How to order healthy off the menu (Erik Jacobs Boston Globe)
Ordering healthy off a restaurant menu can be simplified by looking at the nutrition info online. However, small independent restaurants usually do not provide this convenience. Known for their fresh ingredients and top chefs, eating out at a local restaurant can make choosing a healthy meal tricky. Award winning chef Jeff Fournier of 51 Lincoln in Newton, MA showed me a few tips and tricks to eating healthy.
Fournier showed me a braised dish although sounds heavy can be quite healthy. It's a technique he uses to cook his signature dish braised watermelon, where he it's in the over for 3.5 hours at 350 degrees while submerged or half submerged in sherry and water.
Do you know the difference in fat between a rib-eye and a sirloin? If not, you are in good company. Here are a few tips to help you navigate and decode a restaurant menu when the nutrition information is not posted.
- Choose restaurants that use local and/or organic ingredients.
- Steer clear of items described as crunchy, crispy, cheesy, creamed, buttery, casserole, escalloped, au gratin, stuffed, smothered, Bearnaise, white sauce, stroganoff, battered and hollandaise.
- Opt for items described as baked, broiled, boiled, saute, stir fry, steamed, raw, roasted, poached, grilled, fresh, naked, red sauce, vinaigrette and reduced.
- Choose cuts of beef that are labeled sirloin, tenderloin or round. Stay away from short ribs and the rib-eye.
In general, smaller and more upscale restaurants do not pre-make menu options and will be willing to make substitutions for your diet. Ask for dressing on the side, light on cheese (or none at all), or substitute a potato dish for a vegetable. According to Fournier, staying away from creamy sides is a smart move. In a simple dish like mashed potatoes, cream and butter make this side dish a diet disaster! When given the option for starchy sides, a baked potato is good choice. You do not need to eat the entire thing and ask for a side of bbq sauce instead of sour cream.
Check out my video with Chef Jeff Fournier at 51 Lincoln in Newton, MA to see some other healthy cooking techniques and how to order healthy at a local restaurant.
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