DAYTON EATS
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Dining out is no longer a special occasion event, but an everyday occurrence for many American families.
And with hidden calories lurking around almost every corner, it’s more critical than ever to watch what you eat when putting your order in.
A friend of mine from college, Mike Griest, has figured out the art of healthy eating — both when dining in and dining out. He lost an incredible 287 pounds between 2000 and 2003 and has kept off the weight through exercise and carefully monitoring his food.
Griest, 38, of Beavercreek, is the director of Student Enrollment Services at Wright State University and is also a leader and personal coach at Weight Watchers.
Who better to offer advice about what to be aware of in the new year as we all look to do a better job of watching what we eat? His story, message and achievements are inspiring, and he has clearly figured out a thing or two about making food work for him and not the other way around. Here are a few of his secrets for success when dining out:
• Research the restaurant you are going to in advance for healthy choices, and narrow down your options before you arrive. Chain restaurants often have great information available on their web sites, which is helpful for folks counting calories, carbs or sodium.
• Manage your portion size. This might mean ordering an appetizer as your entree, splitting a meal, ordering the children’s or senior meal, or asking that half your meal be boxed for take out immediately or even before it arrives at your table. If you don’t want bread, chips, or the dessert cart at your table, talk to your server about your needs.
• Many times your server will know the healthiest menu options — use them as a resource to find something healthy.
• Many local restaurants make each meal to order, so it’s easy to customize your dish to meet your needs. Griest loves eating at Linh’s Bistro (www.linhsbistro.com), where the huge steaming bowls of Pho are low in calories, and come with all the ingredients on the side. He can add more bean sprouts and less noodles if he is hoping to have a lighter meal.
• Other good spot to grab a healthy meal is a restaurant that serves sushi or anyplace where you can order up some grilled protein, a baked potato and a steamed veggie.
• Rather than look for specific dishes, look for healthy preparation words. Focus on baked, steamed, grilled, roasted and poached. Avoid words like fried, blackened, creamed and smothered.
• A salad is not always the answer. Most restaurant salads that come topped with cheese, nuts, creamy dressing and chicken have more calories and fat than the sandwich you passed on to be healthier.
• Tell your dining partner what your doing. They can provide support, and won’t push you to order a higher calorie meal or dessert.
• Check out the healthy take-home options at Dorothy Lane Market or Kroger Marketplace. If you don’t feel like cooking, grabbing a healthy take home meal can be a better choice than dining out.
For foodies looking to still eat great dishes, but lose weight in the new year, Griest has one piece of advice: “(Find) balance! If you’re headed out to your favorite Italian place for dinner and you want Fettuccine Alfredo, have some fruit and veggies before you go to help curb your hunger, skip the breadstick, order half a portion, put exercise into your day, and have an espresso instead of dessert. It’s all about making your favorites fit, and prioritizing which food choices mean the most.”
MIKE GRIEST’S FIVE FAVORITE DISHES FOR DINING OUT IN THE NEW YEAR
Don’t let these dishes fool you, they not only taste great, they are great for you.
1) Chicken Pho at Linh’s Bistro
5532 Airway Road, Dayton
937-252-1857
www.linhsbistro.com
2) Green chicken curry at Thai 9
11 Brown St., Dayton
937-222-3227
www.thai9restaurant.com
3) Grilled cauliflower steak at Wheat Penny Restaurant
515 Wayne Ave., Dayton
937-496-5268
www.wheatpennydayton.com
4) Beef Carpaccio appetizer at Brio Tuscan Grille
The Greene, 4459 Cedar Park Drive, Beavercreek
937-429-7792
www.brioitalian.com
5) Greek kale salad at Caddy’s Tap House
2760 Towne Drive, Beavercreek
937-431-0240
www.caddystaphouse.com
Local chains with healthier options that Griest favors include First Watch, Brio, Longhorn and McCormick and Schmick’s.
“I love food, and we love eating local. A night of amazing food at Meadowlark or The Winds probably means that I had a light lunch and breakfast, and spent some time with my treadmill that day,” said Griest.
What restaurants are you visiting that are serving up delicious meals that are good for you? Dayton Eats looks at the regional food stories and restaurant news that make mouths water. Menu updates, special dinners and events, new chefs, interesting new dishes and food adventures. Do you know of new exciting format changes, specials, happy hours, restaurant updates or any other tasty news you think is worth a closer look at? E-mail Alexis Larsen at alexis.e.larsen@hotmail.com with the information and we will work to include it in future coverage
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