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Posted on: January 6, 2011

The Dish on Eating Out Guilt-Free

Restaurant dining doesn’t have to spell dieting disaster – here’s how

By Bev Bennett
CTW Features

Eating healthier food probably isn’t your priority when you dine out. But if you could savor mouthwatering dishes while consuming fewer calories than are typical in restaurant recipes, you might find the experience doubly rewarding.

That’s just what health experts are suggesting to the chefs who prepare your food. Although chefs agree in theory, they’re wary because nutrition isn’t a big selling point on their menus, according to Barbara J. Rolls, PhD., Helen A. Guthrie Chair in Nutrition, Penn State University, University Park, Pa.

“I think chefs may fear that a health halo would affect sales,” Rolls says. However, chefs can use their culinary skills to trim calories and add nutrients in ways you’ll never notice and may even appreciate, Rolls says. She co-authored a study gathering opinions from more than 400 chefs and food service employees about calorie reduction.

When asked about saving calories, chefs in the study suggested shrinking portions. That may not be the best solution.

“People notice portion-size reduction,” says Rolls, who co-authored the study with Liane S. Roe, Penn State research nutritionist and others.

Instead offering less food, she and Roe recommend pumping up the volume (the mass) of recipes by adding more fruits and vegetables. Chefs can then offer suitable portions, but with fewer calories per bite.

“I’m hopeful that chefs think about lowering calorie density by increasing produce,” Rolls says.

You can already enjoy the benefits of a produce-rich menu in many ethnic restaurants, according to Toni Sakaguchi, culinary chef instructor at The Culinary Institute of America, at Greystone, Calif.

Popular restaurant cuisines, including Asian and Mediterranean, use vegetables and whole grains generously; call for olive oil, not clarified butter; and feature meat as a flavoring, not an eye-catcher on the plate, Sakaguchi says.

The CIA is host to several healthful cooking programs, such as Healthy Kitchens, Healthy Lives, with the Harvard Medical School Osher Research Center, where health professionals pick up culinary tips.

“We take classic dishes and tweak them slightly. We take a little meat and a lot of vegetables,” Sakaguchi says.

Like Rolls, the CIA instructor suggests changing plate proportions so you’re getting more vegetables, more whole grains and less meat.

“It still looks like a large plate,” Sakaguchi says.

Even when you want your restaurant experience to be indulgent, you can make more healthful choices, says the CIA instructor, who advises chefs and consumers alike to look for dishes with perceived value.

Sakaguchi describes a dish of wild mushroom ragout with polenta and short ribs as an example.

“You get the wonderful flavor of the wild mushrooms with a small portion of short ribs,” she says.

You can also browse the menu to select high-impact ingredients, such as Parmesan cheese, anchovies and capers, which impart a lot flavor in small doses, according to Sakaguchi.

Don’t expect a chef to adapt a lush dish such as fettuccine Alfredo by substituting non-fat milk for cream and have it taste as rich as you’re used to.

That’s challenging even for the most talented chef, says Sakaguchi and the Penn State study shows that chefs aren’t eager to tinker with their signature dishes.

Bev Bennett, a veteran food writer and editor, is the author of "Dinner for Two: A Cookbook for Couples" and "30-Minute Meals for Dummies"