition advice must be customized for taste preferences, medical history and lifestyle. If you’re allergic to strawberries or peanuts, it doesn’t matter how nutritious they are -- you can’t eat them.
If you enjoy dining out or it’s a necessity for business travel or a busy schedule, advice on navigating restaurant menus becomes more important than collecting healthy recipes to cook at home.
According to National Restaurant Association statistics, the average American eats out at least four to five times a week. Registered dietitian Connie Guttersen says, “Eating out is part of the daily lifestyle. Strategies for success are essential to help diners who need to lose or maintain weight loss and feel good about eating in restaurants.”
Guttersen, author of "The Sonoma Diet" and nutrition instructor at the Culinary Institute of America’s campus in Napa Valley, Calif., is thrilled to see more restaurants offering small plates and seasonal produce and adding flavor to foods with spices, herbs and vinegars instead of relying on salt, butter, cream and cheese.
Whatever veggies you prefer, she says, “Visualize a healthy plate with at least 75 percent plant-based foods. Eating mostly vegetables, fruit and grains should become second nature. It’s what we call the ‘plate flip.’ Meat shouldn’t be the star of the plate.” The USDA’s MyPlate icon fills half the plate with produce with the remaining quarters for grains and protein.
Here are some more of Guttersen’s tips for healthy dining out:
1. Watch the three B's. Before you even order your entree, you can easily consume perhaps 700 calories with bread, butter and beverage: two pieces of bread (400 calories), 1 teaspoon or pat of butter (100 calories) and a soft drink or alcoholic beverage (200 calories).
2. Look for healthy preparations. Seek menu descriptions that indicate leaner cooking techniques such as roasted, grilled, seared, baked, steamed or poached. I do like the plank roasted salmon at Seasons 52.
3. Feast on vegetables. Choose lots of different colors and varieties as the star of the plate, and prioritize seasonal, local and organic. Guttersen says, "Build smarter salads with dark greens, added nuts and seeds and small amounts of flavorful cheeses." Salad dressings can add flavor with healthy oils such as olive or canola.
4. Go for whole grains. If you don't like oatmeal, discover a world of healthy grains including quinoa, wild rice, faro, whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, barley, amaranth, and wheat berries.
5. Flip your plate. Protein portions -- whether beef, chicken, pork or fish -- should be about 4 ounces. Include plant sources for protein: nuts, seeds, soy (tofu) and beans. Consider the pastry flip for dessert, emphasizing fruit and a small amount of pastry or granola topping, with a dish such as fresh peach cobbler or blueberry crumble.
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