digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: when dining out, use the plate method (half fruits and vegetables, a quarter whole grains, a quarter lean protein), check the restaurant's online menu and nutrition information before you go, and be deliberate about ordering and portion size. The segment frames dining out as hard to keep on track with heart-healthy eating, and presents these tactics as ways to eat out without giving up what you enjoy.
Key Points
- Restaurant items that seem healthy can be surprisingly high in calories, so don't assume a menu option is the better choice.
- Menu keywords are a shortcut: sautéed, buttered, battered, or fried foods usually mean more fat and possibly less healthy oils.
- Looking up nutrition information online lets you check sodium, protein, and calories before you arrive.
- Eating out doesn't require giving up favorite foods; the emphasis is on conscious choices and ordering with intent.
- Portion control matters: you don't have to finish everything on your plate, and the "clean your plate" habit can work against healthy eating.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Before leaving, open the restaurant's online menu and look for listed nutrition information, noting sodium, protein, and calorie counts.
- At the table, build the plate using the plate method: half fruits and vegetables, one quarter whole grains, one quarter lean protein.
- Ask for dressing on the side, or request oil and vinegar instead of creamy dressings, and use only a small amount.
- Scan the menu for keywords like sautéed, buttered, battered, and fried, and prefer lighter preparations when possible.
- Ask for a to-go box when ordering, and set aside half of the meal for later as soon as the food arrives.
- Listen to your body's fullness cues instead of finishing everything on the plate.
- Melissa Matthews, a My Heart Challenge participant who works for the Multiple Sclerosis Society, reports asking for dressing on the side or oil and vinegar, and asking for a dry preparation, then adding a little dressing herself.
- The plate method was presented by dietitian and nutritionist Kerry Woodruff.
- The segment is tied to Intermountain Healthcare Heart Institute's My Heart Challenge, a 100-day program where the winner receives $1,000 for their nonprofit.
Bottom Line
Eating out heart-healthy is mainly a matter of planning ahead and ordering with intent, using the menu, portion, and dressing tactics described rather than relying on guesses about what is healthy.
