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20 Ways to Eat Smart When Dining Out
rd.com — #3. "Ask how the food was prepared; don't go by the menu." For instance, cholesterol-free does not mean fat-free; the dish could still be filled with calorie-dense oil. Neither does "lite" necessarily mean light in calories or fat....
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- amandaw33, on 03/27/2008, -1/+14http://www.rd.com/content/printContent.do?contentI ... -- link to print version - nice find.
- titlesaysitall, on 03/27/2008, -0/+3Spartans, tonight we dine smart in Hell!
- Ragarnok, on 03/27/2008, -6/+55Geez this should have been name "how to be a jerk when ordering"
I mean seriously you're going to ask to know if your food was fried and not deep fried? and tripple veggies? who cares if you want to stay fit go with the salad.- Grym11, on 03/27/2008, -3/+9A better title: "20 Ways to Get Spit in Your Food."
- SamanthaEvans, on 03/27/2008, -2/+2I agree that most of these tips sound like a fair amount of badgering of the waitstaff, it's your health though, be assertive, not a jerk.
- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -2/+2Correct. You're the one paying for the food you eat (financially and health-wise), so you should not be afraid to order it as you like it. If the restaurant is unwilling to cooperate, there are plenty of other restaurants around.
- mahdaeng, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1Dugg down. It seems the Digg community would rather go to a restaurant and accept any old swill the staff decides to place in front of them. Strangely, that doesn't surprise me much.
Ah, Digg...the place where people of discerning tastes come to meet.
- mahdaeng, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1Dugg down. It seems the Digg community would rather go to a restaurant and accept any old swill the staff decides to place in front of them. Strangely, that doesn't surprise me much.
- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -2/+2Correct. You're the one paying for the food you eat (financially and health-wise), so you should not be afraid to order it as you like it. If the restaurant is unwilling to cooperate, there are plenty of other restaurants around.
- SoxSweepAgain, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1I waited tables all the way through college and my first crap job.
The waiter would have NO problem with these requests unless they were a jerk, and that's unlikely.
I would never give this person a problem, and if I did it professionally, I'd take the chance on a slightly better tip!
Go ahead and do this people.
One caveat- waitstaff are trained to accentuate the positive and avoid the negative when describing preparation; what they might call "a pat of butter" or "a little butter" might be half a stck's worth...
- raftytaffy, on 03/27/2008, -2/+3Pay only for your own meal, will save you tons ;)
- DeadFox1, on 03/27/2008, -1/+1save money! lose the fat! err.. girlfriend!
- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -0/+1Or save even more by not eating out in the first place.
- pentak, on 03/27/2008, -7/+4320 ways to be a douche bag - seriously stay the ***** home
- bonjourmr, on 04/25/2008, -10/+3Shutup and eat the damn meal, its a night out.
- bonjourmr, on 04/25/2008, -5/+14Shutup and eat the damn thing, its a night out.
- thegrumpychef, on 04/01/2008, -0/+0well said. i completely agree!
- cheeseplease, on 03/27/2008, -3/+34"20 ways to get the chefs to fart on your filet mignon"
- triskele, on 03/27/2008, -0/+6If after everything on this list, you don't end up with a steaming pile of ***** on your plate in lieu of you steak I'd be surprised.
- MrCrispyChicken, on 03/27/2008, -5/+1But, you have to be smart anyway to consider anything better than McDonalds as eating out. Dont you?
- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -0/+2Actually, the only difference between McDonald's and most other chains is presentation.
- dwright99, on 03/27/2008, -0/+7It would just be easier to stay home and cook it the way I like it. If you eat out all the time you are going to be in trouble anyways. For one thing you would probably never cook with as much oil or butter as a restaurant does. That's every chef's cheap trick, add more butter.
And at least I know I wash my hands.- SoxSweepAgain, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1After seven years in my youth as a waiter, you are dead on accurate. The amount of butter used in sauces is incredible... but awesome.
- wpmegee, on 03/27/2008, -0/+2314. Ask the waiter to skip the bread basket. If you must have something to munch on while you wait for your order, ask for a plate of raw vegetables or some breadsticks.
...what? Skip the bread basket and eat breadsticks?- onestrawplz, on 03/27/2008, -0/+2i think by "breadsticks" they mean those thin, almost cracker like sticks that usually have something like sesame seeds on them. they're packaged in pairs and are probably like 30 calories.
- dilbert, on 03/27/2008, -12/+5Go ahead and digg me down but ever since Atkins we know that fat isn't fattening you, carbs are the culprit.
- oesj, on 03/27/2008, -4/+5Fat is fattening (the clue's in the name). Not eating carbs forces people to consume more protein etc. which makes them less hungry - so they eat less (there are some other less important effects).
Bottom line: If you eat fewer calories and less fat, you lose weight- Danik55, on 03/27/2008, -0/+3That's stupid advice. You shouldn't eat less fat. It's saturated fat and trans fat that you want to avoid. Monounsaturated and Polyunsaturated fats lower bad LDL cholesterol and raise good HDL cholesterol.
- Azadre, on 03/27/2008, -0/+7Fat is not fattening! Triacylglycerides, or your common fat from food, is broken down in the liver into Acetyl CoA. Guess what! Glucose and fructose, the derivatives of sucrose or table sugar, can become Acetyl CoA if it is not being used in other metabolic pathways! Eating more protein does not make one less hungry either. Our body needs a constant supply of blood glucose, and if our glycogen (polymer of glucose units, kind of like starch but for the organism) store expires we must revert to using our bodies protein stores (muscles) to regain oxaloacetate for gluconeogensis. Even chain fatty acids can only be broken down into acetyl CoA which cannot be siphoned out from the citric acid cycle, and therefore even chain fats can only be used for ATP (our body's energy currency) production by powering oxidative phosphorylation.
In other words, if you want to lose weight: eat a balanced diet and exercise. Starvation leads to muscle depletion and hypoglycemia (so you're more irritable), but exercise allows our body to access the energy stored away in the fat.
- senatorpjt, on 03/27/2008, -2/+6Ever since Atkins died from a heart attack leaving a 255lb corpse, people don't believe it anymore.
- dilbert, on 03/27/2008, -3/+2Atkins died because he fell on his head caused by slippery stairs and was in a coma for a couple of days at the hospital. There he gained a lot of weight because of medication. No heart attack. Ignorance is bliss.
- oesj, on 03/27/2008, -4/+5Fat is fattening (the clue's in the name). Not eating carbs forces people to consume more protein etc. which makes them less hungry - so they eat less (there are some other less important effects).
- Ikulus, on 03/27/2008, -2/+20Gonna agree with the majority here. Making the wait staff and kitchen crew jump through hoops because you're too lazy to make your own damn meals is pretty weak. If you want to eat healthy, don't go to restaurants like these in the first place. If you get stuck there somehow, do your best, but don't assume you can customize the whole damn menu.
- hokeywebb22, on 03/27/2008, -2/+8I love the dipping the fork in the dressing move. I had never thought of that but it's a great way to not use as much dressing and still get the flavor.
- SoxSweepAgain, on 03/28/2008, -0/+1That's a terrific tip! GREAT idea!
- mickmel, on 03/27/2008, -0/+4They're making it far too complicated. Know the fat/calories/points of the food you're ordering, and account for it. Use something like:
http://www.foodinfodb.com/
or
http://www.dietfacts.com/fastfood.asp
And know before you go. I think both of those sites have mobile versions, too, so you can look up individual items while you're looking at the menu.- KaiUno, on 03/27/2008, -0/+2Which makes for a fun night out!
- stavrogin2, on 03/27/2008, -2/+38Hi, I'm Sam, what can I get you tonight?
Hi, Sam, I'd like the burger and fries, but could you take the cheese off, forget the bun, no mayo, triple the lettuce and tomato, no pickles, replace the meat with grilled, cubed organic chicken, replace the french fries with two cups each of carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, grilled extra firm tofu, pat the whole entree down with napkins to remove excess fat and, uh, package up half of it so I can't eat it? Thanks. Also, I won't be tipping you tonight because I'm a complete asshole.- jerrycan, on 03/27/2008, -1/+0Nice.
- davidg11, on 03/27/2008, -0/+3Don't forget to julienne the carrots!
- orion846, on 03/27/2008, -0/+2don't forget to ask them to split half of the half you're eating between you and your partner's plates
- ReyX, on 03/27/2008, -1/+1***** my life...
- short, on 03/27/2008, -0/+3IMO, a variation on #6 will help you the most, but do it yourself. If you're not splitting the meal with someone else, just divide your meal in half, and eat one of them. Get a box to take home the other half.
- om3ga, on 03/27/2008, -4/+15*20 Ways to Lose Friends and be a Petty Asshole When Dining Out
- psbpv3o, on 03/27/2008, -3/+14Tip 21: If you follow most of the previous 20 tips leave a big ***** tip because the waiter is going to think you're an asshole.
- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -3/+1And we all care what waiters think of us.
- onestrawplz, on 03/27/2008, -1/+3you haven't seen "waiting," have you?
- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -3/+1And we all care what waiters think of us.
- triskele, on 03/27/2008, -0/+4If you eat out often enough that nutrition is an issue you have more to worry about than fat, calories, carbs, cholesterol, etc.
- vaticdart, on 03/27/2008, -0/+5How about not eating at crappy restaurants like Applebee's, TGI and Rudy's? If you want to avoid plebeian high calorie meals, don't eat at plebeian restaurants. Stay home or eat somewhere decent.
- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -0/+2Dugg for the concept and for the use of the word, "plebeian".
- davidg11, on 03/27/2008, -0/+7There is enough variety in medium to large cities that if you can not find a restaurant that caters to your diet, that's YOUR fault, not the restaurant's. If you want low fat, no oil, etc...go to a Japanese restaurant and eat sushi or sashimi to your heart's content. Don't go to a steakhouse expecting low fat, no cholesterol crap.
- meninostongue, on 03/27/2008, -1/+7Perhaps better advice would be to eat well at home and go out to eat rarely. On the infrequent occasion when you go out, indulge. You'll save money and stay healthy.
- Grym11, on 03/27/2008, -0/+2I don't know why you got dugg down.
Restaurant food (even the "healthy" dishes) is typically loaded with high amounts of sodium, which can wreak havoc with your blood pressure.
- Grym11, on 03/27/2008, -0/+2I don't know why you got dugg down.
- senatorpjt, on 03/27/2008, -0/+4I really don't understand why everyone wants to pay more for less food. I always considered "eating smart" to be getting the most food for the least money of everyone else at the table.
- ReyX, on 03/27/2008, -1/+2Whenever I go to an all-you-can-eat buffet, that is generally my rationale. I'm there to amortize the heck out of the money I pay. Economically, it makes sense, but I always eat way more than I feel is "smart"...
- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -0/+1Buffets are rarely a good idea. Unless, of course, you like to eat soup that's been drooled in by hungry onlookers or salad that's been fingered by a snotty eight-year-old.
- AlKo, on 03/27/2008, -1/+1There's also quality for cost. Sure if it's tons of food but it all tastes like crap, I really don't think you're going to feel smart. Especially if you're crapping your brains out afterwards.
If it tastes really good and you get big portions and isn't overpriced that's a true win!
- ReyX, on 03/27/2008, -1/+2Whenever I go to an all-you-can-eat buffet, that is generally my rationale. I'm there to amortize the heck out of the money I pay. Economically, it makes sense, but I always eat way more than I feel is "smart"...
- petebert, on 03/27/2008, -1/+5you could always exercise and enjoy a good steak and basket of fried junk instead of trying to lose weight by eating air.
- rtphokie, on 03/27/2008, -0/+4Order water only. It's healthier and will cut your bill. That $.20 worth of soda or iced tea will add $3+ each. Adds up very quickly.
- jackrabbit, on 03/27/2008, -1/+3Be assertive and ask for whatever you want, after all, these are just minimum wage workers who enjoy asshole customers! No way will they disrespect you or your food behind the closed doors of the kitchen simply because you wish to eat healthy during the dinner rush!
I don't know about the rest of you, but the last person I want to ***** off is the person handling my food.- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -2/+1Far be it from the customer to expect professional service from a waiter regardless of his requests. And far be it from the waiter to be mature and professional and actually earn the money he's being paid.
- mahdaeng, on 03/28/2008, -1/+1Oops! I forgot that this was Digg, where earning one's keep is a no-no. It would probably be better just to pay the waiter to sit around and then bring you whatever he feels like bringing you and whenever he feels like getting around to it. I stand corrected.
- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -2/+1Far be it from the customer to expect professional service from a waiter regardless of his requests. And far be it from the waiter to be mature and professional and actually earn the money he's being paid.
- wlwest82, on 03/27/2008, -1/+1"14. Ask the waiter to skip the bread basket. If you must have something to munch on while you wait for your order, ask for...some breadsticks."
Huh? - phenolholic, on 03/27/2008, -4/+2i dont see why people think this article suggests you're being an asshole. you're simply inquiring about the food you're going to eat, and/or asking it to be prepared or served with other options that are readily available. you asking for a baked potato rather than french fries doesnt mean the waiter or kitchen staff is going to have to digg up a potato, wash it, and bake it for you. it's already there. everything this article suggests is already there and ready to go. waiters make about $200 a good night at a busy restaurant. 3 nights a week yields about $2500/month untaxed working only on weekends . not bad for a non-highschool diploma or any formal training requiring job. asking for extra veggies won't ruin anyones night.
- ZellD, on 03/27/2008, -2/+1Asking for veggies aside, that is a completly unrealistic estimate for what a typical waiter makes. First of all you often have to work during the worst weekday shifts in order to be given the weekend slots. So most work throughout the week. At many places you don't even get paid hourly until your first table is seated which on a bad weekday can send you home commuting expenses poorer. Then of course if a customer skips on the bill you pay half of it.
200 a night can happen sure, but 2500/month for working weekends. Not often.- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -2/+1Someone missed the point.
- psibladeZX, on 03/27/2008, -4/+0Ah... the good ol' DND (dine and dash)... those were so much fun and so easy to do. How to eat out smart? DND...
Its not that hard either... just have the person driving pull around, when the waiter goes to the kitchen, you leave... so easy and so cheap...- jholden42, on 03/27/2008, -1/+6...And then the waiter gets interrogated by his boss about why he had a walkout, and his boss freaks out because HIS boss is going to be upset, and really you're just ruining people's day to keep money in your pocket. If you can't ***** afford to eat out, stay the ***** home.
- jholden42, on 03/27/2008, -2/+3First off, you're very much mistaken about how much servers make. Depending on the type of restaurant you're in, $100 tends to be not amazing but pretty good for a busy shift.
Secondly, the reason that doing this makes you an asshole has nothing to do with money and everything to do with rudeness. In most restaurants (or at least most that don't qualify as "fine dining"), your server has, at most times, several tables to wait on at the same time, each of which is at a different step in the dining process, some of which require things now, some of which will require things soon. While your server is running around the back of the house interrogating cooks and managers and digging through boxes of food for ingredient lists, or standing there listening to you yammer on about the weird special modifications you want to make (or standing at the computer ringing those modifications in, taking far too much precious time), there are tables yet to be greeted, food that needs to be run, checks that need to be dropped, etc. - because you've decided to be "assertive" and hands-on in your nutritional experience, you're damaging the service the server's other guests are receiving. This not only hurts his or her tips, of course, but more importantly it contributes a great deal of stress (because you're forcing your server into a situation where regardless of the action he or she takes SOMEONE is going to be upset with him or her).
So don't be an asshole. If you're that picky about your food, eat at home, or at least choose restaurants that are already healthy. Don't go to the big greaseball establishments in the first place, because our food isn't healthy and you know it.
- ZellD, on 03/27/2008, -2/+1Asking for veggies aside, that is a completly unrealistic estimate for what a typical waiter makes. First of all you often have to work during the worst weekday shifts in order to be given the weekend slots. So most work throughout the week. At many places you don't even get paid hourly until your first table is seated which on a bad weekday can send you home commuting expenses poorer. Then of course if a customer skips on the bill you pay half of it.
- psibladeZX, on 03/27/2008, -2/+1These are pretty decent rules. Restaurants too often make stuff very high calorie/fat/sodium. You're not being an asshole by asking about it. Just make sure you leave a decent tip, or else you are an asshole.
I dont know why everyone is booing these rules on digg...- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -1/+1Because to the average digger, Applebee's is fine dining. You know, the kinds of places where you actually need to use a salad fork.
- raklos, on 03/27/2008, -0/+2This was the dumbest ***** i've read in a while
- mahdaeng, on 03/27/2008, -0/+2FTA: [[relatively good value for the dollar]]
Uh, relative to what? Eating out is never a way to get a "good value for the dollar". - czeman, on 03/27/2008, -0/+320 Ways To Get Your Food ***** On, ***** On, Spit On, and Cook's Nose Blown On
or
20 Questions That If You Ask Say That You Should Stay Home and Prepare Your Own ***** Meal - lschofield, on 03/27/2008, -0/+2Everyone should have to wait tables for a month or so before being allowed to eat out. It is NOT an unskilled profession - it requires a lot of people-skills, organization, quick thinking and stamina. Add to that a knowledge of food and wine... People who request things like what this article suggests are the most work and leave the smallest tips (if any). Everyone who has EVER worked in the service industry tips well - we know what its like!
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