EMAIL THREAD FOODIES! I'm a foodie. My friends are foodies. My family are foodies. We all love to go out and try new restaurants, I am talking high quality restaurants with the best new chefs, the freshest ingredients and the most incredible food. The restaurants I am attracted too typicall have a farm to table mentality and produce nutritious (but not low cal!) and delicious food. I try to make smart decisions when I eat out. Like choose apetizers and salads instead of big main dishes. I stick with seafood instead of red meat, etc. BUT I have a "moral" (foodie morality) aversion to asking a top chef to change they way they cook a dish to make it more figure friendly. Problem #1. Problem #2 is that I never log a dinner out because I don't know how to break it down. I especially don't know how to count the calories in a meal because who knows how many ingredients when into that dish, how much butter, oil, salt etc. I love eating good food, and I don't want to give that up I would just like to know how to 1) gain confidence and tact to order food the way I want it 2) figure out the approximate calories of dishes at a (non-chain) restaurant so that I can budget throughout the day (I would much rather skip lunch then skip a dinner out! (yes I do realize that "skipping" meals is frowned upon by many)) Anyone out there the same way? Any suggestions? Wed. Oct 21, 1:05pm

Learn to cook. Why experience other people's creations when you can make your own. Have your friends over to share, or help make them. I'm a foodie too, but I live for creating in my kitchen. Then you'd need neither tack nor a way to sort out the calories. Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 3:20 PM

OP here. I am a great cook! I love to cook. I do it most night of the week, but it is that experience of going out to a nice new restaurant that I love. Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 3:38 PM

I used to be exactly the same way! I have never stopped going out to eat - but I look up general nutrition facts for foods at a non-chain restaurant. Calorie counter sites are very detailed now and can give you the facts you want - I have memorized over the years what is healthy or bad when going out. Portion size - if I am ever worried about what I am eating out - I make a rule that I only eat 1/2 of what's on my plate. I eat small bites, drink plenty of water, and talk to others to get my mind off what's in front of me. Salads - easiest dish to order healthy w/o offending the chef. Ask for the dressing on the side and literally pick around the bacon, crutons, etc that are not on you diet. Baked dry - If you order meat, ask for it to come baked or dry (w/o butter). You will save a ton of calories and fat. Also, ask for sauces on the side instead of over your meal. Over time, the more you request for healthy variations - the easier and more comfortable you will be doing it. I've worked in food service and also gone out with a ton of healthy eaters - so many people ask for healthy variations now to their meal - don't feel like you are the only one doing it! Whenever I used to starve myself all day long for a huge meal - it didn't matter if I ate the same calories that day - I always gained the weight. Eat small healthy meals and snacks throughout the day and plan on using portion control and healthy choices at dinner. Link Wednesday, October 21, 2009, 5:10 PM

1021 5pm good deal. Ditto: portion control and water are your best bet. only 1 glass of wine. (1/2 the tea or smoothie) I miss good restaurants. Instead of requesting a change of the dish, perhaps a small portion. (the meat is the easiest thing to reduce. Or once your plate arrives, push to the side just a bit of the white rice/pasta. The issue for me isn't so much health accomodations, but preferences -- grown adults saying, " please take this off bc I don't like...." Thursday, October 22, 2009, 5:42 AM

OP here again. October 21, 2009, 5:10 PM, Thank you so much for your post! That is so helpful. Going out to dinner with my parents this weekend (to one of the best restaurants in the country!) and with these tips I know I can come away feeling good about the food choices that I made. Thursday, October 22, 2009, 9:29 AM

Share your food. My boyfriend and I always split a small appetizer and one entree - there's more than enough food for both of us. Avoid dishes with cream, butter, and fatty meats, for a start. I'm sure there are plenty of other healthy options on the menu (like roasted chicken and vegetables), especially at a farm to table place! Good luck and happy fooding! Thursday, October 22, 2009, 9:43 AM

Rather than asking the chef to change how he prepares a dish, you can always ask your server to explain how a dish is prepared. If she doesn't know, and it's a nice restaurant that is proud of it's food quality, she'll go ask. That way, you know if it's cooked in butter, roasted, etc. You'll be able to better estimate what's in the food, and how much to eat vs. leave or take home. I agree with you; I do not like to ask real chefs to change how they prepare a dish that they've created. It's no longer their intended dish then. If you're starving before you go, have a small snack so that you're not as hungry when the meal comes, and it'll be easier to make a good choice and to stop eating before it's gone. If you're not that hungry, I find it better not to snack - the snack seems to waken my appetite! If you're really being successful during the times that you're not going out to eat, then the occasional meal out at a nice restaurant, given that you're doing your best to be healthy, isn't going to derail you. Thursday, October 22, 2009, 2:03 PM

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