HL Topic of Week Oct 3-10 "How to dine out without hurting your heart"

 Americans talk a good game about wanting to eat well. More than 75 percent claim they want to see more healthy options on restaurant menus. But when it comes time to order, only about half say they actually make nutritious choices, according to a recent survey.

On the other hand, 77 percent rank taste as the top priority for a restaurant dinner, and 44 percent say satisfying hunger matters most, according to the responses reported in June by Mintel, a market research firm. Of 2,000 adults polled in February, 20 percent said food health is an important factor when they order dinner.

Still, nutrition experts stress that it is possible to satisfy your taste buds and hunger while making nice to your heart.

"Eating out with friends and family is a pleasure you don't have to give up when you're on a special diet," said Anne Cain, a registered dietitian and senior editor at MyRecipes.com. "You just need to arm yourself with information about heart-healthy choices and not be afraid to ask questions about the menu and make special requests." (MyRecipes.com is owned by Time Warner, the parent company of CNN.)

Every person's needs are different when it comes to what he or she should eat, health experts say.

"There are some people that really have to worry about calories, there are some people that really have to worry about sugar, some people that really have to worry about salt. All of these bring in different kinds of mandates for you," said Riska Platt, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Heart Association.

Still, some foods are more likely than others to derail a heart-healthy diet. Here are some tips to help you eat for your heart when dining out.

Chinese
Instead of oil- and fat-laden dishes such as lo mein, egg rolls, kung pao chicken or fried rice, try steamed chicken, seafood or tofu with vegetables, and ask for sauce on the side.

"Chinese food can be a hidden salt mine,"said Sari Greaves, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. Ordering it "as unadorned as possible" and with sauces on the side will help you control your sodium intake.

Soups such as egg-drop and hot-and-sour are low-calorie and low-fat, but may also be "salt bombs," Greaves said. But despite the poor reputation eggs have for their high-cholesterol properties, low-fat dieters don't have to steer clear of egg-drop soup, she said: "It's saturated fat and trans fat in your diet that raise your blood cholesterol, more so than cholesterol in your diet."

Stir-fried dishes are also a safe bet because they're generally cooked quickly and with very little oil. On the other hand, watch out for foods designated "crispy" or "double-sauteed," which indicate deep-fried dishes, said Greaves.

Sandwich shop
Instead of a sandwich on white bread, a white roll or white wrap and topped with mayonnaise or cheese, try whole-grain bread options topped with vegetables, mustard or olive oil, and little to no cheese.

Watch out for deli meats, which often contain a lot of salt, Platt said.

Hummus can be a good alternative to mayonnaise or cheese, as it contains heart-healthy fat. Platt endorses hummus, which is made from chickpeas, because it helps Americans fit legumes into their diet. Just don't overload on it, because the calories can add up.

Platt also suggests skipping oversized muffins. Even if they're bran muffins and consequently high in fiber, they're full of fat, sugar and calories. Breakfast wraps can also be detrimental to a heart-healthy diet, especially when an entire salt- and fat-heavy meal of eggs, cheese and bacon is packed into a compact package.

Italian
Instead of pasta topped or filled with cream, cheese or meat, try grilled, broiled or poached seafood with a small order of pasta with garlic and oil or tomato sauce.

Greaves suggests ordering shellfish such as shrimp, mussels or clams at an Italian restaurant, as long as they aren't deep-fried or cooked in butter. Although these shellfish might be higher in cholesterol than salmon or tilapia, she said, they're still very low in saturated fat.

If you do want cheese in your meal, add a sprinkling of parmesan atop a dish instead of gobs of cheese as the centerpiece of your meal.

And for an appetizer, Greaves recommends skipping the meat- and cheese-heavy antipasto salad in favor of shrimp cocktail, which is low in saturated fat. Also, pair bread with heart-healthy olive oil, not butter. Oil is rich in calories, though, so don't overdo it.

Japanese
Instead of tempura-style rolls or rolls with mayonnaise (think spicy tuna), try fresher sushi with fish high in cardio-friendly omega-3 fatty acids, such as salmon, tuna, mackerel or halibut. The avocado in California rolls also carries heart-healthy benefits.

Edamame, which are green soybeans, may indirectly lower your blood cholesterol and are a good source of fiber and omega-3s, Greaves said. But if you're monitoring your sodium intake, request that the salt be omitted.

Be on the lookout for the word "kewpie," or Japanese mayonnaise, if you're trying to cut back on saturated fat.

Steakhouses
Instead of a full portion of steak, try limiting your meat intake by ordering a beef kebab, or a chicken or seafood selection cooked without butter or salt.

Choose lean cuts of beef such as round, sirloin, chuck, flank steak or tenderloin. Remove any visible fat that may be attached to the cooked meat, Cain said.

The American Heart Association recommends eating five to seven ounces of animal protein per day, and a 12-ounce steak at a restaurant far exceeds that, Platt said. Split a steak with one of your dining partners, or eat half and take the rest home for another meal.

Steakhouses also offer deceptively fattening sides, such as creamed spinach or fully loaded baked potatoes. Swap out those fatty sides for steamed vegetables, and you'll be in better shape.

Mexican
Instead of a cheese-filled burrito or taco, try a seafood, chicken or vegetable fajita.

The seafood or chicken will provide lean, healthy protein, while a vegetable centerpiece will boost your fiber intake. If you get beans, make sure they're not refried; black beans provide protein and fiber without artery-clogging saturated fat, Greaves said.

You can also cut down on saturated fat by opting for pico de gallo or salsa instead of sour cream. Since it's made from heart-healthy avocados, guacamole contains good fat that can lower bad LDL cholesterol while raising good HDL cholesterol. Just limit your intake to about two tablespoons, Greaves said, because it can carry a lot of calories.

Greaves also warns that you should watch out for salted rice and rice with cheese -- no-no's for people on low-sodium or low-fat diets.

Courtesy of FitNation

Happy Sunday Morning ladies!

I hope that everyone is doing well this beautiful autumn morning :)

I thought this weeks topic would be helpful to those of us trying to be heathful, but find it difficult to go out to dinner with friends and family and to know what to order that is healthier than other options. Here in Washington, its getting a bit easier as it is the law that all restaurants must have available all of their nutritional facts! I hope this topic helps us to make better choices in our day to day lives.

I must admit I am one of those 77% who find taste to be the most important thing when I am paying for a dinner out, but am happy to see from reading this that I sometimes made good choices without even having thought of it! For instance, at a steakhouse I always get a filet mignon, and I *always* trim any visible fat from my meat. I hate fat on meat! And while at Steakhouses, I dont really order sides... just get the steamed veggie and mashed potatoes that come with the dinner. I do eat all my steak though. When I splurge on a steak (price wise) I want to eat it then, not warmed up later.

I am however a fan of mayo on sandwiches. At Subway, I do get veggies on my sandwhich, which is good... but I always get mayo, chipotle sauce, and oil on my sandwich. I love the combo of taste. Thankfully I dont eat there *too* often. I love hummus, so I may try that on a sandwich at home someday! Regarding cheese, I do love cheese. Though, at Subway they only put 2 slices on, so I dont think thats too much. LOL at the breakfast wrap. I made one for breakfast today with eggs, cheese and bacon and salsa. LOL

We do not eat a lot of pasta in this house, so that isnt a biggie, but when I do have pasta, I only eat cream sauce. I guess its a splurge though, as usually only have this on special occassions when we go out *maybe* 3 times a year or so. I do always get some sort of seafood with my pasta though! And I love bread dipped in flavored oils :)




Alrighty then, how is everyones weekend going?

Rebecca, Cedar Cove Christmas was a very good one, last years Christmas Hardback book. They are really small square books that are hardback... the only ones that come out like that are her Christmas ones :) Your trip to your parents sounds fun! Im so thankful my parents are close enough I can just take a day and go see them. When we lived 3000 miles apart, it was horrible. My family is very close and I hated not being able to see them. LOL at your beer budget. We are the total same. We have expensive taste, but no money to go with it! Haha. We just decide whats most important to us, splurge on that and cut back in other places when doing trips, etc. For instance, we will go to a great dinner, or do a tourist thing like go to Alcatraz (thats the next thing we plan to do in San Fran) but in turn, we use public transportation instead of renting cars.

It sounds like you all haveso much fun around halloween! So jealous. We dont have any community stuff here (maybe its cause its a big city?) and I dont have kids, so that takes away from it. We arent in an area that gets trick or treaters (I wouldnt let my kids out at night in this neighborhood) Around here, people trick or treat in the malls for safety. And we cant have pumpkins cause theyll get smashed... I would love to have a community where we could really enjoy such a holiday and spend time together.

I know, i cant believe the holidays are coming up! I was not planning on decorating or anything this year, but think I probably will end up doing something, as Im already so excited. Have already got my gifts planned for family... are just giving a gift per couple pretty much, a basket with a home made soup or chili mix, and a home made cornbread mix and a dessert of some sort. Easy, simple, cheap, but from my heart :) I love the cool weather and the holiday season. Everyone seems to be more polite and happy and simply wonderful. And Thanksgiving! Woo hoo I cant wait to really sit down and plan my menu. Gonna try all new sides this year, but keep my turkey the same as usual (The Good Eats turkey from alton Brown) but make some Potatoes au gratin instead of mashed potatoes, make some special yams with pretzel stuff on top (Its a TOH recipe, I just gotta find it), some type of veggie, home made rolls, and something special for dessert. We will see. Oh, and home made cranberry sauce. Im so excited!

Well I better shut up, Ive gone on and on this morning.!

Oh, I had a question I wanted to ask of yall.

When recipes call for white wine, what wine do I use? I dont drink wine, dont like wine, so I dont really have any opinion of which one to use. "Use one you would drink" is what everyone says. Well, I wouldnt drink it :P I do have teeny bottles of wine from Gallo Family Vineyards called Chardonnary. Would this be considered a "dry white wine"?

I was looking at a recipe posted by Muril in the main dishes thread that has chicken and stuffing in it, and I wanted to make but was unsure about the wine part. Any info would be much appreciated :)

Muril, I hope you get to feeling better soon! Take it easy and take good care of yourself *hugs*

Sure is quiet here in Healthy Living this morning.... Im lonely! Just watching My Big Fat Greek Wedding until its time to go to work. I love this movie. Its so cute.

Oh, was gonna mention, I probably wont be on on Tuesday, because going outta town to my doctors for my yearly visit :( I hate it. So will be at moms house, hanging out with family too.

Everybody WAKE UP!

Good morning.

Eating out, I especially love breakfast out. Very seldom do that now, as Mel says I am starving him to death by not eating out a lot. We use to eat out several times a week, but not now. Be the first to order and you might not order unhealthy things others order.

Thanks for the post Natasha.

 Hi to everyone.

Happy Sunday!

 

I actually feel human today- sort-of. :) DH called the Dr. yesterday and informed him of my symptoms and the Dr. apologized because the flu test was a false negative- I definately had the flu(notice I am being extremely positive and saying HAD)... :) Anyway, thank God, yesterday was the peak and today I can actually do some things again. :) I  may go with DH to KFC to pick up some chicken and fixings for the kids this evening(just to get out for a little bit). They need to come over to move the grill off the deck so it can be stained starting tomorrow- weather permitting. The man pressure washed everything Friday to get ready.

 

Natasha, what a great topic! You done good Girl! :) When I was really serious about cutting calories to reach my goal wt.(now trying to get 5 lbs. below it), when I went to Subway, I got the fit sub(just 4 inch) with no cheese or sauce- just got turkey with loads of veggies and the red pepper sauce(which is fat free) and a veggie lovers salad(ff Italian dressing on the side). Now I am back to a 6 inch sub with chipolte sauce(just a little) or lite mayo.

 

Re: the dry white wine- Chardonnay will work just fine.  But compared to a riesling or chablis- Chardonnay has an oak/smoke taste(which may be overpowering in the recipe if you are not a wine lover)...a riesling is more light and citrus-y(good served right along with the meal as well IMO).  Chabis is described by some as being chardonnay without the oak(the Chardonnay is aged in oak). One thing you can do is look at the label and it tells which meats it goes with- anything dry that goes well with chicken- start there. :) Ok, I have given a brief wine 101 class. LOL  If you are making the swiss chicken- you are gonna love it- I love that it doesn't have the cream soups it- has to be a little healthier. :)

 

Dusta, that's a good on ordering first- my problem is, I may change my mind after someone else orders. :) 

 

Off to get a little rest. Hugs to all!

Hello everyone!

 

Had an AWESOME time yesterday!!!!! We went to Rosine Kentucky for the Bill Monroe Jerusalem Ridge Festival.....it was HUGE!!!!! We didn't even dream it was that big!!!!!! There were people there from all over the world....Japan, Israel, Australia, England, ect....and of course people from all over the USA! From CA to FL to Canada to Mexico! There were thousands of people there! It took us an hour just to park! I will try to post some pictures later on.....usually I get bored at bluegrass festivals since I don't play, but there was plenty to do at this one! :) They had flea markets, Bill Monroe's home place to tour and of course FOOD! lol Ate way to much, but it was soooo good! Had bison burger, pork tenderloin, funnel cake, bbq pork, bbq mutton, it was just all sooo good!

I am so glad we got to go! Dh met up with some friends there and he ended up playing on STAGE with Frank Buchanan that used to play in Bill Monroe's band!!!!! He was absolutly THRILLED!!!!!

 

Hope that everyone had a great weekend!!!

Muril hope you are better soon!!!

Dawn how are you and Samantha doing?

I have my Dr. appointment tomorrow morning...will be talking about my blood pressure. I am pretty sure he will be giving meds for it...we will see...

 

WAving to everyone!

Jet

Hi all, I hate this new font that I'm getting now, hard for my old lady eyes to read!

 

Great topic, I wish I had more chance to use it!  HAHA we rarely go out!

 

Natasha, I don't drink wine either, when it's called for in a recipe I usually just use chicken broth, since I have never used with wine, I can't tell the difference.  You could also use apple juice I think but it might be too sweet.  Thanks for the tips on the Macomber books.  I would love to be rich and just order them all, wouldn't that be a fun pkg to get in the mail????????

 We do do a lot of stuff this time of year, I'm so not a summer person, I would much rather be out and about and be a little chilly.  This is definitely my time of year!  Can't wait to have fun outside, love it!  Our foster daughter is sooo not having fun, she would rather stay home and stare at the TV than do anything else, so here I am making all these plans and she's just looking at me like i have 2 heads!  She even pouted today after we went to the movie ... we went to Wendy's and to the movies and walked around the mall, she was pouting the whole time!  GRRRRR  Oh well, she'll get used to it I guess!

 

Muril, so glad to hear you are feeling better.  Sounds like you made it thru pretty quick, not lasting weeks or anything.  What a relief!

 

Jet, you make sure you get some BP meds, you can always go off of them later if you can work out your diet/exercise in the right way, it's not safe to "wait" to see what will happen.  Just my humble opinion, worried about you!  Sounds like you had a super weekend with hubby!  Sounds like so much fun!  Glad you had a good time how cool for your hubby to play onstage like that - I used to be a total bar band groupie and LOVED getting on stage to sing!  HA!  Now I wouldn't do that if you paid me, guess I got it all out of my system when I was younger, thank goodness!

 

Put up the rest of the Halloween decorations (well, the ones I'm gonna use this year anyway) and they're so cute.  We put lights on the front porch with a big lit up pumpkin, so much fun!

 

Hi to everyone, gotta fly!

 

XXOO

 Good evening everyone -
Thanks for the info Natasha - good ideas for eating out.
I usually do really well at Subway -
It's the mexican food restaurants the I get in trouble at  
I'm a Nacho lover - - - -
We made a Vege Pizza tonight on a very thin Whole Wheat Crust - was pretty good.
I got in trouble with my hot peppers from my garden though - again........
Just one hand this time - and not as bad as last time......

Natasha - is that you peeping at us in that new picture.  :)
Yuck on the doctor visit - I just did that a week or two ago.  Hate them.
I've gotten all of my Halloween deco's out of the attic, but they're still in the box.  But I'm getting a little excited about decorating this year too.
Muril already answered your wine questions - so I won't - I'm not a dry wine lover - I like the fruity ones though.

Hi Dusta - I love to eat out in the mornings too - mostly because someone else is cooking it LOL
Don't do it hardly ever though. 

Muril - so glad that you are feeling better now.  I have only had the real flu twice, and it was horrible.  I didn't get over it so fast.  Yuck

Dawn - how is little Samantha - I hope you all didn't have a rough weekend. 

Rebecca - I went to Debbie Macomber's website - thanks.  She has quite a list of books, doesn't she.   I may try some of them.
I'm like you, I don't get rid of my books just because I read them.  I have book shelves - and read a lot of them over.  Sometimes I give them to friends to read, but they usually give them back.

Well, better go for now.  My eyes don't hold  up very long.  But they're better.
Will check back with you all tomorrow.
Have a great night
Waving to all who may pop in  - 
Debi

Jet - didn't mean to leave you out!  dah  
Sounds like you had a really fun time this weekend - I'm jealous  LOL
I bet your hubby was excited about being on stage - he must be really good.

Last Tuesday I came home after school with a migraine and slept for 3 hours.  I went to bed at 9pm, woke up to call in sick and rolled out of bed at 11:30 am (14.5 hours later).  Had lunch and up for 2 hours, slept for 3 hours and up for supper and 3 hours.  Fell asleep at 9pm and didn't move until 6:30am the next morning.  I still didn't feel great, but I reported to work the rest of the week.

 

Saturday I was in KC with my DSis!  We went to the K-State vs. Iowa State game and won in the last 5 seconds by a blocked kick!  24-23!  If you were purple it was a good game.

 

Today I helped grade and post tests, download pictures, laundry, and move patio furniture into the garage for her.  Trying to catch up at home.  Still need to pay bills and change over the closet if possible tonight.

 

Thanks you Natasha for starting the topic!

 

Wishing everyone WELLNESS!

Evening Ladies,

Dusta, I too enjoy eating out for breakfast. There is just something about breakfast from a restaurant, I can never get mine to turn out as good at home. Must be the griddles they use :) I usually do order first, because I generally know what I want, and could care less about what others are ordering. LOL I tend to review menus online before I even go anywhere so I know what I want before I go.

Muril, so glad you are feeling better. Isnt that chipotle sauce delish? It adds just the right touch of flavor to a sub. Thanks for the info on the wine. I will be trying the swiss chicken sooner or later.

Jet, so glad that you and your hubby had a good time! Sounds like it was a blast, and like you had some great food too. Its okay to splurge for such occassions! Good luck at the doctors for the blood pressure meds. Ive been on bp meds since I was 16, and I really dont have any side effects or anything from mine. They do me a world of good, compared to what my body can sometimes feel like without them.

Rebecca, lol at your foster daughters reaction to being so busy. Im sure she will get used to it. Its probably just something she has never dealt with and simply cannot comprehend.

Debi, you poor thing with the peppers. You have to be careful!!!!!!!! Like you, I do love some nachos, but my weakness at a mexican restaurant is shrimp and steak fajitas. Love fajitas, and they are somewhat healthy, right? It is me peeking at yall in my picture. It was taken of me on our honeymoon in Mesa Grill in Vegas. Its a bit blurry, but I was blissfully happy :)

Kris, hope you get back to feeling 100% soon. I hate those migraines that linger for so long. They just do me in.

Dawn, how is Samantha doing? Hope you are all doing well and had a relaxing weekend.

Hello to anyone else who stops in tonight!

I'm naughty, I would eat out for every meal if I could ... sooo bad!  I love breakfast out too, their coffee is usually good and I agree, it always seems better than I can make at home ... but last week I made my hubby an omelet and it was just perfect, nice and thin, set but not dry, I was really jealous it wasn't for me!  When I eat Mexican out I usually get something naughty like chimichangas ... deep fried, oh noooooooooooo.

 

Natasha, you went for your honeymoon to Vegas?  how fun!  We drove from MN to Michigan ... hmmmm well, at least we got married!  I dunno, at the time we were awful young and poor! and we hadn't been on a vacation in a long time!

 

Kris!  So sorry to hear you weren't feeling well.  I think sometimes our bodies are just peeved at us, we run them ragged, and then they say, hey, if you aren't gonna sleep enough on your own, I will help you!  I was so tired the other day I slept 9 hours overnight and then took a nap!  I like naps!!  I hate to admit I usually take one everyday when the kids are at school, but hey, I get up before 6!  Not as early as some of you I know, but ...  Anyway, Kris, hope you are feeling much better and sounds like you had fun watching the game!

 

I'm in the mood to bake pumpkin bread or cake or something, I'll have to see what I can find tomorrow - I go to the Doc first thing in the AM to check my BP to see if my new meds are working - they better be!

 

Today when we got home from the mall - lunch out, movie and haircut for Katie, I was so thirsty from not having had any water I thought I was in a desert!  I got my huge mug out and filled it up with ice and  oooooooooo was that good!  I think I drank the whole 32 oz in about 10 min!

 

I picked up yarn the other day at walmart to do some crocheting - I haven't crocheted in years, but I need something to keep my hands busy and books aren't always an option (I read too fast, besides, I am multi talented, it's not hard for me to eat while reading!) and I need something to keep my hands busy!  I suppose I could do chores ... but ... :)  I don't do fancy patterns or anything, just nice soft baby afghans or lap robe kinda things.  Anyway, it will be interesting to see what I remember!  One time I tried to teach a friend how to crochet and she didn't tell me she was left handed ... I was all "don't move your left hand!"  over and over and finally she said, well, this is just too hard if you're left handed!  I felt so bad, there are completely different instructions for left handed people! 

 

Okay, enough of my babbling, be good all! 

Rebecca, we had a 2 part honeymoon... 4 days in Kauai Hawaii, and then 2 days in vegas. It was lotsa fun :) We love Vegas. Have been 3 times in the last 2 years!

LOL at teaching a left hander. Haha. I read too fast too. I could read a book a day, and then Im like...oh no, its over!?

Now I'm jealous, never been to Hawaii!  Supposed to be the best!  My parents went once and I thought my mom was ready to leave this earth after that trip, she was so happy!

 

We went to Vegas once, for a friend's wedding ... in July ... it was like 100 degrees and we drove from CO so we were exhausted and we didn't have any money to gamble and it was the first time we didn't take Ross with us (he was about 4 I think) and so it was a nightmare trip.  I would love to go again and be ready to have fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!