Many people look forward to the holiday season. It’s the best time of year to spend with family and friends, go Christmas shopping, sit by a warm fire and watch football games, and dine out. However, if you are trying to lose weight, you might find it challenging to try to keep the weight off, especially when eating out.
Chinese restaurants are great places to eat out during the holiday season, and any other time of the year for that matter. You have several low-fat, low-calorie options to choose from. Broth-based soups, steamed fish, vegetable dishes, and chow mein are good options that won’t significantly affect your waistline.
However, some Chinese foods you should definitely avoid. Avoid the fried wontons, fried egg rolls, any dish made with duck, fried chicken, and egg foo yung. These foods are high in fat and cholesterol. Rice is okay, but stick to steamed rice. Fried rice is a no-no. Avoid the all-you-can-eat Chinese buffets; you are less likely to be able to control your portion sizes at these places.
If you are looking for healthy low-fat food options, try going to restaurants that offer Indian cuisine. Indian cuisine typically consists of fish, chicken, and vegetable dishes. You will also find legumes in many healthy Indian dishes. If you are a meat eater, you can still eat healthy. Indian dishes you may want to try include chapati, vindaloo (chicken or shrimp), and lamb kabobs. Avoid eating fried breads, as well as dishes that have a lot of nuts in them and use coconut milk. Stick to the healthy dishes in the menu and you will do fine eating out at any Indian restaurant.
Love Italian food? Italian restaurants are notorious for serving dishes that are fattening: lasagna, fried mozzarella, pasta dishes with thick, creamy Alfredo sauce…the list goes on. But them there are quite a few Italian dishes that are delicious but are healthy too. Love pizza? Go with the thin crust pizza topped with vegetables. If you just can’t tear yourself away from pasta, go with whole wheat pasta with a tomato-based or pesto sauce.
Other healthy choices include chicken marsala, chicken cacciatore, and biscotti. With these healthy dishes, you can enjoy Italian food without worrying about your calorie and fat intake. Of course, salads and soups are good choice — just make sure they come without the dressing and cheese. What about desserts? Most desserts at Italian restaurants are full of cheese so you might want to avoid them.
There are also a lot of healthy Mexican dishes you can try. Mexican restaurants have healthy items on their menu such as black bean soup, chicken soft tacos, grilled shrimp or chicken dishes, fajitas (chicken, shrimp, or vegetables), and fresh salsa. However, be careful with some of the other dishes in the menu as they are not really healthy. Avoid the nachos, enchiladas, refried beans, and all fried dishes (e.g., chimichangas).
The holiday season is characterized by family get-togethers and lots of foods. And for most people, it’s the season when dining out with family and close friends becomes a regular activity. Even if you are on a diet, you don’t have to miss out on all the festivities. Just make better choices at the restaurants and you will be fine.
