It’s Rashmi’s 21st birthday. And she is depressed!
Now, don’t read too much between the lines! Rashmi’s obviously happy that she was born. It’s just the thought of eating out that has our health conscious birthday girl feeling all the hues of the color blue.
The famed Indian cuisine is world renowned for being harsh on the waistline; packed to the brim with a variety of masalas which are used in recipes that demand to be cooked or sautéed rather than boiled or steamed! This exotic cuisine also employs the ample services of the dreaded Butter, Ghee and Oil! No wonder our birthday girl is worried about dining out on her birthday.
But Rashmi needn’t worry about any gastronomical disasters waiting to happen! All she has to do is be choosy about what she wants and orders and she can simply ‘Healthy Eat’ away her anxiety regarding eating out.
It doesn’t take a lot to make healthy choices whilst eating out; all you have to do is know what you want to eat, what you don’t want to eat and what you absolutely shouldn’t be eating out!
Here are a few tips on how to be make good food choices and eat Healthy while dining out: -
- H2O is the way to go: Choose good ole’ water and drink lots of it before and after you dine, whenever you have to eat out. Try and avoid any sorts of fizzy drinks, as they have high levels of sugar with no nutritious components and contain a lot of calories. If alcohol cannot be avoided don’t opt for beer or breezers, instead choose Wine, Champagne, Vodka or Gin. This is recommended because beer and breezers are served in larger quantities in hotels, as compared to wine, vodka and gin!
- Don’t land in a Creamy Soup: Choose broth based or clear soups rather than the cream based ones, as broth based soups have a lesser calorie count than cream based soups Unfortunately your favorite Tomato Soup is a cream based soup! Now’s definitely the right time to make a healthy choice.
- Remember to see red, when you see Bread: Choose to push the flour filled bread basket far far away from you, if you want to dine healthy when eating out. And if the temptation is too great, simply order a whole wheat bread or steamed veggies to munch on.
While eating out, do remember to talk to the waiter! It simply means that you should be more upfront in asking him not just ‘Aaj ka special kya hain?’, but also what ingredients are used in the preparation of your meal. By doing this, you not only know exactly what’s actually entering your stomach, but you can also customize your meal. Start by asking for less of oil, more of veggies, grilled instead of fried chiken and fish and finally steamed instead of cooked rice. Remember, choose ‘healthy’.
Following are a few more ways to make healthy choices
Start Healthy: When it comes to starters, size does matter; smaller the better. Avoid the Aloo based starters in the vegetarian section and if you can’t, request the amount of oil used to be minimal. If non- veg is on your mind, choose a grilled variety rather than going for a fried one. Also choose to steer clear of the cheese and Pakoras.
What if I order a Salad, instead? asks Rashmi, the anxious birthday girl.
Of course, you can! Just remember to keep the salads fat free by avoiding those dressings or having them served in a separate bowl. Having the dressing served in a separate bowl, means you have control over how much dressing you want over your salad, which in lay mans terms means you have total control over your calorie intake at least from the dressing!
- Mind the Main course: The main course is when the calorie bomb tends to go off, thereby derailing your efforts to eat healthy. A sure shot way to choose healthily here would be to make a few important exchanges.
Here is a to-do list which all you health conscious people could follow for a healthy main course:
- To begin with, Exchange your buttery Naan and Kulcha for a plain Roti or Chapati.
- If you opt for a vegetarian curry and preparation, avoid the Aloos and ask for minimal oil and ghee to be used to cut down on the fats and calories. If it
suits you, you could ask for a plate of steamed raw veggies with a sprinkling of herbs and spices, instead of the same old oily vegetable preparation.
- Non Vegetarians can opt for a Tandoori Chicken or other Tandoor items, instead of Butter Chicken or Fried Chicken. If a non veg curry is to be ordered, request for the skinless chicken pieces to be used, as it cuts down immensely on the fat content of the chicken.
- While ordering curries remember that you request the chef to not use coconut milk or cream to thicken them, as the coconut milk increases the calorie count tremendously. Instead you could choose from a variety of Dals for the vegans and the Tandoori Chicken and Fish with gravy (make sure the gravy has very low oil content).
- Try and cut down the number of items having Paneer in them, as Paneer increases the calorie count and thereby causes harm to your ‘healthy dining’ plan! If your love for Paneer supersedes any notion of healthy dining, chose a grilled variety of Paneer instead of the cooked. That way, you will find yourself in a win-win situation, where you can eat your Paneer and not worry about the calories too!
- Sweets, a big NO NO!– Finally desserts, the most mouth watering and tempting part of the Indian meal are just simply irresistible!
Even Rashmi the health conscious birthday girl can’t resist the sweets!
Do not resist, instead simply choose a healthier option to the Gulab Jamuns by having Yogurt or a fruit salad with a scoop of ice cream on it!
Finally, we think Rashmi will surely have a blast when dining out on her 21st birthday, and all future occasions, if she makes healthy choices!
