orchid/dining out strategies

[Guest guest]

These are great, Iris. I ate out last night. . . .at one of my favorite

restaurants: Legal

Seafoods. I ordered " Steamed veggies with tofu and scallops Asian style " and

substituted

seaweed salad for the rice. But, the " Asian style " turned out to be a coconut

sauce that

was totally delicious but seemed to have a lot of oil, and some sugar, in it. (I

didn't ask

before ordering if it was coconut OILE that was used. I guess I didn't want to

know. Oh,

dear!) And the seaweed salad, that normally is crispy and only lightly tossed

in oil,

seemed to be 'HEAVILY " tossed in oil. After I'd eaten it, I asked what kind of

oil was used.

The waiter said she didn't know. I guess next time I should be precise and

specific, asking

" how much " and " what kind " ahead of time when I've found a selection I think I

want. I've

tried asking " how much " before, and they say, " Oh, it doesn't have THAT much in

there. "

Yesterday, when I asked before ordering, I probably should have figured it out!

She said

" Well, it's in a sauce that has been reduced, so it's hard to tell. " That meant

it was

DRENCHED in oil! I am just going to have to get tough with them and start

pinning them

down more specifically . . . and request them to go and ask the chef. I guess

that's the

only way. Just be patronizing and intimidating towards them. Nice just doesn't

cut it.

The thiing is, this was a dish that was labeled 'STEAMED VEGGIES, Asian

style, " and it said

" Vegan friendly " in the description. (Not that oil would make a difference to

Vegans, but at

least I knew it wasn't suet, lard or chicken fat.l But, what with the tofu and

all, it SOUNDS

healthy. I could eat only half. The plate was full and it's filling. I

brought the rest home. I

think I'll throw it out. I went to the Legal Seafoods website, and they don't

offer nutritional

information. Dottie's website DOES have nutritional info for many of the Legal

Seafood

dishes, but not the Steamed Veggies Asian Style. Maybe that's a new one. I

will call the

restaurant today -- since I go there often -- and see if I can find more info.

I do enjoy

their food. Last time I was there I had grilled shrimp with asparagus and the

seaweed

salad, but it was a different branch and I thought it seemed like they used a

lot less oil on

the seaweed. I've also discovered that whenever a restaurant says " grilled, "

that doesn't

mean they just sprinkle a few spcies on top and then put the food on the grill.

It means

they take a big paint brush full of oil and " paint " the food, and THEN sprinkle

it with spices

and put it on the grill.

So HOW do you measure how much oil a paintbrush holds? I guess this is only

relevant if

you're worried about eating more than 1/4 cup of oil a day, but it adds up fast

when you

have an oily salad dressing for lunch, and when the food comes in an oily

sauce,. !/4 cup

is only three tablespoons.... and that guidline for oil consumption is per DAY,

not per

meal, Right?

--Annie

>

> Six Simple Dining-Out Strategies

>

Chances are you're celebrating the holiday season with occasional meals out.>

> 1. Load up on high-fiber veggies.

2. Preempt the bread basket. [iSN'T A LOT OF TOMATO JUICE VERY HIGH IN

SODIUM?]]

> 3. Start with soup.

> 4. Keep the liquids flowing. All South Beach Dieters can enjoy water,

sugar-free soda,

and club soda. Beginning in Phase 2, feel free to enjoy a glass or two of wine

with your

meal.

5. Shape up your sides. If you're offered a standard side dish of white rice or

a baked

potato, ask your server to substitute extra veggies instead. Or, beginning in

Phase 2, you

can enjoy a side of brown rice, whole-wheat couscous, or another high-fiber

whole grain,

like quinoa.

> 6. Learn how to order. Steer clear of fried dishes and opt for items that are

roasted,

broiled, baked, grilled, poached, or steamed, instead. If you're confused by the

language

on the menu,