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Heart Healthy Dining Out Strategies |
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Foods |
Better Selections |
Best to avoid |
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Beverage. |
Request herbal teas; mineral
or sparkling water; skim milk; unsweetened fruit juices and
occasional decaffeinated diet drinks. |
Alcohol; beer; wine; caffeine diet
drinks, coffee, or tea; chocolate; cocoa; milk shakes and soft
drinks. |
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Bread. |
Request whole grains,
biscuits, crackers, lavosh, muffins, or pumpernickel. |
Glazed cakes; Danish; jelly
filled or salt covered items; sweet rolls. |
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Appetizer. |
Request bouillon, clear broth, or
consommé; fresh fruit; fish or meat cocktails; gazpacho; raw or
plain vegetables; tomato or vegetable juice; unsweetened fruit
juice. |
Breaded or fried items; canned
fruit; dips; oil marinated or sauce covered items. |
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Salads. |
Request fresh fruit; lettuce; tossed
or vegetable salad. |
Canned fruit; salads with dressings
already mixed in. |
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Fats and Salad Dressings. |
Request no butter or margarine, or
little- or no-fat, low-salt, whipped or soft butter or
margarine. Use lemon, vinegar, and mustard in salads or request
olive oil. Request oil on the side. |
Regular butter, margarine or oils;
cream sauce; gravy; salads with mixed-in dressings. |
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Vegetables. |
Request boiled, raw, steamed, or
stewed. |
Au gratin; cheese or sauce covered;
creamed, escalloped, fried, or sautéed. |
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Potatoes and Substitutes. |
Request baked, boiled, or steamed
potatoes; plain pasta or rice. |
Creamed, Delmonico, escalloped,
French-fried, hashed-browned, or mashed potatoes; potato chips
and salads. |
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Meat, Fish, or Poultry. |
Request meats to be trimmed of fat
before it's baked, boiled, broiled, roasted, or stir fried. |
Braised, breaded, fried, gravy
covered, sautéed, or stewed. |
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Eggs. |
Only occasional use of boiled (hard
or soft), plain, poached, scrambled, or low-cholesterol
substitutes. |
Creamed, fried, or oil-cooked
omelet's. |
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Desserts. |
Request fresh fruit, jello, plain
angel food, sponge, or unsweetened fruit filled cake. |
Layered cakes, canned fruit,
custard, ice cream, pastry, pie, puddings, or any sugar-based
item. |
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Delicatessen Selections
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Extra lean corned beef, pastrami, or
roast beef, beef brisket, and turkey breast are best; whole
wheat or multi-grain breads; chicken or tuna salad; chopped
herring; chef salad; fresh fruit plate with cottage cheese; dry
bagel; borscht or broth soup; tossed salad, sliced tomatoes,
beet salad, or carrot raisin salad. |
High-fat meats
(regular corn beef, hot pastrami, beef bologna, hot dogs,
knockwurst, liverwurst, and salami); potato salad; mayonnaise
based salads; combo sandwiches (Reuben); smoked fish (lox);
creamy coleslaw; chopped liver; excess cream cheese and cheese
spreads; sauerkraut (high in sodium). |
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Pizza Parlor Selections
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You cannot go wrong by ordering
extra toppings such as onions, peppers, mushrooms, tomato
slices, broccoli and spinach. Other possibilities include
chicken, crab meat, or shrimp. |
Fat starts with the basic cheese, so
avoid extra cheese and in particular mozzarella. Other culprits
include bacon, meatballs, pepperoni, sausage, and prosciutto, as
well as anchovies. |
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Sandwich Shop Selections
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Both 100% whole wheat and pita bread
are great choices. Good sandwich fillers are grilled chicken
breast, ham, roast beef, and turkey breast. Instruct the server
not to add butter, margarine, or mayonnaise to the bread and
substitute with ketchup, mustard, or horseradish. Good salad
choices include chef, garden, or Greek salads, but remember to
ask for low-calorie dressings on the side and to omit egg or
cheese. Broth-type soups are good, such as barley, beef,
chicken, lentil, split pea, and vegetable noodle. |
Avoid croissants, cheese, excess
mayonnaise, egg, and creamy soups. Beware of "diet plates" with
big burgers and scoops of cottage cheese, which have loads of
saturated fat. Omit cheeseburgers, cheese sandwiches, or grilled
cheese "melts" over chicken and seafood salads; and cold cuts.
Combo sandwiches with meat and cheese and club sandwiches are
best avoided due to the large portion size.
Remember that salad combos such
as tuna, chicken, and crab meat have lots of mayonnaise. Avoid
creamy soups such as chowders or cream of "anything." |
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Submarine Shop Selections |
Order the smaller size roll or pita
bread. Turkey, smoked turkey, ham, and roast beef are
acceptable. Ask the server to go light on the meats, omit the
mayonnaise or oil, and generously load up on the shredded
lettuce, onion, peppers, pickles, and sliced tomatoes. Choose
salads as alternatives when available, such as chef or tossed
salads with perhaps a scoop of tuna, chicken, or seafood served
with Italian or pita bread. |
Omit meats such as bologna, Italian
cold cuts, salami (hard or Genoa) and sausages. Stay away from
cheeses and steak and cheese. Other items to omit include
antipasto salads, fried eggplant, and chicken cutlets.
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Chinese Selections |
Order plain steamed rice; boiled,
steamed, or stir-fried vegetables (ask for little oil to be
used); moderate fish and shellfish; non-fried tofu; skinless
poultry and egg roll (insides only). |
Anything fried (rice or crispy
noodles), or with sweet and sour sauce; egg dishes or soups;
salty soups; avoid duck and limit beef, pork and picked foods;
excess soy sauce; ask chef to leave out MSG and cut down the use
of commonly used corn starch, sugar, and salt. |
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Indian Selections |
Order chutney (except mango); curry
sauce (yogurt based); fish (omit butter basting); yogurt with
shredded vegetables; basmati rice. Biryani (vegetable dish);
chapatti or papadum bread; tandoori chicken; lentil or
mulligatawny soups |
Creamy or high-salt soups; clarified
butter (ghee); deep fried meats; poori or paratha bread; fried
samosa or pakora; ask to prepare dishes without excess salt and
to omit coconut milk, if possible; omit garnishes with nuts or
dried fruit. |
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Italian Selections |
Order antipasto (no oil or excess
meats); crusty bread (no oil or butter); broiled or grilled
fish, seafood, chicken, and meats; garlic; plain or vegetable
pasta; fresh unsalted mozzarella cheese; steamed leafy
vegetables (kale and broccoli); salads; fresh tomatoes;
zucchini; ices. |
Garlic bread; stuffed pastas
(ravioli and lasagna); fried eggplant; meatballs or sausage;
sauces with butter, cream, oil, and wine base; pesto sauce;
cheese-filled or parmesan style dishes; spumoni or tortoni ice
cream. Beware of risotto rice; polenta; and high-fat,
high-sodium prosciutto ham and pancetta; veal cutlets and Caesar
salads. |
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Japanese Selections |
Order rice; steamed fish; sushi;
sashimi; miso soup; raw vegetables; tofu; sukiyaki (stir-fried);
yakimono (broiled fish). |
Tempura and other deep-fried food;
excess peanut and teriyaki sauce; pickled foods; excess salt and
sugar in sauces; excess salt in soy marinades and sauces. |
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Mediterranean (Middle East)
Selections |
Order couscous, bulgar, and pita
bread; legumes such as chickpeas, fava beans, and lentils;
hummus; grape leaves; yogurt. |
Phyllo dough dishes for sweet
desserts such as baklava; feta and kasseri cheese; excess
anchovies and olives; high sodium foods; feta, olives and
sausage; appetizers in general, except salads; excess fat from
butter, olive oil, omelet's and tahini. |
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Mexican Selections |
Order soft-shell tacos; burritos;
fajitas; salsa; chicken enchilada; black beans or Mexican rice;
grilled fish or chicken; salads without chips or shells;
moderate corn or flour tortilla, using minimal oil; cerviche
(marinated fish); gazpacho; chile con carne soup, with no
cheese. Acceptable items include shredded lettuce; spicy meats;
diced tomatoes; salsa verde; picante or tomato sauce; use
Mexican salads as appetizers, with salsa as the dressing. |
Chips, nachos; super nachos; chili
con queso; fried taco or tortilla shells; guacamole; sour cream;
cheese; refried beans; beef and pork dishes; olives; items such
as chilies rellenos, chimichangas, chorizo (sausage), and
flautas. |
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Thai Selections |
Order steamed rice; broth-based
soups (tom yum koang and pok taek); non-fried proteins, such as
chicken, seafood, and tofu; vegetables; satay or steamed
mussels; salads with light dressings, made with Thai spices.
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Excess sodium; soy sauce and sugar;
MSG; coconut milk, coconut oil; cream dishes, high milk and
sodium soups; many fried appetizers; curry or curry sauce; fried
eggplant; cashew and peanut toppings. |
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