Joy Bauer, nutrition and diet expert for the TODAY show on NBC, says the food industry is “really starting to feel the pressure to make changes.” In Bauer’s opinion, the biggest menu myth is that it’s impossible to make healthy choices when eating out. “It’s not where you eat, it’s what you eat,” says the nutritionist. The challenge is overcoming the temptation to order high-fat fare. And expanded menu options are there to help, with color-coded dietary selections or a key bank of symbols used to indicate if an item is gluten-free (GF), vegetarian, heart-healthy, low-fat, or low-carb. Many even include a specific section for special diets, such as the Applebee’s “under 550 calories” choices, or Bob Evans’ “Fit from the Farm” menus. Don’t be shy when it comes to customizing your order in the name of health, either. Restaurants such as Cracker Barrel, for example, offer a “Tasty Alternatives” menu, including Egg Beaters, turkey sausage, sugar-free syrup, Promise Spread, and low-sugar fruit spread.

Seniors can also take advantage of the expanded menus at most casual dining restaurants. Denny’s, for instance, has a special 55-plus menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner—offering modified portions and special discounts. These conveniences are especially important for diners who may eat out once or twice daily.

While most nutrition experts agree the best way to control your diet is to prepare your own meals, it’s not always a practical option, especially as the summer travel season approaches. If you find yourself feeding your family via drive-thru, take note of Bauer’s healthier suggestions on the menu boards this year:

“Taco Bell started heavily marketing its Fresco line, which features lower-calorie, lower-fat options. Burger King revamped their children’s menu, and KFC launched its grilled chicken line,” says Bauer. But beware: Many chain restaurants still compete for the biggest, most over-the-top burger, warns Bauer. “They’re part of the problem, but by offering healthy, convenient meal options, they can be part of the solution.”

• Order a salad with grilled chicken and low-fat dressing or a basic grilled chicken sandwich (hold the mayo; add mustard, salsa, ketchup, or BBQ sauce instead) with a fruit cup or low-fat yogurt.

• Stick with calorie-free drinks such as water, diet soda, or unsweetened ice tea.

• If you’re bent on ordering a burger or fries, order the smallest size available. (A plain hamburger at Burger King has a modest 260 calories—compared to a BK Steakhouse XT burger, which averages 1,000 calories and more than 60 grams of fat.)

• For pizza, opt for thin crust; veggie toppings are a bonus. (One slice of a large cheese pan-crust pizza from Pizza Hut contains 360 calories; the same slice on thin crust, 260 calories.)

• For subs, order a small turkey sandwich piled high with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, hot peppers, and pickles. (Skipping the cheese at Subway can save 60 calories; hold the mayo to save 110 calories; or choose light mayo, which has 50 calories per tablespoon.)

• And don’t fall for the better “value” items—you may get more food for the money, but you pay the price with your waistline and health.
More healthy selections from some of your favorite restaurants can be found at healthydiningfinder.com.

Joy Bauer is author of the No. 1 New York Times bestseller Joy Bauer’s Food Cures (2007) and
 Slim & Scrumptious, released in April 2010. 
For recipes from her new book, visit 
saturdayeveningpost.com/joybauer.

May I Take Your Order? The Saturday Evening Post

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation suggests the following alternatives to high sodium foods. For labeled items, select foods that are 5 percent or less of the Percent Daily Value for sodium.

Don’t Get Smoked

Avoid: Smoked, cured, salted, and canned meat, fish and poultry
Suggested Alternatives: Unsalted fresh or frozen beef, lamb, pork, fish, and poultry

(Three ounces of tuna canned in water contains 287 mg of sodium, while three ounces of fresh tuna cooked with dry heat contains 42 mg of sodium.)

The Cheese Culprit

Avoid: Processed cheese and regular peanut butter
Suggested Alternatives: Low-sodium cheese, low-sodium and some all-natural brands of peanut butter

(One slice of Kraft Nonfat American Cheese contains 273 mg of sodium.)

Soup’s Out

Avoid: Canned and dehydrated soups, broths, and bouillons
Suggested Alternatives: Low-sodium canned soups (note: even lower-sodium soups are still high in sodium, so check the label), broths, and bouillons

(One cup of Campbell’s Select Minestrone Soup contains 951 mg of sodium. Now, are you crushing up crackers on that soup?)

Saltine-Free

Avoid: Crackers with salted tops
Suggested Alternatives: Unsalted crackers, rice cakes, or no salt added Melba Toast crackers

Can Not

Avoid: Canned vegetables
Suggested Alternatives: Frozen or fresh vegetables, low-sodium or no salt added canned vegetables

(One cup of canned green beans contains 622 mg of sodium.)

If It’s in the Bag

Avoid: Salted snack foods
Suggested Alternatives: Unsalted tortilla chips, pretzels, potato chips, and popcorn. If these items are not available, try popping your own popcorn, baking your own pita chips, or making homemade potato fries by roasting potato wedges with a little bit of olive oil.

(Researchers found that movie theater popcorn can contain up to 1,500 milligrams of sodium.)

P.S. An average pickle spear has 306 mg of sodium.

Cut the Salt! The Saturday Evening Post