Make Take-out Healthier: Dishes to Order and Avoid
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Make Take-out Healthier: Dishes to Order and Avoid
Posted Thu, Jan 17, 2008, 9:15 am PST
We're all so busy these days, sometimes take-out is the only way dinner gets on the table. But you don't want to sacrifice your health -- or your
waistline -- in the process. Here are the top foods to avoid and to order to stay in shape in times of take-out.
Mexican
Bad Guys
Sour cream - Let's be honest, it's pretty tasteless. And it has over three times the fat content of vanilla ice cream! If you must have something
creamy, try a little guac for a healthier alternative. (It's still full of fat, but at least it's monounsaturated.)
Chorizo - Eleven grams of fat per ounce, four of them saturated. Yikes!
Chips - Can you really eat just one? Didn't think so.
Good Guys
Grilled fish - Say hola to this low-fat, heart-healthy choice.
Salsa - Not only is it fat-free, but one-half cup of it also counts as a full serving of veggies.
Grilled chicken fajitas - Skip the tortillas and you're really being virtuous.
Italian
Bad Guys
Fried calamari - Would you eat a heaping plate of donuts right before dinner? Deep-six the deep-fried.
Alfredo sauce - Instant food coma alert: One serving can contain over 30 grams of fat! Are you really going to want a whole plate of something that
heavy?
Garlic bread - Take the empty calories of white bread and add a little garlic and a lot of butter and what do you get? A little fatter than you were
before you ordered it.
Good Guys
Marinara sauce - Packed with flavor and the antioxidant lycopene -- and virtually fat-free.
Parmesan cheese - Add a lot of flavor at just over a gram of fat per tablespoon.
Prosciutto or carpaccio - These super-thin sliced meats (ham and raw beef, respectively) are leaner than you think.
Sushi
Bad Guys
Tempura - A pretty way to say deep-fried.
Yellowfin and bluefin tuna - Steer clear of these sky-high mercury-level fishes.
Spicy tuna roll - Packed with mayo, which is packed with fat. And it's high in mercury.
Good Guys
Sashimi - Riceless fish. You can't get much better than that. Just stay away from tuna (high mercury) and eel (high fat and calories).
Cucumber roll - At zero grams of fat and 136 calories, now you're talking.
Miso soup - Like yogurt, miso promotes good bacteria in the body as well as being low in fat and calories.
Chinese
Bad Guys
Sweet and sour pork - Keep your fork away from this pork -- a typical serving contains twice as much fat as in a quarter-pounder.
Fried rice - The word fried is right in the name, so don't be surprised when it shows up drenched in oil -- and calories.
General Tso's chicken - Almost 900 calories and 40 grams of fat per serving? Just say no to General Tso!
Good Guys
Steamed or lightly stir-fried veggies - Keep it simple, keep it healthy.
Steamed brown rice - Fat-free and sodium-free fiber boost.
Chopsticks - They'll make you eat more slowly so you get the chance to feel full.
Fortune cookies - A sweet fat-free treat for only 30 calories.
Pizza
Bad Guys
Pepperoni - Want to save three grams of fat per serving? Then skip the pepperoni.
Extra cheese - High in saturated fat and sodium. If you want to have something extra on your pizza, how about extra veggies or extra red pepper
flakes?
Deep dish - Are you having dinner or going into hibernation?
Good Guys
Cheese-free pizza - Delicious on its own, or add your own Parmesan at home for a lower-fat alternative to traditional pies.
Thin crust - Fewer calories, fewer empty carbs.
Extra napkins - Use them to pat the pizza dry, absorbing excess oil (read: fat) from the cheese.
Indian
Bad Guys
Mango chutney - This unassuming Indian mainstay packs 60 calories per tablespoon.
Chicken korma - You knew the creamy goodness couldn’t be light on your hips, but did you know it could be almost 900 calories a serving?
Samosas and naan - They may seem like little nibbles, but a serving of each adds up to the nutritional cost of an average meal. Try ordering roti, a
smaller round bread, instead.
Good Guys
Tandoori chicken - The quintessential Indian dish is only 300 calories a serving. Filling and fantastic.
Daal - Lentil dishes are high in protein, fiber, and antioxidants and low in calories.
Aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower curry) - A great choice at 300 calories. Veggie curries taste just as good as the lamb and beef versions but pack
half as many calories.
If I fail math, there goes my chance at a good job and a happy life full of hard work.
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