Friday, January 6, 2012

Ways to eat healthier at restaurants - A Chef's Perspective

At any restaurant, a Chef's primary concern is to make the food taste good. Of course, right? There are so many ways to do that, using healthy and natural ingredients, but if you aren't eating at a restaurant that focuses on the healthy and the natural, then you are getting the flavor delivered to your pallet via the tricks up a sleeve. Simple and lazy tricks. Butter, sugar and salt.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm not a hater of those 3 things. Salt is a necessary mineral for the body - some people need more than other people, and that can change depending on many factors on any given day. Butter, when derived from grass fed and antibiotic-free cattle, is "real food", and even though saturated fat has gotten a bad rap, all the new research is showing that it isn't the devil that we once thought it was. Sugar, well, I have a different opinion about sugar. Refined carbohydrates, such as table sugar, cause your insulin levels to spike and can contribute to many health concerns from diabetes to heart disease.

The problem, though, as most people know, is the excess. ANYTHING in excess can be a problem. Excess can even turn a good thing bad. Excess is the pits. So when you're eating at a restaurant that doesn't focus on the healthy and the natural, you are probably being subject to some Chef's heavy-hand of salt, sugar and butter. And I don't know about you, but that makes me kinda sniffle.

Things you can do to make dining out a healthier experience?

* Vegetables are probably available even if you don't see them on the menu. Ask for steamed vegetables or lightly sauteed vegetables in olive oil.

* If there is seafood on the menu, a Chef can almost always accommodate you by baking or broiling a piece of fish with herbs, lemon and light seasoning.

* Watch out for sauces and dressings. Even the most healthy sounding sauces can be high in salt, sugar and butter. Ask for a description of the sauce and if it seems suspect, ask for it to be light or on the side.

* Mashed potatoes are usually loaded with heavy cream, butter and salt when made. Rice is usually cooked in water, and when the order comes in, the Chef will add butter and seasoning then. Ask for a healthy rice to be prepared. The Chef can add basil and tomatoes or other herbs and vegetables to make it taste great.

* Ask if there is brown rice or another whole grain to compliment your meal.

* Ask if there is spinach or another dark leafy green available. Add a side of greens to your meal instead of french fries or pasta.

* Ask if the Chef can create a salad full of fresh vegetables and a piece of fish.

The point is to ask! We are a more health conscious society now than ever before and it's not uncommon for the people in the kitchen to hear these requests.

Take control over what you put into your beautiful body. ;)

1 comment:

  1. This is very helpful! I often scan a menu and wonder how I can take small steps to order in a way that will lessen the negative impact on my body. And as someone who has worked in restaurants for over a decade I agree that healthy requests are common and welcomed!

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