First, do no parm.
Let’s face it — we love our classic Italian-American restaurants for their complete lack of restraint.
More cheese, more pasta, more bread, more fried — excess is the entire point, and some of us, New Yorkers in particular, are probably indulging more frequently than we should.
No judgments, of course, but let’s say you were trying to shed a few pounds for summer — you don’t have to refuse the next offer of dinner at your favorite red sauce local, the experts say.
You just have to look at the menu in a new way — and follow a whole new set of rules, according to dietitians Melissa Rifkin and Kelsey Hampton Abdullah, writing for Eat This, Not That!
The first step, the pro eaters say, is to remind yourself that restaurant meals tend to pack on the salt, fat and calories more than the food you eat at home.
Spaghetti marinara when you’re out to eat, for example, might have a much higher fat content, thanks to an abundance of oil used in cooking. And don’t even ask about how much butter or oil there are in the vegetables.
That said, sticking to one’s guns while enjoying a night out with your paisanos doesn’t have to be a chore.
Just follow these simple, expert-approved steps. Looking for a healthy eating guide to the popular Olive Garden chain? Click here.
Better yet, no bread at all — a tough one when more restaurants are upping their baking game and putting out oils and other dips — but skipping this leaves you more room for the good stuff, and saves you a few hundred calories, the dietitian duo said.
Also, you’re not getting a lot of fiber from a hunk of Italian bread — just carbs. Lots and lots of carbs.
While everyone else is ripping and dipping, order a small salad to keep yourself busy. For extra brownie points, have them bring the dressing on the side and use sparingly.
You sit down at your favorite Italian-American joint. Is your first instinct to order chicken or eggplant Parmesan? So bold. So brave!
Since one of these dishes delivers enough grams of fat to last you an entire day, and in some cases longer, time to try other things on the menu — and nothing else fried, either. You can’t handle the high calorie counts. Well, your diet can’t.
Instead, try chicken marsala, that’s nice, or something in a baked fish, or a grilled shrimp.
Did you know that pasta contains protein? Don’t get excited — you have to eat a lot of it to get your daily requirement; far more than someone on a diet should be eating.
So by all means, you’re out for a good time, maybe order a side portion of your fave, or a healthier pasta with lots of veggies, but as far as main courses go, grilled chicken and shrimp are going to be your better bets — skip the red meats, which bring a lot of fat, saturated and otherwise, to the table.
Do you typically leave the ordering to someone else? Here are four dishes to ask for at your next Italian restaurant meal that will have you walking out feeling positively virtuous — while everyone else is loosening their belts.
- Minestrone — You’ve got vegetables, you’ve got loads of fiber, and it’s hearty. A fine alternative to the bread basket to start the meal, if you’re not a salad person.
- Cioppino — It’s rich and delicious without being cloying, and it’s packed with protein from the seafood. Mangia!
- Pasta primavera — So yes, it’s pasta, but it’s also a lot of vegetables. If a pasta entree is your only choice, this is a fine one, just consider eating half now and taking the rest home for another meal.
- Grilled calamari — We all love the fried, but this can be just as good, delivering all the protein with none of the other stuff. Can work well as an entree with a side salad or a minestrone soup to start, if you’re really looking to be virtuous.