Make Healthy Choices at Your Favorite Ethnic Restaurants (page 2 of 2)

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Choose a vegetable dish for your main course.

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Healthy Indian Dining

• Skip the appetizers (most are fried).



• Avoid the chapati, nan, kulcha, or roti breads. They've all been fried or soaked in fat. A better bet: pappadam, made from lentils. It's usually baked, but check first.



• Order side dishes with vegetables, beans, or peas, such as dal or chutney.



• Look for the healthy dishes: chicken masala, shrimp bhuna, fish vindaloo, and tandoori (baked). Avoid dishes made with ghee (clarified butter) or malai (a thick cream).



• Ask what kind of oil is used in cooking. Most often, it's coconut -- nearly all saturated fat. If that's what they use, ask if they can switch to canola oil for you.



• Avoid dishes made with coconut, which is another hidden source of fat and calories.



• Choose a vegetable dish for your main course.

Healthy Chinese Dining

• Avoid the fried noodles. If the waiter plops them down on the table, ask him to take them away. If you get a packet with your soup, hand them back. Each half-cup serving adds about 150 calories.



• Order fewer dishes than there are people at the table. Chinese entrées are designed for sharing, not for one person.



• Start with soup to fill you up.



• Avoid fried appetizers. This means no egg rolls or pupu platters. Get your dumplings steamed, not fried.



• Opt for steamed rice, not fried. If the restaurant serves brown rice, ask for it.



• Use the 2:1 ratio. Two times as much rice as main dish.



• Avoid menu items described as crispy, golden brown, or sweet-and-sour. They're all deep-fried.



• Choose dishes rich in vegetables and order at least one vegetarian entrée.



• Ask for the sauce on the side. Chinese restaurant chefs often stir-fry the main ingredients, then mix them together and ladle on the sauce. Get the sauce on the side and you'll use less.



• Eat with chopsticks. You'll get less of the high-calorie, high-sodium sauce that way.

• Choose Canadian bacon instead of regular bacon.



• Skip the fries. Ask for a side salad or order of vegetables instead.



• Forgo tuna and chicken salads; they're likely loaded with mayo. Instead, order a turkey, roast beef, or even ham sandwich -- plain or with mustard or horseradish -- and remove some of the meat if it's piled too high.



• If you order a salad, ask for no croutons and get the dressing on the side.

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