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September 3, 2006

Smart Eating in Restaurants

Once you're aware of the impact of your choices, it's interestng to observe how others apply their dietary regimens to dining out.

Recently a group of us met for lunch. The menu was the standard fare of burgers, salads and entrees found in any popular casual dining restaurant.

One friend, an Atkins advocate, opted for the tri-tip salad complete with extra blue cheese dressing. The meal conformed nicely to his regimen. Not exactly my choice for healthy eating, but he enjoyed the meal and has been maintaining his weight for years. There are more and more salads being offered that make nice and convenient entree alternatives.

Another in the group, who is on the Sears Zone diet, indulged in a Montecristo sandwich with fries. Pretty funny...his wife would have killed him! He obviously looks at meals out as a chance to cheat and enjoy himself. Needless to say, he has been on his diet for years will little real progress.

The third of our group ordered broiled chicken tenders with sliced tomatoes and onions. I am not sure what his regimen is, but obviously it is linked to low carbs and proper preparation. He was specific in what he ordered and has found that he can easily get something prepared in most restaurants, as long as the basic ingredients are offered for other entrees.

I ordered three broiled fish tacos without cheese on non-fried corn tortillas with avocado slices and salsa. As the tacos came wrapped in two shells, I simply discarded the extra shells. This fit my needs nicely, was enjoyable and very satisfying.

We all enjoyed lunch. We have found that restaurants have become very accommodating for individual tastes or diets. All you have to do is ask. Interestingly enough, we were all men and no one snickered at the special requests. It is a sign of the times.

Posted by Ben at 10:18 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack