Healthy Lifestyles

Healthy and Smart Eating Out

Whether eating out is healthy or not depends on the type of food being chosen, the cooking methods used, and the amount of food eaten. Eating out is often associated with the consumption of high-caloric, high-fat, and salty foods, which may lead to overweight and health problems. However, if one can follow the healthy eating principles when making food selections, eating out can also be healthy.

Tips for ordering food:

1. Estimate the correct amount of food

• Before ordering food, estimate the portions that can be eaten so as to avoid ordering too much.
• Some restaurants may serve larger portion sizes, so do not hesitate to ask the waiters about the food portions in advance.

2. Grasp the opportunity to order food

• When eating out with family or friends, do grasp the opportunity to order some healthier dishes.
• Ask the waiters about the ingredients or cooking methods being used for those dishes with unfamiliar names.

3. Go for low-fat meat or soy bean products

• Choose lean meat, fish, skinless chicken, and tofu more often.
• Avoid high-fat or high-cholesterol meats, such as belly meat, offal, luncheon meat, sausages, chicken feet, fish head, etc. and deep-fried soy bean products such as deep-fried tofu, etc.
  

4. Choose more high dietary fiber food

• Choose more foods prepared with high dietary fiber ingredients which include whole grain cereals, dried beans, vegetables, and fruits, etc. Some side vegetables, such as mushroom, dried fungi, and carrot, are also good sources of dietary fiber.

5. Reduce salty food or condiments

• Try to avoid dishes with cured meat or preserved ingredients, such as sausages, salted fish, salted egg, and pickled vegetables, such as sauerkraut (pickled cabbage) and pickled olives. Dishes cooked with salty condiments, such as spare ribs with preserved black beans and pork with sauerkraut, should also be selected less often.
• Choose dishes seasoned with natural low-salt condiments like ginger, spring onion, garlic, and onion, etc.

6. Choose dishes cooked with less oil

• Low-fat cooking methods include steaming, boiling, baking, grilling, and stewing. Examples of low-fat foods include noodle soup, boiled vegetables, grilled fish, and roast chicken etc.
• Avoid deep-fried and oily foods like French fries, deep-fried chicken, spare ribs, etc.

7. Be smart when choosing desserts or drinks

• Most desserts have high sugar and caloric contents, so it is preferable to eat only small portions. Fresh fruit is a healthier dessert choice.
• For drinks, choose water, plain tea, or small amount of fresh fruit juice rather than high sugar and caloric drinks, such as soft drinks, sweetened juice, and beer, etc.

Tips for eating:

1. Maintain a balanced food intake

• Follow the healthy eating principles and avoid eating too much food in one single meal. Leftovers can be packed home.
• Trim off visible fat from meat and remove the skin of poultry before eating.

2. Avoid sauce and gravy

• Avoid oily sauces like coconut sauce, cream sauce, curry sauce, and salad dressing in order to cut down on the intake of fat.
• Choose sauces and dressings of lower fat content, such as tomato sauce and low-fat salad dressing.

3. Pace oneself slowly when eating

• Eating too fast not only increases the chance of choking and stomach discomfort, but can also lead to overeating.

4. Turn down unhealthy food

• When offered with high-caloric, high-fat, or salty foods, try to turn them down politely.
  

Dim Sum Suggestions

08/08/2006