How to Live to be 100
Eating Out While on a Diet
This article was first published in Health View, August 2003.
Going out to eat is something most people love to do, myself included. Even though it is better for your health to prepare low fat, low sodium, high fiber food at home, sometimes it's just a nice break to go out to eat.
I am often asked, "Dr. Richey, can I eat out on the diet you are recommending me to eat?" I quickly respond, "Certainly." The next question is always where to go and what to order.
You can go to just about any restaurant and make healthy choices, such as ordering a salad with vinaigrette dressing and a baked potato with no butter, sour cream, cheese and bacon bits. But what I like to see on a menu is an array of vegetarian options.
Many of you already know a local restaurant that is high on my list, because you have seen me eating there. I love to go to LaBamba. They offer a very good selection of vegetarian entrees and are glad to keep a supply of bottled water.
There are two ways to make eating at LaBamba or any of the other local Mexican restaurants not so healthy. You should develop a mindset before going in the door that you will not overdo the chips and salsa. I have to do that. You get too much sodium from too much salsa and the chips are fried in fat. That means lots of fat grams. Also, I ask them to leave the cheese off of what I order to eliminate the cholesterol.
I just about always order two bean burritos and one chalupa with no cheese. The vegetarian fajitas are very good. When I order fajitas, I ask for double beans with no cheese instead of rice and ask them to leave off the sour cream. The vegetarian chimichanga is one of Cindy's favorite, but it is fried, so I don't get that very often.
I would never suggest eating out on a regular basis, but occasionally is okay. There is entirely too much sodium in restaurant food. Also, eating vegetarian in a restaurant should not contain saturated fat, but it could contain trans fats. I happen to believe that trans fats or worse for your health than saturated animal fat.
Speaking of trans fats, be on the lookout for the new labels the FDA is requiring that show the trans fat content in foods. It should be listed right under the amount of saturated fat. Even though the government is giving companies until 2006 to make this change, some manufacturers are already getting on the bandwagon. Some companies will totally eliminate the trans fats and instead use a healthier fat such as canola oil. This is really good news.
Lastly, a few issues ago there was an insert in GOLDEN LIFE about the "Together Rx" program. If you are a senior on a fixed income, ask your doctor or pharmacist about this fantastic money-saving and life-saving program. Prescriptions can actually be bought for pennies on the dollar. Don't go to Canada for your medication when you can get it cheap with "Together Rx." Novartis is a big player with Together Rx, as are most of the American pharmaceutical companies. Make every health care dollar you spend count.
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