MONTHLY NUTRITIONAL TIP

August 2010

Successful Eating

By Tammy Parkinson
Body Firm Personal Training, Nutritional Consulting and Wellness Center   Los Gatos, CA 

Have you ever gone out to dine and have ordered something off the menu thinking it was healthy, only to find out it was soaked in butter, breaded and fried?  

A client of mine sent me a link from Joy Bauer, MD which I think is fabulous and wanted to pass along….

Cheers to successful and healthy dining!

STEAKHOUSE MENUS

Au Gratin: Baked side dish (using potatoes, cauliflower, or another vegetable) typically made with cream or whole milk, butter, and cheese and topped with buttery bread crumbs
Hollandaise: Heavy, classic French sauce made with butter and egg yolks
Scalloped: Baked side dish (usually potatoes) made with heavy cream and/or whole milk
Creamed: Cooked with cream (as in creamed spinach)
Smothered: Usually covered in some sort of heavy sauce or gravy
 

ITALIAN-AMERICAN RESTAURANT MENUS

Parmigiana: Coated in a mixture of bread crumbs and grated Parmesan cheese and fried
Alfredo: Heavy sauce made with butter, cream, and grated cheese
Scampi: Sauce often served with shrimp or other seafood that's typically made with lots of butter
Fritto (Fried): Fried in oil (*Some restaurants in all cuisines have gotten more savvy in an effort to sound healthier and now refer to deep-fried foods as "lightly fried" or "crispy" on their menus. Don't be fooled; if you have any doubts ask the waiter to explain the preparation.)
Breaded: Coated with bread crumbs and then typically deep-fried in oil (where it can soak up lots of calories, especially if not fried at the proper temperature)
Carbonara: Pasta sauce made from bacon, whole eggs, cheese, and sometimes cream
 

MEXICAN/TEX-MEX RESTAURANT MENUS

Con Queso: Topped with cheese
Refried: Fried, often in lard
Deep-Fried/Crispy: Fried in oil
Loaded/Supreme/Grande: Often used in reference to nachos, quesadillas, or burritos; this indicates that a dish is served with ALL the toppings, including cheese, sour cream, refried beans, and sometimes meat
Chimichanga: Burrito stuffed with meat and fillings, then deep-fried
 

CHINESE TAKEOUT MENUS

Egg Rolls: Vegetables and meats wrapped in dough and deep-fried in oil
Fried: Fried rice, dumplings, meats, seafood, and more soak up excess oil which adds more calories to your plate
Chow: "Chow" indicates that a dish has been stir-fried, typically in liberal amounts of oil; chow mein and chow fun (or chow foon) are both dishes made with pan-fried noodles
Egg Foo Young: Egg dish (similar to an omelet) made with whole eggs, pan-fried, and usually smothered in salty brown gravy
Sweet and Sour: A sugary, syrupy sauce that's very calorie-dense
General Tso: Bits of meat (most commonly chicken) are coated in an egg and cornstarch mixture, deep-fried, and mixed with vegetables in a high-salt sauce

Tammy Parkinson

Body Firm Personal Training and Nutrition Consulting
www.mybodyfirm.com 408 896 2639 or 408 395 3519

For more information of nutrition, fitness and overall lifestyle,
please contact Tammy @ tammy@mybodyfirm.com