Eating out on a low calorie budget

June 16, 12:12 PMDenver Walking Fitness ExaminerLindsey Bowman

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Go all out.

Eating out is fun. Eating out is an event. Yes, cooking at home is optimal for a healthy diet, but who wants their first date to be in someone else’s living room? Or have every meal for a special event at the kitchen table over a salad?

Restaurants have gained a bad reputation for serving delicious but diet destroying dishes, making it hard to enjoy a night out without feeling guilty in the aftermath of an amazing meal. Although there will always be a cheesy enchilada rearing its ugly (and delicious) grease in an attempt to sway you from a salad, it is possible to enjoy a fantastic meal out with your favorite people without the walk of shame from the restaurant to the car.

Many restaurants have finally caught on to the idea that people are looking for healthy choices that don’t sacrifice on flavor. Crafty culinary pioneers have developed menu items that boast fewer calories, more whole grains, more fruit and vegetable entrees, and grilled, steamed, and baked meats and fish. A lot of eating establishments have also dropped the “no substitutions” clause on the menu, to allow fries to be substituted with a salad, mashed potatoes substituted with a baked one etc.

A large number of chain restaurants are also now posting their nutritional values on their websites for health conscious diners, but because so many of us are exceedingly busy these days, and don’t have the time to look up each item we put in our mouth on our lunch break, here are a few local healthy choices to keep in your back pocket.

Tokyo Joes
California Roll (4pc) - 203 Calories, 8.2g Fat, 25g Carbohydrates
Tuna Roll (4pc) – 164 Calories, 3.7g Fat, 24g Carbohydrates
Chicken Roll (4pc) – 187 Calories, 2.8g Fat, 28g Carbohydrates
Veggie Roll (4pc) – 150 Calories, 3.3g Fat, 25g Carbohydrates
Regular White Chicken Bowl w/ White Rice, Oyako Sauce, & Veggies – 576 Calories, 3.65g Fat, 86g Carbohydrates
Regular White Chicken Bowl w/ Brown Rice, Oyako Sauce, & Veggies – 536 Calories, 5.59g Fat, 75g Carbohydrates
Salmon Bowl – 579 Calories, 7.8g Fat, 97g Carbohydrates
Regular Veggie Bowl w/ Brown Rice, Oyako Sauce – 397 Calories, 3.8g Fat, 87g Carbohydrates

Jason’s Deli
Ciabatta Garden Sandwich – 419 Calories, 19g Fat, 50g Carbohydrates
Mediterranean Wrap – 305 Calories, 10g Fat, 43g Carbohydrates
Turkey & Roasted Tomato Wrap – 557 Calories, 27g Fat, 59 Carbohydrates
Spinach Veggie Wrap – 359 Calories, 17g Fat, 40g Carbohydrates
Turkey Wrap – 359 Calories, 14g Fat, 40g Carbohydrates

Subway
6” Roasted Chicken Breast (No Cheese) – 320 Calories, 5g Fat, 49g Carbohydrates
6” Roast Beef (No Cheese) – 320 Calories, 5g Fat, 46g Carbohydrates
6” Subway Club – 330 Calories, 5g Fat, 48g Carbohydrates
6” Turkey Breast – 290 Calories, 4g Fat, 48g Carbohydrates
6” Veggie – 230 Calories, 2.5g Fat, 45 Carbohydrates
Ham Mini Sub – 180 Calories, 2.5g Fat, 31g Carbohydrates

Noodles & Co.
Small Pad Thai – 380 Calories, 8g Fat, 54g Carbohydrates
Small Japanese Pan Noodles – 310 Calories, 4g Fat, 62g Carbohydrates
Small Bankok Curry – 230 Calories, 8g Fat, 35g Carbohydrates
Small Whole Grain Tuscan Fettuccine – 360 Calories, 18g Fat, 40g Carbohydrates
Small Tomato Marinara – 270 Calories, 7g Fat, 39g Carbohydrates
Med Salad – 320 Calories, 13g Fat, 38g Carbohydrates
Small Chinese Chop Salad – 170 Calories, 10g Fat, 18g Carbohydrates

P.F Chang’s China Bistro
Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps – 322 Calories, 6g Fat, 52g Carbohydrates
Spring Rolls (2) - 313 Calories, 16g Fat, 34g Carbohydrates
Hot & Sour Soup (Cup) - 89 Calories, 3g Fat, 9g Carbohydrates
Bikini Shrimp Salad – 541 Calories, 4g Fat, 33g Carbohydrates
Wok Charred Beef (1.6oz) – 170 Calories, 6g Fat, 15g Carbohydrates
Mu Shu Pancake (1 pancake) 90 Calories, 2g Fat, 14g Carbohydrates
Wild Alaskan Salmon w/ Steamed Ginger (8oz) – 250 Calories, 28g Fat, 18g Carbohydrates
Buddha’s Feast w/ Brown Rice (Steamed Veggies & Rice) – 550 Calories, 11g Fat (From Garlic Sauce) 95g Carbohydrates

Mimi’s Café
Carrot Raisin Bread – 152 Calories, 9g Fat, 17g Carbohydrates
French Toast – 307 Calories, 13g Fat, 40g Carbohydrates
French Onion Soup (1 Cup) – 207 Calories, 12g Fat, 16g Carbohydrates
Corn Chowder (1 Bowl) – 196 Calories, 9g Fat, 28g Carbohydrates
Petite Asian Chop Salad – 376 Calories, 11g Fat, 28g Carbohydrates
Chicken & Fruit Plate – 460 Calories, 9g Fat, 21g Carbohydrates
Veggie Burger – 396 Calories, 6g Fat, 72g Carbohydrates
Classic Beef Dip – 521 Calories, 15g Fat, 43g Carbohydrates
Blackened Salmon – (Whole Filet) – 460 Calories, 28g Fat, 16g Carbohydrates

Although a majority of restaurants, especially the good ones, do not post their nutritional information for fear of scaring away calorie conscious diners, there are a few common sense things to remember when eating out.

Brown Is Better
White foods often have higher calorie content and lower nutritional value because they are scraped of any nutrients and vitamins in the bleaching process. Always choose brown over white rice, whole wheat bread over white, whole wheat pasta over white, and couscous or basmati over starchy white carbohydrates.

Thin Is In
Sauces are the finishing touch to any amazing meal. However, this is where the majority of the calories and fat are hiding. Choosing a thinner sauce, or soup, will help to minimize calories and fat, and maximize flavor. For example, choose tomato sauce over Alfredo sauce, meat sauce over cheese sauce, salsa over cheese sauce, olive oil over cream sauce, and broth based soups over creamy soups. Also, use oil and vinegar, balsamic, or a light Italian or red wine dressing instead of creamy ranch, blue cheese, and Caesar dressings.

Less Moo Is Good For You
Ordering entrees with meat as the main ingredient can pack up to 1,000 calories in a sitting (yes, even chicken). This isn’t to say don’t order meat ever again, it just means that ordering a meat entrée, and splitting the animal protein, and ordering extra vegetables is a better idea. Also, getting the meat broiled, baked, steamed or grilled is even better.

Smaller Plate, Smaller Portion, Smaller Waist Line
Go ahead and order your meal that you want, but ask the server for a side plate to put half of it on, or to even split the entrée, wrap up half, and only bring out the other half on a smaller plate. Americans have the reputation for being oversized because our portions are oversized. Eating a small amount of something bad for you will amount to about the same or a few more calories as eating a lot of something that is not as bad for you. Also, putting an amount of food on a smaller plate, gives the illusion of a larger amount of food, and helps us to feel full once we’ve cleared the plate. Also, always wait half an hour before deciding you need the rest of your meal, your digestive system needs time to figure out if it’s had enough or not.

Sweet Success
After a satisfying meal, most of us often want something sweet to top off the feast. Satisfying this craving is better than letting the craving turn into a binge at midnight. Have dessert, but always split it, and choose desserts with fruit and whipped cream, instead of frosting and ice cream. For example, choose strawberry shortcake instead of a strawberry cheesecake, chocolate mousse over chocolate cake, and fruit and whipped cream over fruit pie and ice cream. Even strawberries dipped in chocolate are better than ice cream covered in fudge.

Eating out the right way can be tough, especially when surrounded by delicious temptations, but being smart about eating out is becoming easier and easier. Just remember that less is more, and always allow a little wiggle room in your diet to eliminate future cravings and binges.