Eating Out - How to be a healthier diner

Nutrition News You Can Use

July 2010 Eating Out - How to Become a Healthier Diner

Cooking Class Schedule
Healthy Mexican Made Easy
Tuesday, July 27th, 2010
7:00-9:30 PM

I Heart Veggies
Tuesday, August 17th, 2010
7:00-9:30 PM

See below for details. Register today! Space is limited.

Greetings!

You have decided to make some changes in your diet. You have been doing great for about a week by eating at home and taking your meals to work. You have already noticed that you have lost about 3 lbs. and you feel better, more energized! The phone rings and lo and behold it is your best Mexican food eating and margarita drinking buddy. "Hey girl, what are you up to tonight? I have had quite a day and I am in serious need of a margarita and a big ol' plate of enchiladas. Want to meet me at (enter name of favorite Mexican restaurant here) for dinner?"

You pause and think. The idea of going out to dinner sounds fun but you DO NOT want to blow your new diet plan and you just know there are temptations galore at the restaurant. However, you want to be a good supportive friend. What to do?

We have all been here before and this kind of dilemma is never going away. Eating out is a part of life and the best thing to do is to learn how to do it better. This is one of the hardest things to change because the seduction is hard to resist once you arrive but as with most diet/lifestyle changing endeavors it requires being prepared and setting yourself up mentally.

Below are some answers on how to handle the scenario above without feeling like you are putting out yourself or others and a list of healthier Austin restaurants and dishes to choose from. Have a look and see how you can start getting better at eating out. You may even inspire your friend to make some healthier choices as well just by example. Now that is a true friend!

Additionally, if you want to support your new eating-more-at-home lifestyle, you may want to purchase The Healthy Weight Eating Program & Cookbook I have recently written. Click the link above to see the details and purchase a copy. I guarantee it is money well spent and healthy recipes have never tasted so good.

My cooking classes are another great way to learn more about delicious healthy foods. Come learn from a nutritionist and a foodie! See the schedule below.

May the rest of your summer be leisurely yet productive and healthy. I hope to see you soon.

Thanks and take care,

Kara Kroeger

Certified Nutritionist & Herbalist

Knowledge to Nourish & Sustain

10 Ways to Become a Healthier Diner

1. When you arrive ask them not to bring the chips or bread to the table and if you are with others who want them don't even have a bite. Once you start you will usually want more. You could also bring cucumber and radish slices with you to dip in the salsa or guacamole instead or to eat in place of bread.

2. Always choose corn over flour tortillas and only have 1-2. Eat the rest of whatever you want to put in the tortilla with your fork!

3. To drink or not to drink, and if so what do drink. Avoid the sugary drinks and stick to red wine or liquor mixed with soda water and some lime if desired.

4. If a meal comes with two sides, say beans, rice, mashed potatoes or something fried, nix the rice and ask for a side of grilled vegetables with your beans. Or nix both the beans and rice and get grilled vegetables and a side salad. You can pretty much do that at any restaurant with any starchy side.

5. Go online before you go out and look at the menu. Choose the two healthiest options you would want to eat. Order the most preferred one and if they are out order the second option. Have a plan and don't even look at the menu when you get there to avoid the temptation of changing your mind.

6. Take a fiber supplement, like PaleoFiber, 20 minutes before going out to eat. This will fill your stomach before you get there and you may be less inclined to eat as much. Keep the fiber capsules in your purse so you are always prepared. Drinking water before you go and once you get there also fills the stomach and decreases appetite.

7. Follow the three-bite rule when it comes to the dishes that will sabotage your diet plan, like dessert. Eat only three small reasonably sized bites and then stop. This works best when sharing and sharing is a great way to keep calories down anyway.

8. Order an appetizer as an entree since these dishes are usually smaller portions.

9. Don't buy in to the all-or-nothing way of thinking. If you do slip up and eat the "wrong" thing, don't let it be an excuse to sabotage your whole effort. Each moment is new. You slipped but you can just start fresh as soon as you walk out the restaurant door.

10. Remember to recognize your accomplishments in making changes. You may not do everything right at the beginning but as you move forward you can incorporate more and more changes until one day you realize just how far you have come. Along the way celebrate each new way of doing something and keep it fun.

Recipe of the Month

The Restaurants Kara Frequents and the Dishes She Loves

Beets - The newest raw foods restaurant in town offers a number of delectable raw versions of dishes like the ELT, or chalupas. Don't balk at it till you try it. This food is good and the environment is nice too. www.BeetsCafe.com

Casa de Luz - This macrobiotic restaurant serves a vegetarian prefixed menu daily. It is quite tasty and filling. www.CasaDeLuz.org

Central Market - Most of the dishes here are not the healthiest or lowest in calories but I do like the Asian Salmon Salad and I will leave the mangos off to keep the sugar down. www.CentralMarket.com

Chango's - Tijuana's Nirvana salad with grilled Mahi Mahi (leave the cheese out to decrease the calories). www.changos.com

Chipotle - The salad option with carnitas is very tasty and you can dress it in salsa rather than the dressing they give you to save some calories. Watch them serving it and ask them to keep the beans, corn, cheese and guacamole to a minimum. Instead load up on the grilled veggies and Pico de Gallo. www.Chipotle.com

Curra's - The Caldo Tlalpeno is their tortilla soup that is very tasty and full of chicken, vegetables and garbanzo beans. Ask them to leave the cheese, rice and chips out or at least on the side to control the portions. I am also a fan of the fish ceviche. www.CurrasGrill.com

Daily Juice - This is another raw food and juice bar with savory and sweet dishes. If you need a chocolate fix, they have an in-house chocolatier serving organic chocolates sweetened with honey and agave. www.DailyJuice.org

Snack Bar - A new addition to the South Congress scene, this restaurant has a mix of international dishes made with organic and local foods when possible. Plates with whole grains, veggies and meats are tastefully prepared. www.SnackBarAustin.com

Thai Fresh - Offering a delicious array of fresh Thai dishes and cooking classes, this Asian restaurant sets itself apart from others with locally raised free-range and grass-fed meats and veggies. www.Thai-Fresh.com

Wheatsville - This co-op has an array of both hot and cold prepared food. I usually run in for the chicken salad and some fruit when I am in a hurry. They also sell a buffalo and cranberry jerky bar that I love for a snack. It's in the bar isle. www.Wheatsville.coop

Wildwood Cafe - Located in Westlake, this gluten-free bakery sells sandwiches, enchiladas, tamales and salads that are great. I personally love their honey-ginger-lime dressing. Just be careful, it is a bakery with lots of treats. www.WildWoodArtCafe.com

Cooking Class Schedule

Healthy Mexican Made Easy

Tuesday, July 27, 2010
7-9:30 PM
4418 Lareina Dr.
South Austin, TX 78745
Cost $40 (see registration details below)

Here in Texas many of us love the flavors of Mexican cuisine! However, we often find ourselves being tempted by and choosing the unhealthy choice at Mexican restaurants? Problem solved! Come learn to cook healthy Mexican food at home in minutes. The great thing about this tasty cuisine is that so many of the dishes are simple to make. In this class we will discuss the main seasonings used in Mexican cooking and how they can be used in various dishes to add a little more spice to your life, while also focusing on more healthy ingredients and substitutions that keep these dishes clean and crisp. And to boot we will cover what your best choices are when you do go out for Mexican food and strategies for sticking to the healthy choice and decreasing starchy carbohydrate intake once you get there.

Menu (subject to change)
Red Snapper Ceviche
Smokey Chipotle and Tomatillo Salsa
Guacamole and Radishes
Grass-fed Carne Guisada
Spinach and Mushroom Enchiladas with Tomatillo Green Sauce
Calabacita Relleno with Ranchero Sauce
Kara's Famous Borracho Beans
Cilantro-Lime Brown Rice
Coconut Milk Horchata

I Heart Veggies Cooking Demonstration
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
7-9:30 PM
4418 Lareina Dr.
South Austin, TX 78745
Cost $40 (see registration details below)

Kara is on a mission to get people eating more plant-based foods. As a nutritional consultant she has found this to be the number one missing piece in most of her clients diets. The problem is that most people do not know how to properly cook and season fruits and vegetables so that they taste really yummy. In this class we will discuss how to make plant-based main and side dishes that will not remind you anything of your mom's overcooked broccoli or that nasty canned asparagus you were once made to eat. This class is mostly vegetarian but will include some animal proteins as well. Are you eating 5-9 servings of vegetables daily? Many studies conclude that plants in the diet keep disease away. Come find out why and how to make fruits and vegetables truly tasty.

Menu (subject to change)
Gazpacho
Asparagus and Mustard Salad
Pecan Crusted Roasted Broccoli
Sautéed Greens with Creamy Cashew and Coconut Milk Sauce
Pasta-free Sun Dried Tomato Vegetable Lasagna
Veggie Red Curry with Tilapia
Fruit and Spinach Smoothie with Almond Milk
Melon and Herb Granita

Registration:

Please join us and see what it's all about.This class has limited space so please register early by calling Kara to reserve your spot. A $20 deposit is required to hold your spot once you have confirmed with Kara that there is space available. Please send a check to Kara Kroeger at 4418 Lareina Dr., Austin, TX 78745

For further info on Kara Kroeger please visit www.KaraKroeger.com.

Contact Information
phone: 512-567-5206

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