FOOD SPECIAL..Eat (Healthy) thus

Make careful menu selections: Pay careful attention to the descriptions of the items on the menu. Anything labelled deep-fried, pan-fried, basted, batter-dipped, breaded, creamy, crispy, scalloped, Alfredo, au gratin or in cream sauce means high on calories, fats and sodium, and thus unhealthy. Avoid aerated drinks. With the extreme heat, aerated drinks might be a great draw but they are a huge source of calories. Just a regular cola could pack in 425 calories. Instead, try unsweetened iced teas or lemonade, if not fresh fruit juices with no additional sweeteners. "Undress" your food. Dressings and sauces are generally to be avoided as they are high on fat and salt. So when you are ordering, avoid cream and fat packed salad dressings, spreads, cheese, sour cream and so on. For instance, when you ask for a grilled chicken sandwich, insist that it should not have any mayonnaise. Ask for the ketchup and mustard separately. You can add them yourself, thereby controlling the calorie intake. Place special orders. Most restaurants have healthier options and are happy to accommodate your requests. Many food items would be healthy if it weren't for the way they were prepared. You can thus ask for your main dishes to be served without the sauces. If you are ordering a salad, ask for the vinegar, olive oil and dressings to be brought separately and not stirred into the bowl. Then spoon small amounts of these into your salad. Items which are fried or cooked in oil or butter can easily be broiled or steamed instead. Order small portions. Avoid any item with descriptons such as jumbo, grande, supreme, supersize and so on. Choose smaller portion sizes and order for a side salad instead of fries. Most servings in restaurants are enough for two meals. So either divide the portion with a dining partner or take half of it home. Share. Sharing entrees, appetizers and desserts with dining partners is a great idea. It allows you to sample something that you really want to have without really overindulging. Watch the salt. Sodium is a major contributor to high blood pressure and it tends to be high in fast food items. The least you can do is to avoid adding some more salt to them. Avoid buffets. Buffets promote overeating. You are likely to overindulge either because it is too much of a temptation or because you want to get your money's worth. If you do land up at a buffet, wait for at least 20 minutes after the first round to make sure you're still hungry enough to take a second helping. Eat mindfully. Always avoid eating on the run and chew your food thoroughly. Stop eating before you feel full because it take the body time to register the fact that you have eaten. You also digest better with mindful eating. Remember the big picture. Look at the total picture of your day's calorie intake before making choices. Have a snack before going out to dine. An apple or a soup can take the edge off one's hunger. Or if it is your birthday and you want to celebrate by ordering your favourite meal, make sure your earlier meals in the day were extra healthy. --Dr Richa Anand, chief dietician at Hiranandani Hospital