Eating out Italian

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daisymae9801
daisymae9801 Posts: 208 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Going out the eat this Saturday to an Italian place that serves DELICIOUS food!

What should I get that would be the healthiest? It's a local restaurant so there's no calorie listings.

Here's the menu:

http://www.cantinaditalia.com/Herndonmenu.html

Replies

  • RebelliousRibbons
    RebelliousRibbons Posts: 391 Member
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    Sadly, avoid white sauces. They're SO high in calories. Go with something along the lines of grilled chicken, a tomato sauce of sorts, the pasta you want, avoid extra bread and go light on the cheese.
  • RebelliousRibbons
    RebelliousRibbons Posts: 391 Member
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    Also, drink water with your meal. One glass of coke can be around 300 calories, and if you get refills, yikes.
  • tararocks
    tararocks Posts: 287 Member
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    I can't access the menu right now, but avoid any of the white or pink sauces....heavy cream will make any meal a calorie disaster. Also, it depends on how much you want pasta, if you can take it or leave it go with some lean protein or seafood (again just watch the sauces). If you must have pasta go with a tomato or marinara sauce. Good luck...my husband cooked in an Italian restaurant for years...it's always my downfall:)
  • momma3sweetgirls
    momma3sweetgirls Posts: 743 Member
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    I'd choose chicken marsala (lunch size)...love it! I would also have a side salad with balsamic vinaigrette. I'd skip the appetizers, bread, booze, and dessert. And if the chicken marsala comes with pasta, I'd eyeball about 1/2 a cup. Enjoy!
  • Abells
    Abells Posts: 756 Member
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    I would get a bowl of soup to start and then go with the chicken cacciatore. Has veggies in it and marinara sauce. Fill up on the soup and then don't eat the whole meal.

    Stay away from the bread they serve to start.
  • ciege77
    ciege77 Posts: 60
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    Rebel is on the money. Ex. 1 breadstick from olive garden is 150 cal, whereas a 4oz piece of grilled chicken breast is usually around the same, if not maybe a bit lower. What will get you on chicken is breaded/fried/etc etc. Easy on the cheese as mentioned, too.

    Personally, I go chicken with many dining choices just because it's usually great filling for lower calorie impact.
  • HeyLisa
    HeyLisa Posts: 201
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    Without knowing how they prepare foods.. I can guestimate based on Olive Garden and Maggiano's nutritional menus.

    If they have a broth based soup - usually a cup is between 150-200 calories and good to fill you up a little.
    Best choices are usually a grilled chicken or fish (ask if they can sub the side of pasta for mixed veggies) OR eggplant parm is usually lower calorie on most menus.

    If you choose a salad ask for dressing on the side .. Olive Garden for example has one serving of their salad as 300 calories VS the bowl of Zuppa Toscona (creamy) that is like 170.
  • Cnava01
    Cnava01 Posts: 37
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    I recommend splitting first and foremost, always!!! To me it is the best thing you can do when eating out.
    If no one wants to split with you then ask for a box ahead of time and wrap half up before you start eating. Or, my new trick, ask for a side plate and eat small portions at a time and pay attention to when your body is full. It takes away from distracting the dinner with plating your food to go while everyone else is just starting to eat.

    I would say skip the bread and wine and cheese and blah blah blah but the truth of the matter is you know you are going out to eat already, right? Balance it all out. Eat a light low cal breakfast and lunch, workout and gain some exercise calories that you can eat back and boom, enjoy your night at a cute local restaurant eating something you only eat once in a while. We can not fear food and calories we can only learn to balance them!

    That's my advice.

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