Today’s Special

With plates groaning under the weight of half-pound burgers, mounds of pasta, and bushels of french fries, it’s easy to see that restaurant meals contain more food than the average diner needs in one meal. What’s not so obvious is what’s in the food on your plate. A study in the American Journal of Public Health found that the fat and calorie content of restaurant fare is typically twice what consumers expect. And it isn’t just ordinary hungry folks like us who are being fooled. Dieticians underestimate the nutritional content of common restaurant dishes by up to 50 percent, according to a study by Lisa Young, Ph.D., R.D., author of The Portion Teller Plan. “The catch is that nobody really knows how the food is prepared, so you have to be cautious,” she says.
    From the menu of a typical neighborhood restaurant, we’ve highlighted some key words and items you should be aware of, in addition to offering some strategies that’ll have you walking, rather than waddling, out.

Cream of chicken soup
Cream + fat = bad, right? Well, not so fast. Ordering a cup of this or some other semifatty soup (such as cream of mushroom) as an appetizer can reduce the total number of calories consumed during a meal by 20 percent, according to a study at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. Researchers think fat’s swift absorption into the small intestine helps you feel full faster.

Spicy
A study in the International Journal of Obesity found that people who ate an appetizer rich in capsaicin (the ingredient that gives red pepper its kick) consumed up to 16 percent fewer calories during meals and felt satisfied quicker. If you go heavy on the hot sauce, there’s also a chance you may be incinerating fat. The Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry reports that adding capsaicin to fat cells caused them to collapse and kept them from accumulating.

Grilled salmon
This is one of the healthiest things you can eat at home, but in a restaurant it usually goes swimming in liquid margarine or butter before ending up on your plate. Avoid a transfat-laden meal by requesting that your fish be brushed with a small amount of olive oil instead.

Sautéed vegetables
Restaurants also tend to use a lot of oil when cooking vegetables (1 tablespoon oil = 100 calories). Ask for steamed veggies with olive oil and lemon on the side so you can season to taste.

Stuffed
If your meal comes stuffed (think burrito or casserole), it’s probably packed with hundreds of extra calories, says thebestlife.com nutritionist Janis Jibrin. At a Mexican restaurant, order fajitas so you can control the mix. Use lots of salsa, a little sour cream, and don’t scoop up the oil with the shrimp or steak. On Italian night, opt for pasta with chicken in marinara sauce instead of lasagna. Some chains, such as the Olive Garden, now offer whole-wheat noodles, which have five to six times more fiber.

Tofu
Tofu is a high-protein, low-fat energy source. But Chinese restaurants often fry it, adding lots of fat. Ask for sautéed tofu instead.

Drinks
If it’s a special night out, develop an alcohol game plan so you don’t overindulge. Before you even walk in the door, decide where to spend 100 to 150 “treat calories,” says Janis Jibrin, R.D., lead nutritionist for thebestlife.com. A glass of wine or a 12-ounce light beer will keep you in the range. But if you order a margarita (250 calories) or Long Island iced tea (275 calories), punt on dessert or shave one to two servings of carbohydrates from your meal (sub steamed broccoli for the potato).

Salad
A handful of fresh greens is just 25 calories, but after piling on cheese, olives, bacon, caramelized nuts, heavy dressing, or other toppings, it can carry more fat and calories than an entree. For example, the Carolina chicken salad at Ruby Tuesday has 1,022 calories and 72 grams of fat—a heavier choice than that establishment’s classic burger. Unless a salad is your main dish, forget the cheese and ask for only fresh veggies as toppings. Requesting the dressing on the side will save another 200 calories.

Crusted
This description is often a sneaky way of saying the meat or veggies are fried. Ask before you order.