12
LIFETIME STRATEGIES
Now you know what you should be eating to achieve your ideal weight and to be as healthy as you can be. You have been following the meals plans for the first thirty days of Phase 1 of the Spice Diet, as well as preparing the recipes I’ve created. You’ve seen how powerhouse flavor reduces your cravings. Your cooking skills have improved, and you should be feeling more at ease in the kitchen. In fact, you should be proud of the excellent food you make yourself. You will find yourself reaching for spices and spice blends automatically now. When you enjoy making your own meals and snacks, being mindful about what you eat is built into the process of planning, shopping for, and preparing your food. Your food choices expand when you graduate to Phase 2. You are eating the way you need to in order to maintain your weight loss. You have the logistics down and have formed some good habits. You are on your way to a lifetime of healthy eating.
As you are making changes to your eating and adding movement to your life, don’t expect to be perfect all the time. The key is not to let one meal or one day’s eating that is off the charts lead you totally off course. There will be relapses—it happens to everyone. Some people build in an “anything goes” meal or day into their eating plan. They allow themselves to eat whatever they want for a meal or even an entire day on a regular basis.
When I go a little crazy, which, I have to confess, I allow myself to do every now and then, I end up not feeling good. I have become so used to eating well that eating the food I used to crave isn’t as satisfying and has consequences. The taste of junk food just doesn’t hold up to the flavor of fresh, whole food seasoned with natural herbs and spices. My body has become accustomed to nutrient-dense food that doesn’t put me on the blood sugar roller coaster. I’ve worked so hard to get where I am now with my weight that a long detour is the last thing I want to do. Even so, there are times when the temptation of going off plan is especially strong.
I’m sure your determination will be challenged on many occasions that are difficult for anyone. Eating out, finding yourself with your children at a fast-food restaurant or simply not being able to resist the drive-thru, getting through parties and celebrations without losing control, not to mention the entire holiday season, and traveling for business or vacation—these situations can create havoc with your normal eating routine. I have given a good deal of thought—and practice—to dealing with these potential pitfalls without succumbing to my old behaviors. This chapter will give you some tried-and-true strategies that get me through times that could easily trip me up.
EATING OUT WITHOUT BLOWING ALL YOUR GOOD WORK
According to a 2013 survey conducted by Living Social, Americans have become a nation that eats out four or five times a week. Eating out is one of our favorite pastimes. Aside from convenience, it’s fun to go out with friends or to treat the family to a good meal at a restaurant. From the menu choices to the breadbasket, from the size of the portions to the dessert cart, the problem with eating out is that it is easy to give in to temptation and eat too much of the wrong things.
Just as you have learned to be prepared for when you eat at home, it is important to have a plan when you go to a restaurant. To make sure you don’t throw all caution to the wind when you go out to dinner, here are some strategies for sticking with the plan. I have compiled these strategies based on my own experience as well as tips from family, friends, and people with whom I have worked.
The Dining-Out Dozen
1. Look over the menu before you go. Banish the thought of a buffet restaurant from your mind and plans. Eating at an “all you can eat” buffet is an invitation to diet disaster. If you have never been to the restaurant you choose, check out the menu ahead of time. Decide what you want to order before you leave your house to avoid making snap decisions that you might regret later. Foods described as fried, crispy, panfried, crunchy, or sautéed can be a mother lode of fat and calories. You want to choose food that has been grilled, roasted, poached, or steamed. If you decide you must order that eggplant Parmesan or those cold sesame noodles, you can eat very carefully earlier in the day to keep your caloric intake from soaring. Remember: you don’t have to eat the whole portion. After the meal, take a menu home with you so you have it on hand if you decide to order in at a later date.
2. Make reservations if you are going to a busy place. Waiting for a table only gives you time to get hungry. If you have to wait, you might order drinks at the bar or nibble on the snacks offered there. Ask for or find a quiet table away from the kitchen. You can lose track of how much you are eating when there are too many distractions. If there is too much bustle, you can devour your food quickly. When seated near the kitchen, you have a perfect view of all the dishes as they pass by on their way to be served. That parade of decadent food can weaken your resolve about what you had planned to order.
3. Going to a restaurant hungry is asking for trouble. Make sure to have a healthy snack an hour before you are set to leave so that you don’t arrive at the restaurant famished. If you want more room to indulge when you are out, I suggest that you eat smaller meals and reduce your caloric intake during the day.
4. Follow the one-drink rule. Alcohol can stimulate your appetite and cause the calories to pile up. If you start with a drink on an empty stomach, your self-control could dissolve. Drink water, unsweetened iced tea, or a spicy Virgin Mary before the food arrives. During the meal, treat yourself to glass of wine if you would like, but also drink plenty of water.
5. Say “no” to the breadbasket. Have you ever noticed that when you sit down at a restaurant, complimentary treats quickly materialize? Bread, rolls, focaccia with butter or olive oil, dips and crackers, tortilla chips, papadums, fried noodles, or marinated olives arrive when you are most vulnerable. If others at the table agree, send the server away with the treats, so you won’t be tempted to eat high-calorie starters mindlessly. Drink a big glass of ice water if your friends or family want to indulge.
6. Be the first to order. Because you have studied the menu and made your selections, you can order while everyone else decides what to eat. You don’t want to be influenced by what everyone else is having.
7. Have it your way. Don’t be shy about making special requests. Most restaurants will accommodate you if you ask for food to be prepared as you would like. Chefs know that customers are more health conscious than ever. You can ask if the chef will steam, poach, broil, grill, or bake a dish rather than fry it. You might request that the chef substitute extra-virgin olive oil instead of butter, or leave the cheese out of the salad. You can usually make healthy substitutions, such as steamed veggies, a salad, a baked potato, or sweet potatoes instead of French fries or mashed potatoes. Assume that you have some control over how your food is prepared.
8. Always have dressings and sauces on the side. Restaurants tend to smother salad with too much dressing and oversauce many dishes, which adds many calories to your meal. One way to cut back on those calories is to have the dressing or sauce served on the side. By dipping the tines of your fork into the dressing or sauce before you take a bite of the food, you will get the flavor as you minimize your calorie consumption.
9. Order appetizers and/or side dishes as a main course. The beauty of this strategy is that portion control is not an issue. A salad and an appetizer can be a terrific meal. Seafood, grilled vegetables, and broth-based soups are excellent choices. Stay away from creamy, fried, and cheesy choices and anything in a pastry crust.
10. Just because it’s a salad doesn’t mean it’s calorie-free. Stay away from tuna, chicken, potato, coleslaw, and macaroni salads, which are often full of sugar and mayonnaise. Go for vegetables, fresh greens, and beans without the killer add-ons like cheese, bacon, croutons, sweetened nuts, and dried fruit. Beware of the chicken Caesar salad, which can be high in fat and calories. Use fresh lemon or vinaigrette for dressings. Remember to control the amount of dressing used by ordering it on the side.
11. You don’t have to eat everything on your plate. So many restaurants serve jumbo portions. There is no need to eat until you can’t take another bite just because it is in front of you. If you eat slowly, you can stop when you feel satisfied. It takes twenty minutes for your body to register that you are full. If you know the restaurant serves big portions in advance, you can share the dish with someone else or order a half portion. Don’t be shy about asking for a doggie bag. Having leftovers for another meal is a bonus!
12. Pass on dessert. If you want to eat something sweet at the end of the meal, order fresh fruit. Berries are a good choice. If your sweet tooth is making dessert too difficult to resist, share a luscious dessert or order a couple of desserts for the table. Try to have only three or four bites, and really enjoy them. If the pastry chef is a genius or is known for her pecan pie, order it. You don’t have to eat all of it. The first three or four bites of anything are always the best. Stop after that. It’s a question of diminishing returns after those initial tastes. Offer what is left on your plate to your friends and family or ask your server to take the plate away if there are no takers. My advice is to not take dessert leftovers home. I still have visions of myself waking up in the middle of the night with the dessert calling me from the refrigerator. I can do without those wee-hour struggles with myself. If you make a conscious decision to indulge in a sinfully rich dessert, enjoy it, but be very careful of what you eat for the next few days.
The Dining-Out Dozen is a guide to enjoying restaurant meals without going over the top and losing your focus on healthy eating. Because ethnic and fast-food restaurants can pose particular challenges to maintaining your commitment to eating healthy, following are some suggestions for dealing with those situations.
Healthy Eating in the Melting Pot
Our country is composed of people of so many nationalities that it is no wonder that a variety of ethnic food is so popular. With every wave of immigrants, we have welcomed the new flavors that their cuisines bring to us. You can find restaurants with cuisine from all over the world in big cities and small towns. Americans seem more and more open to trying new flavors. The choices are abundant. Everyone seems to go out for or order takeout from popular global food, including Chinese, Mexican, Italian, Japanese, Greek, French, Thai, Spanish, and Indian, which have become staples in the diets of many Americans. In the spice blends in chapter 11, I have tried to capture many of these flavor profiles so you can reproduce them at home. But if you are going to eat out, here is how best to do it. When you order from an ethnic menu, you have to be careful to avoid choosing that cuisine’s equivalent of a double cheeseburger and fries. Let’s take a look at what foods from the cuisines of these countries are compatible with the way you want to eat. The cuisines are listed in order of their popularity in the United States, according to food research from Technomic for Parade magazine.
Chinese
If you are not careful about your choices, you can end up consuming more calories, fat, and sodium than is good for you. When it comes to Chinese food, egg rolls and sesame noodles top the list of American favorites. Neither is an excellent choice. Chinese food is a sophisticated cuisine that has so much to offer that will work with your new way of eating.
DO:
Use chopsticks, which will force you to eat more slowly.
Ask for your food to be prepared without MSG, a flavor enhancer that can bring on side effects such as headaches, flushing, tingling in the mouth, and dizziness. If an ingredient can cause this sort of reaction, it is worth avoiding.
Start with hot-and-sour or egg drop soup.
Try vegetables for appetizers—for example, lettuce wraps like chicken soong or vegetable spring rolls.
Order stir-fries made with little or no oil and lots of vegetables.
Going for anything steamed is a good choice. Dumplings, vegetables, seafood, a whole fish, chicken, and meat taste great when steamed.
Chinese sauces can be loaded with salt, sugar, and fat. You can order sauce on the side or ask if the dish can be made with half the sauce. Ask for low-sodium soy sauce.
Request brown rice if it is available.
DON’T:
Order anything fried. Wontons, shrimp toast, fried rice, and egg rolls, Kung Pao chicken, General Tso’s chicken, sesame chicken, ginger beef, and sweet-and-sour pork all fall into that category.
Have fatty spareribs.
Order Peking duck. Although most of the fat is drained off in preparation, the crispy skin—the best part of the dish as far as I’m concerned—is not good for your waistline.
Eat “Mandarin pancakes” or wraps. Eat your moo shu vegetables, pork, or chicken without the flour pancakes.
Mexican
Believe me, I know that Mexican food can be a caloric disaster. Eating high-fat meats, sour cream, cheese, refried beans, and deep-fried combo plates can really pack on the pounds. But many Mexican dishes are healthier and derive strong flavors from garlic, lime and citrus juice, oregano, and chile. There are plenty of dishes you can eat and stay on plan. I’ve had to grapple with Mexican menus for a long time and have come up with a long list of recommendations.
DO:
Forget about beer, and save the margarita—without salt—until the food arrives, if you must.
Order ceviche as an appetizer. Protein-rich ceviche is made from fresh raw fish or scallops that have been marinated with lime juice.
Order corn tortillas, which are lower in fat and calories than flour tortillas.
Choose grilled fish, shrimp, and chicken.
Consider salads without a taco shell or cheese, and vegetable stews.
Order fajitas made with shrimp, chicken, or beef. You don’t have to eat the soft tacos. Ask the waitperson to hold back on the sour cream and cheese. Use salsa or a little guacamole.
Look for Veracruz sauce, which is made from tomatoes, onions, and chiles.
Try pico de gallo, a salsa made from chopped tomato, onion, cilantro, fresh hot peppers, salt, and lime juice, as a salad dressing or a condiment on everything. Use salsa verde or green sauce the same way. This tart, vibrant sauce is made from tomatillos, small tomato-like fruits that grow in a papery husk.
Eat chicken enchiladas without the cheese. Just eat the filling and not the baked corn tortilla.
Try the fish tacos without the taco shell.
Ask if the rice and beans are cooked in lard. If so, they are not for you. Black beans and rice might be a better choice.
Order a tostada without the cheese. Consider the crispy flat taco—that the beans, meat, and salsa are piled on a plate.
Fall in love with mole sauce. It is a blend of nuts, seeds, spices, a number of chile peppers, and, last but not least, Mexican chocolate. Talk about depth of flavor! It’s great on chicken.
DON’T:
Dive into the basket of tortilla chips. Use the guacamole or salsa that comes with the chips as a sauce.
Even think about eating nachos.
Order deep-fried dishes like sopapillas, chimichangas, and flautas.
Pile on the cheese and sour cream. Use guacamole as a sauce instead.
Order anything in a suiza sauce, which is made from cheese and often condensed milk.
Eat refried beans.
Italian
Italian food has been popular for so long that it doesn’t seem ethnic anymore. Italy is the home of the Mediterranean diet—with its core ingredients of tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, and parsley. Tons of gooey melted cheese is not part of traditional Italian cooking—that’s an Italian American add-on. A small amount of grated hard cheese, such as Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano Reggiano, is the flavor boost of choice for classic Italian cooking. For the healthiest meal, you have to eat like an Italian. Gigantic portions of pasta smothered in cheese, served as a main course here in the United States, would feed a family of six in Italy. Portion control is the key to enjoying whole wheat pasta without carbo loading.
DO:
Skip the breadbasket, even the breadsticks, and especially the focaccia. Did you know that a piece of focaccia could have double the calories of a piece of bread?
Sample Italian soups. Those that combine escarole, beans, and sausage are like a stew—very filling and tasty. Italian wedding soup, minestrone, and cioppino, which is a seafood-broth-based soup, are a great way to start a meal. In fact, soup with a side salad can be the meal.
Make a meal from antipasti. There are so many wonderful foods to choose from: olives, marinated and grilled vegetables, caponata, artichokes, asparagus, grilled calamari, giant fava beans, garbanzo beans, also known as chickpeas, and cannellini bean salads, shrimp cocktail, even very thinly sliced dried meats like prosciutto, bresaola, and mortadella.
A steamed artichoke is a great way to start a meal—it keeps you busy as you pluck leaf after leaf. Use lemon instead of butter for a dipping sauce.
Order hollow pastas like orecchiette and ziti, because your portion will look larger.
Order whole wheat pasta.
Look for things in prepared with marinara, fra Diavolo, puttanesca, piccata, or with marsala sauce.
Order pasta with clam sauce or pasta primavera with fresh vegetables. You can concentrate on the clams or vegetables and leave most of the pasta behind.
Eat only half your pasta order. Take the rest home.
Enjoy terrific Italian salads such as tricolore or arugula. Make certain the salad isn’t loaded with cheese. As always, ask for dressing on the side so you are in control of how much you use.
Opt for grilled or roasted fish prepared with garlic, lemon, and olive oil or shellfish cooked in a broth for your main course. The same with simple roasted chicken or chicken marsala. Make sure the fish or chicken is not breaded.
A rich, fragrant espresso with biscotti is a perfect dessert.
DON’T:
Order anything stuffed, for example, mushrooms, clams, artichokes, or pasta shells.
Eat anything breaded or deep-fried like chicken Milanese, even though it has a salad on top.
Indulge in a Caesar salad. The croutons, cheese, and rich dressing do not make for a caloric bargain.
Eat anything in creamy Alfredo sauce.
Go for gooey lasagna, manicotti, or deep-dish pepperoni pizza.
Consider eggplant a healthy vegetable. It acts like a sponge to soak up all the oil in a dish.
Japanese
Japanese food has become the dieter’s special. Eating clean is easier to do with this cuisine. Most Japanese food is prepared in a healthy way, either steamed, boiled, or raw. The mainstays of the cuisine are extremely healthy: omega 3-rich seafood, veggies like bok choy that are packed with calcium, vitamin-and mineral-rich seaweed and mushrooms, and whole soy foods. Here are some tips on healthy eating at Japanese restaurants:
DO:
Use chopsticks to slow you down.
Leave some sauce at the bottom of the bowl, because Japanese sauces tend to be very salty.
Request low-sodium soy sauce.
Ask for sauce on the side.
Order a cucumber, seaweed, or house salad with ginger dressing on the side as a starter.
Include cold spinach with sesame and steamed vegetable gyoza, or dumplings, in your list of starter options.
Season your food with wasabi, chile sauce, or ginger.
Order brown rice if it is available.
Order vegetable “sushi” rolls or classic rolls with simple ingredients.
Choose sashimi over sushi.
Go with salmon over tuna, because mercury levels are high in tuna.
Try chicken or salmon teriyaki.
Eat sukiyaki, a hot-pot dish, usually cooked at the table in a cast-iron skillet filled with broth. It typically contains thinly sliced beef, cubes of tofu, and a variety of fresh vegetables. Use the dipping sauces sparingly.
Give soba noodles a try. They are made of buckwheat.
DON’T:
Drink sake, which is liquid rice. A 6-ounce glass of sake has about 230 calories compared to 150 calories for the same size serving of wine.
Order tempura, which is fried.
Eat udon noodles made from wheat.
Greek
Greek cuisine is another form of a Mediterranean diet. Dark, leafy vegetables, high-fiber beans, fresh fruit, olives, nuts, lentils, grains, olive oil, and lots of fish are all health promoting. Studies have shown that people lose more weight and feel more satisfied on a Mediterranean diet, which is rich in healthy fats, than on a low-fat diet.
DO:
Enjoy Greek salad, but be mindful of the feta cheese. Although feta is lower in fat than other cheeses, it is salty and adds calories. It’s a good idea to push half the feta cheese aside.
Serve yourself spreads such as hummus and tzatziki directly onto your plate. That way you can keep track of how much you are eating, preferably no more than 2 tablespoons, and say no to the pita bread.
Order grilled fish and spinach or other greens sautéed with olive oil and garlic.
Have roast or grilled chicken, which the Greeks season beautifully.
Enjoy chicken kebabs.
Have a lamb souvlaki platter with grilled vegetables and tzatziki rather than a lamb gyro.
Skip the rice and pita.
Enjoy nonfat Greek yogurt and fresh fruit for dessert.
DON’T:
Eat moussaka, the Greek version of lasagna, made with eggplant and a rich, creamy topping. A serving is a calorie bomb.
Order anything with phyllo pastry, such as spanakopita. This spinach pie can be as caloric and fat laden as a bacon cheeseburger.
Be seduced by Greek desserts like baklava, which are swimming in butter and honey with nuts on top.
French
I studied at the famed Cordon Bleu in Paris and worked at the five-star Ritz Hotel there. All that cream, butter, rich sauce, and extraordinary cheese, not to mention remarkable pastries, tarts, and cake, is fabulous and luxurious. French women stay so chicly thin by limiting the size of their portions drastically. The truth is, a few bites can be enough. Savor each mouthful of this splendid cuisine. In addition to portion control, ordering simply is the best way to go.
DO:
Choose broth-based soups, like bouillabaisse, a traditional fish stew, or soupe au pistou, a vegetable soup made with pesto.
Enjoy how the French do wonders with leeks and endives.
Order coquilles St-Jacques, as scallops are called, and mussels.
Try a salade Niçoise, made with lettuce, green beans, olives, and fresh tuna.
Fall back on an omelet when you are in doubt. French omelets are superb!
Have a salade chèvre chaud for lunch. It is a small green salad with a thin round of baked chèvre (goat cheese) on top. Delicious!
Stick to light vinaigrette dressings.
Try beef bourguignonne, a spectacular beef stew made with red wine, but watch the size of your portion—no more than three ounces of beef, which is the size of a deck of cards or the palm of your hand.
Sample choucroute garnie, a sauerkraut, meat, and boiled potato dish from Alsace—don’t have a whole serving.
Splurge on dessert. French baking is extraordinary. The confections created by pastry chefs are mind-boggling. I’m not saying have a piece of St. Honoré cake every day, but when you are at a good French restaurant, treat yourself to a memorable dessert. You do not have to eat all of it and the pleasure of it will last.
DON’T:
Start the day with a croissant or baguette.
Get hooked on triple crème cheeses with a hunk of French bread.
Order French onion soup with toasted bread and cheese on top.
Eat pâté, fatty meats, duck, and sausages.
Have any dish prepared in cream or cheese sauces, including au gratin, hollandaise, béarnaise, and béchamel.
Even think about trying cassoulet, a rich casserole made with beans, sausage, duck, goose, lamb, and pork. It’s delicious, but the fat content of the meat is off the charts.
Eat an entire cone of French fries.
Thai
Get ready for exotic flavor combinations in this remarkable cuisine, which is one of my favorites. A word of warning: If your server asks you how hot you want your food, be conservative. Thai chiles can make your eyes water and set off a coughing fit. Build the heat slowly or you will be sorry. I can vouch for that.
DO:
Try tom yum goong, a hot-and-sour shrimp soup, which balances flavors beautifully. Talk about hitting the bliss point. This soup consists of lean meat and mushrooms simmered in broth with cilantro, lemongrass, and other seasonings. It’s a caloric bargain!
Start with summer rolls. Soft rice paper is wrapped around raw vegetables, usually carrots and sprouts, rice noodles, shrimp, and mint. Think of them like healthy egg rolls. They are light and refreshing.
Have papaya salad, which is crispy and is served in a chile-lime dressing.
Order satays, grilled meat skewers served with peanut dipping sauce. Go light on the sauce.
Get acquainted with larb, a very spicy dish made with coarsely chopped chicken, pork, or beef. Delicious!
Enjoy gai pad mamuang him ma pahn, an unforgettable cashew chicken.
Choose gaeng pah, country-style curries made with water. Warning: they are spicier than coconut-based curries because there is no fat from coconut.
Reduce your sodium intake the day you are going to eat Thai food. Fish sauce, shrimp paste, and curry paste are very high in sodium.
DON’T:
Order coconut soup—it’s like eating a cream-based soup.
Choose coconut-based curries, which are very rich.
Eat massaman curry, which is like the thick versions of curry made in India. It’s cooked with potatoes, crushed peanut, and coconut cream. It’s too calorie intense.
Succumb to sweet, sticky rice. It’s not for you.
Spanish
The Spanish tradition of eating tapas, small plates of food, fits right in with portion control. Another plus is that the cuisine relies on fresh seafood, vegetables, and olive oil, all of which are staples in your new diet.
DO:
Construct a meal from tapas by focusing on olives, seafood, vegetables, beans, and fresh grilled sardines and anchovies.
Snack on fresh almonds.
Order gazpacho, a cold tomato and pepper soup.
Try green gazpacho, which is made from cucumber, green bell pepper, green grapes, and herbs.
Enjoy the delicious seafood stews and fish soup, which are a good alternative to paella. No rice is involved.
Order grilled fish and seafood.
Have a Spanish omelet made without potatoes.
Sample the extraordinary ham and Manchego cheese, made from sheep’s milk.
Take advantage of the wonderful citrus grown in Spain. The Spanish incorporate citrus into many of their dishes.
Order fruit for dessert.
DON’T:
Get hooked on pan con tomate, grilled bread rubbed with garlic, olive oil, and tomato. Often served with Iberian ham, it is addicting.
Eat fatty sausage—chorizo, for example—which appears in many Spanish dishes. Have just a taste, and then push the sausage aside.
Order empanadas, the Spanish take on a Hot Pocket.
Eat the rice and sausage in paella. Just sample both and concentrate on the seafood and chicken.
Order arroz con pollo, rice with chicken. There are plenty of chicken dishes without rice.
Inhale an entire order of flan, an egg custard served with a caramelized sugar sauce.
Indian
When you walk into an Indian restaurant, you are hit with the mouth-watering aromas of the many spices that create the distinctive flavors of Indian food, including turmeric, red chiles, cumin, cinnamon, coriander, and cardamom. Yogurt and lentils are major ingredients of the cuisine as well.
DO:
Find out how the papadum are prepared before nibbling. Papadum are the wafer-thin disks that are brought to the table with sauces when you are seated. The ingredients are healthy: chickpeas, rice flour, black gram flour, and lentils. They are either fried or cooked with dry heat. If the papadums have been prepared with dry heat, nibble away. You know what to do if the papadums are fried.
Have Mulligatawny or lentil soup. Mulligatawny is made with vegetables, consommé, and curry spices.
Stick with chicken or seafood.
Eat anything cooked tandoori style, which is oven grilled. The kebabs are delicious.
Use raita, made from cucumber and yogurt, as a sauce for your tandoori.
Choose dishes made with chickpeas or lentils, such as dal or dishes labeled chole.
Enjoy veggie dishes like aloo gobi, which is made with cauliflower, and sukhi bhindi, an okra dish.
DON’T:
Start with fried appetizers, such as samosas and pakora.
Eat the breads, called naan, paratha, or stuffed breads.
Overdo the chutneys, which are blends of dried fruits and spices, and can be sweet.
Pile up your plate with rice.
Eat rich curries. They are too creamy.
Order dishes that include paneer, ghee, or malai. Paneer resembles full-fat cottage cheese, ghee is clarified butter, and malai is a cream used to make sauces.
You are now prepared to eat at the most popular of ethnic restaurants. You have the information you need to order a meal that will not set you back. These cuisines all use herbs and spices to create the distinctive flavor profiles of each country. The guidelines for the Spice Diet apply to these exotic cuisines as well. When you want to go out or order food in from these cuisines, you are now equipped to maneuver your way around menu items that can undermine your determination to eat healthfully.
Fast Food Doesn’t Have to Be a Disaster
I can assure you that it is not realistic to think you will never have fast food again. You might find yourself on line at a fast-food restaurant to order lunch for your children or grandchildren on a busy day. You just might not be able to resist the lure of the drive-thru window now and then. The good news is that demand for healthy options has grown. Most national chains have added items to their menus for the health-conscious. Just as you have to know what to order at a restaurant, you can stay on track with some advance preparation for making the right choices at a fast-food restaurant. I have compiled a list of the healthiest food you can order at the major fast-food chains. Of course, menus change all the time, but these suggestions will steer you in the right direction.
A&W:
Three-piece Chicken Tenders (260 calories)
Chili (190 calories)
Arby’s:
Chopped Farmhouse Salad with Roast Turkey and Light Italian Dressing (250 calories)
Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwich, without mayo (390 calories)
Martha’s Vineyard Salad, without dressing (277 calories)
Santa Fe Salad with Grilled Chicken, without dressing (283 calories)
Au Bon Pain:
Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal (280 calories)
Baja Fresh:
1 Grilled Wahoo Fish Taco with avocado (230 calories)
Burger King:
Tendergrill Chicken, Apple, Cranberry, Garden Fresh Salad (380 calories)
Tendergrill Chicken Sandwich, no mayo (350 calories)
BK Veggie Burger, no mayo (310 calories)
Whopper Jr., no mayo (260 calories)
Premium Alaskan Fish Sandwich, without tartar sauce (360 calories)
4-piece chicken nuggets (190 calories)
Value-sized Onion Rings (150 calories), which have fewer calories than their fries
Carl’s Jr./Hardee’s:
Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich (390 calories)
Garden Salad with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing (145 calories)
Charbroiled Chicken Salad with low-fat balsamic dressing (295 calories)
Ordering charbroiled is the way to go at this chain. Don’t order a “Thickburger,” even made from turkey. They are heavy on the condiments.
Chick-fil-A:
8-count Grilled Chicken Nuggets (140 calories)
Side salad (80 calories)
Chargrilled Chicken Cool Wrap (340 calories)
Chargrilled Chicken Sandwich (without BBQ sauce) (270 calories)
Chargrilled Chicken Garden Salad (180 calories)
Chick-n-Minis Breakfast (260 calories)
Chipotle:
Cheese Quesadilla, kids size (190 calories)
Vegetarian Burrito Bowl with black beans, fajita veggies, and vinaigrette (420 calories)
Chicken Burrito Bowl with brown rice and pinto beans, no cheese or sour cream (500 calories)
3 Barbacoa Tacos on soft corn tortillas (405 calories)
Cosi:
Spinach Florentine Breakfast Wrap (334 calories)
Culver’s:
Soups
Bean with Ham (160 calories)
Chicken Noodle (110 calories)
Oven Roasted Turkey Noodle (170 calories)
Tomato Florentine (110 calories)
Vegetable Beef with Barley (160 calories)
Garden Fresco salad with raspberry vinaigrette dressing (245 calories)
Butterburger single (390 calories)
Beef Pot Roast Sandwich (410 calories)
Grilled Chicken Sandwich (410 calories)
Dairy Queen:
Grilled Chicken Garden Greens salad with Marzetti Light Italian Dressing (170 calories)
Denny’s:
Scrambled Egg Whites, Chicken Sausage, and Fruit (230 calories)
Dunkin’ Donuts:
Egg White Flatbread (280 calories)
Egg White Veggie Wake-up Wrap (150 calories)
Egg White Turkey Sausage Wake-up Wrap (160 calories)
Tuna Salad Sandwich on an English Muffin (390 calories)
Five Guys:
Veggie Sandwich (440 calories)
Little Hamburger (440 calories)
IHOP:
Simple and Fit Veggie Omelette (320 calories)
In-N-Out:
Protein Style Hamburger (240 calories)
Hamburger with onion, ketchup, mustard no spread (310 calories)
Jack in the Box:
Four-piece Grilled Chicken Strips (250 calories)
Side salad with low-fat balsamic vinaigrette dressing (48 calories)
Chicken Fajita Pita, no salsa (280 calories)
Jamba Juice:
No. 3 Berry Topper Ideal Meal 12-ounce size (300 calories) for breakfast.
KFC:
Kentucky Grilled Chicken Whole Wing and Drumstick (170 calories)
Green Beans (25 calories)
KFC Honey BBQ Sandwich (280 calories)
KFC Tender Roast Sandwich, without sauce (300 calories)
KFC Oven Roasted Twister, without sauce (330 calories)
McDonalds’s:
Plain Hamburger (240 calories)
Side salad with Newman’s Own Low Fat Family Recipe Italian Dressing (70 calories)
Artisan Grilled Chicken Sandwich (360 calories)
Southwest Salad with Grilled Chicken (320 calories)
Premium Caesar Salad with Grilled Chicken with Low-Fat Vinaigrette (190 calories)
Grilled Snack Wrap with Honey Mustard or Chipotle BBQ sauce (260 calories)
Egg McMuffin (300 calories)
Fruit and Maple Oatmeal (260 calories)
Fruit and yogurt parfait (156 calories)
Panera:
Breakfast Power Sandwich (330)
Smoked Turkey Breast Sandwich on Country Bread (430)
There is a “You Pick Two” lunch menu consisting of a half sandwich and a small salad.
Papa John’s:
Garden Fresh Pizza, two medium slices (400 calories)
Pizza Hut:
Garden Party Thin Crust Pizza, two medium slices (460 calories)
Popeyes:
Three-piece blackened tenders (170 calories)
Regular green beans (40 calories)
Shake Shack:
Shack-cago Dog (315 calories)
Single Hamburger (360 calories)
Chicken Dog (300 calories)
Sonic:
Corn Dog (230 calories)
Junior Deluxe Burger (380 calories)
Starbucks:
Spinach and Feta Wrap (290 calories)
Protein Artisan Snack Plate (370 calories)—a good breakfast.
Chicken & Hummus Bistro Box (380 calories)
Subway:
6-inch Turkey Breast Whole Wheat Sub, no cheese, add avocado (340 calories)
Veggie Delite Salad (60 calories)
8 ounces Homestyle Chicken Noodle Soup (110 calories)
Western Egg White and Cheese Muffin Melt (160 calories)
Subway will make most of its sandwiches without bread.
Taco Bell:
Two Fresco Soft Tacos with Shredded Chicken (280 calories)
Fresco Chicken Burrito Supreme (340 calories)
Fresco-style Bean Burrito Supreme (330 calories)
Fresco-style Steak Burrito Supreme (330 calories)
Fresco Style Zesty Chicken Border Bowl, without dressing (350 calories)
The Fresco menu is designed to reduce calories by replacing heavier sauces with pico de gallo. You can just get the black beans and skip the rice.
Wendy’s:
Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich (370 calories)
Small chili (170 calories)
Asian Cashew Chicken Salad, full size (380 calories)
Garden salad with lemon garlic Caesar dressing (130 calories)
Whataburger:
Apple and Cranberry Salad with low fat herb vinaigrette dressing (305 calories)—you can add chicken.
Jr. Whataburger Cheeseburger (340 calories)
Small fries (270 calories)
White Castle:
Two Veggie Sliders (280 calories)
Two Original Sliders (280 calories)—the veggie sliders have less fat
Chain restaurants now have to indicate the calories in each dish, so choosing what to eat has become easier. I am sure that fast-food restaurants will continue to offer more healthy options as the demand increases.
It’s important to realize that the fast-food selections I have provided don’t stand up to what you can make at home, but you can allow yourself to hit that drive-thru window if you want to once in a while. You don’t have to go overboard. If the food doesn’t taste good to you, don’t eat it all. Your taste buds are telling you something.
Surviving Holidays, Parties, and Special Occasions
From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day, the holidays can really trip you up if you are not careful. It’s such a busy time with gifts to buy, meals to plan, and parties to attend or host. You are surrounded by tons of sweets, party drinks, and high-calorie foods. All the festivities can easily disrupt your goals. And it’s not just the holidays. There are so many special occasions throughout the year that can weaken your resolve: Halloween parties and trick-or-treat candy, Valentine’s Day chocolate and romantic meals, Easter baskets, and Memorial Day, Fourth of July, and Labor Day barbecues. And of course there are birthdays, anniversaries, showers, weddings, and graduations to celebrate. Though there always seems to be something to celebrate, food does not have be your main focus for all celebrations. This section will give you survival tactics for getting through the holidays and other parties without abandoning your new way of eating and gaining weight.
Holidays Don’t Have to Trigger an Eating Extravaganza
Do you always gain a few pounds during the holidays and make a resolution to lose weight in the new year? Do you starve yourself in January to make up for overeating in the prior weeks? You have done so much to embrace healthy eating and have seen the numbers on the scale go down. Don’t undermine your hard work during the holidays. Not getting sidetracked by the temptations of the season may have been difficult in the past, but these strategies will help you stay in control of what you eat:
Up your exercise. The holidays are a busy time, and exercise seems to be the first thing to go. Instead, you should exercise more to compensate for all the holiday partying. Build exercise into your schedule each day, if you only go for a walk after a big meal. Don’t just collapse on the sofa! Get moving.
Try to be consistent with healthy eating 80 percent of the time. You might want to have a complete blowout at one meal, but that doesn’t mean you have to keep it up for an entire day. You should allow yourself some flexibility. There is no reason not to enjoy your favorite holiday foods. It’s all about portion control and mindful eating.
Stay away from holiday office goodies. It’s easy to keep going back for a tiny piece of candy or a Christmas cookie. Try to avoid even passing where the treats are left out.
If you receive sweets as gifts, take them to the office to share. Or “regift” them to someone who does not know the gift-giver.
If you are stressed by the demands of the season, give yourself time to relax. Whether meditating or soaking in a hot bath, find time you can spend alone in a peaceful, calming place.
Don’t obsess about the food. Instead, plan to do fun things with your family and loved ones. Maybe you can establish some traditions that don’t involve food, like ice skating, hiking, bike riding, or skiing. Your family could attend a holiday concert or volunteer to serve holiday meals in a homeless shelter. You can get in the holiday spirit without gorging yourself. Be thankful for all you have and enjoy the people you love.
If you can manage it, host a party or dinner yourself. You get to control the menu and make certain there is plenty of healthy food to eat.
Be vigilant about your drinking. Allow yourself one or two glasses of wine during a meal or a party. Drink ice water or club soda with lemon or lime the rest of the time.
Decide what you want to splurge on. If you can’t resist the mashed potatoes and gravy, skip the pecan pie and ice cream.
Keep your portions small. If everything looks great, take very small portions of each dish so you get to taste everything.
If you are eating from a buffet, use a small plate. I know I often put a lot of crazy things together as I go through a buffet line. Try to construct a balanced meal, similar to what you would usually eat.
Slow your eating pace. The more slowly you eat, the less food you’ll consume. It takes a full twenty minutes to experience fullness. Rather than inhaling the holiday food, enjoy the company.
Protect yourself from bingeing on leftovers. You can store any leftovers in small, individual portion containers. That way you won’t be picking at your grandmother’s turkey stuffing until it’s gone.
If you are really worried, don’t wear pants with an elastic waist or something loose-fitting to a party. You want to be aware that you are overindulging when your clothing feels tight.
Finally, don’t beat yourself up if you go overboard. Get right back on track. Your next meal gives you the opportunity to make corrections and start over.
If you can get through the holidays and still manage to maintain your commitment to healthy eating, you will reinforce the good habits you have begun to establish. That’s most of the battle in getting down to the weight you want to be.
How to Finesse a Cocktail Party or Cocktail Hour
Whether it’s your neighbor’s holiday party, an event at a business conference, an elaborate cocktail hour at a wedding, or pre-meal cocktails and finger food, navigating cocktail hour can be a dangerous course. Hors d’oeuvres look so small and harmless, but that is deceptive. Those bite-size nibbles can be extremely high in calories. It’s easy to eat a full day’s worth of calories by helping yourself to treats wrapped in flaky pastry and filled with cheese and crème fraîche. When you are done popping one offering after another into your mouth, you might not even feel full. Here are my suggestions for sparing yourself from cocktail party backsliding:
Have a healthy snack at home about an hour before leaving for the party. An apple or a protein bar can take the edge off your hunger in a healthy way.
Scope out what’s being served. Walk through the party and observe what is being served on platters and at stations. When you know what the choices are, you can plan what you will eat. As you roam through the party, socialize. Greet friends, family, and business associates.
Delay eating anything for ten minutes. Start with a glass of club soda or ice water. If you dive right in, you risk continuing to eat everything in sight.
Stand far away from the hors d’oeuvres tables and kitchen door as you can. Focus on the people and not the food. You can make a small plate of healthy options eventually.
Avoid mixed drinks, which can be very caloric. A glass of wine, champagne, prosecco, or vodka on ice are your best bets if you decide to drink. For every drink you have, have a glass of water. It will fill you up.
Dinner Parties Made Easy
When you are someone’s guest for dinner, courtesy can make you uneasy about sticking to your new way of eating. After all, you don’t want to be rude to your hosts. I’ve learned to how to be a perfect guest for dinner without abandoning my eating plan. Here’s how you can do the same:
Find out the menu in advance if you know the host. Many people check with guests because of food restrictions. When you know what is being served, you can plan what you will eat.
Offer to bring a healthy dish so that you can be sure there is something you can eat.
Don’t talk about how you are eating, especially if people notice that you have lost weight. You do not want to take attention away from the food your host has gone through the trouble to prepare.
During cocktails, stay away from the gooey cheese and salty snacks. By this point, you have grown to love the crunch of crudités dipped into something healthy. If the dip is sour-cream based, eat the raw vegetables. Stick with water until you are seated at the dinner table.
If dinner is served family style or from passed platters, you are in luck. You can avoid all the simple carbs and serve yourself salads, vegetables, meat, poultry, or fish. Just put a drop of the sauce on the side.
When dinner is plated, eat the healthy food and just sample the rest. Push what remains around a bit so as not to insult the host.
A friend’s signature dish, such as lasagna or lobster mac and cheese, can be too delicious for you to skip. You can help yourself to a small portion and take only a few bites.
Focus on enjoying the conversation with the other dinner guests rather than eating.
The famous “I can’t eat another bite” excuse is a way to get out of dessert. If you can’t resist, just take a few bites and enjoy them thoroughly. It should be enough to satisfy your sweet tooth. Go for the fruit if offered.
Remember that when other people are indulging, they want you to as well. They can be persistent, particularly about dessert. If they don’t accept that you are “stuffed,” just agree to have a taste.
By following these guidelines, you can have fun instead of struggling to keep your willpower strong at occasions that are supposed to be festive.
No Need to Take a Vacation from Healthy Eating
I’m on the road a lot and have learned that I don’t have to leave my healthy eating habits back at home. When you travel for pleasure or business, a little bit of planning can save you from dietary disasters. Here is what I recommend to help your eating remain consistent wherever you are:
Make a vow to not eat at fast-food restaurants, even if you are traveling with children. Why eat at a familiar chain restaurant when you are taking a trip to visit someplace different and can eat locally?
Do some advance research about the local restaurants and those in your hotel. There is nothing worse than having to search for a place to eat when you are hungry or jet-lagged. The concierge or person at the desk can make good suggestions, too.
No matter how you are traveling, you can pack your own meal. Forget the expensive food the airlines sell you. You can carry some cut up veggies and hummus, nonfat yogurt, or a salad from home. Since people are more health conscious these days, you can usually find something to eat at an airport or train or bus terminal. If you are driving, you have no excuse!
Pack protein bars, nuts, and fruit for snacks while traveling to your destination. When you arrive, carry snacks for daytrips.
If you are early for your flight, don’t just sit at the gate. Burn some calories. Stay active and walk around the terminal.
Drink eight ounces of water every hour of your flight. The recirculated air in a plane’s cabin can be very dehydrating.
Return the key to the minibar to the check-in desk. Pick up fresh fruit, healthy snacks, and bottled water to stock your room. The prices of the contents of a minibar are astronomical, and sometimes that giant box of M&M’s will call to you in the middle of the night.
Don’t be tempted by room service late at night, either. Rarely does anything good come from late-night snacking. Instead, go all out and order a great breakfast to be delivered the next morning. That will get you going for the day’s activities. If your hotel offers a complimentary breakfast, close your eyes to the waffles and make healthy choices.
Many resorts offer workout classes and yoga. Take advantage of them.
If you are traveling for business, pack your workout clothes. In the event that the hotel doesn’t have a gym, they often have an arrangement with a nearby gym. If your mission on your business trip is stressful, exercise will evaporate stress and energize you. Make sure to pack your exercise bands.
Most people say they never gain weight when they travel. That might be because they are more active than when they are at home. If you are touring, you can spend a lot of time on your feet. The key is to allow yourself to try new foods on vacation. Making a conscious choice to have a treat a day is reasonable. Again, you don’t have to eat it all.
Vacation is a time to restore yourself. You might choose to veg out on a beach or to have an adventure seeing new things in new places. The same guidelines for healthy eating apply wherever you are. As usual, if you observe the 80/20 rule, eating right 80 percent of the time, you will not get into eating trouble. Try that cocktail with an umbrella in it, a local dish, or a luscious dessert. With portion control in mind, sample instead of feasting. You will find that eating clean is not difficult to do wherever you are.
In this chapter, I have shared the strategies that work for me in challenging situations. Staying mindful is essential to supporting your healthy eating habits. Knowing that you do not have to be very rigid about what you eat will make it easier to follow the plan. The Spice Diet is not about the two D’s—denial and deprivation. It’s about taking control, eating delicious food, feeling blissfully satisfied, and looking and feeling better than ever. Now that’s something worth keeping up.