## Eating **THE BEST** in a Healthy Way### Am I Allowed to Ever Have a Cheat Meal?As a dietitian, I get this question constantly. And the answer is **yes**! Do I enjoy a good Fon Fon burger every now and then? Of course! But I do so mindfully. Here are some good dining out tips that will allow you to *enjoy* all the delicious food Birmingham has to offer without totally derailing your diet plans:1) Save Special Meals for Special Occasions> There is no need to over indulge in food and drink every time you go out to eat.    The pizza at your favorite local pizzeria isn’t going anywhere, so stop eating like it is the last time you’ll ever taste it. Instead, allow yourself to go to your “special” places only on holidays or for a celebration. Or, have 1-2 slices of pizza and take the rest home.2) Delay the Drink> Wait to order your drink until you order your entree. Sit down, enjoy the company at the table and order a salad. If you get to the restaurant and have two cocktails prior to even sitting down, that bread basket all of a sudden becomes very enticing! This brings me to my next point...3) Skip the Bread, order an Appetizer Instead  > It’s a good rhyme to remember. Most restaurants have a lean appetizer or salad you can enjoy that will keep you out of the bread basket. For example, shrimp cocktail, tuna tartar, garden salad with vinaigrette, raw oysters, ceviche, guacamole with crudités, etc. Now don’t get me wrong. I love the corn muffins at Highlands and the crostini with bruschetta at Ocean. In fact, they probably run low in quantity after I leave. However, once again, that bread is not going away anytime soon, so there is no need to eat like it is my last meal. And you shouldn’t either.4) Cut Down on Portion Size> Share your entrees and order a side of vegetables for yourself. Or, at least share your dessert! A typical dessert at a restaurant can be the equivalent in calories to four glasses of wine!5) Sauces Stay on the Side > If you think you are doing good by ordering the fish, but it comes smothered in a white wine butter sauce, you would have been better off ordering a grilled petit filet. Ask for your meats grilled or broiled and for the sauce to come on the side. This goes for salad dressings and barbecue sauces too. This allows you to be in complete control of how much you actually consume.6) Load up on Vegetables > Starting with a salad, broth based soup, or crudités, gets you going on the right path. Then, at dinner, order double vegetables as your side instead of creamed potatoes or mac and cheese that come with the meal. Most restaurants have roasted vegetables as an option. This could also look like getting stewed okra and tomatoes instead of fried okra at Niki’s West. (Keep those fried foods for rare occasions).

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*Abby Nevins is a local dietitian that offers concierge nutrition consultations. As a registered dietitian, Abby hopes to not only help people lose their weight, but also help them to achieve a new and improved lifestyle that includes good nutrition, exercise, and a positive sense of health and well-being. Her mission is to change you from the inside out, so you can live your life to its fullest. You can learn more at www.bhamdietitian.com or by emailing Abby at abby@bhamdietitian.com.*