HELP! INDIAN RESTAURANT!!

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mrsowen2012
mrsowen2012 Posts: 19 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Hi all!

Major problem....... With my collegues next week we are going to an Indian restaurant for a farewell meal for my boss.

Normally I would love and look forward to that kind of event. However, I am dreading it.... I don't want to take 2 steps forward and 1 step back.... What can I eat?!....

What can I have and still enjoy it and not worry about those hundreds of calories in an Indian takeaway?!.....

Help please fellow MFPs......
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Replies

  • ThriftyChica12
    ThriftyChica12 Posts: 373 Member
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    go on the restuarant's website, or call ahead, to get the menu.

    stick with vegetarian, vegetable-based dishes (vegetable jahlfreezi is pretty healthy) skip rice and naan bread.
    big ole plate of veggies, not fried, but simply sauteed, and you're golden :)
  • mperrott2205
    mperrott2205 Posts: 737 Member
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    ...It's one evening. Enjoy yourself. Don't get stuck into thinking you can't enjoy yourself whilst dieting! You're not going to put on a huge amount of weight from one meal. You'll be back into you're normal routine the next day.

    Just stay away from Fizzy drinks and alcohol and drink water.
  • Pookylou
    Pookylou Posts: 988 Member
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    Boiled rice is lower calorie than pilau rice, stick to a tomato based sauce (rogan/pathia) rather than a cream base. Maybe have rice or a naan. Or exercise more that day/week and enjoy yourself!

    Edit to add, now I want curry!
  • xampx
    xampx Posts: 323 Member
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    Just eat what you want. Eat a little less in the days before and after, drink more water to keep the sodium moving, and enjoy the treat.

    You can't avoid food you like for the rest of your life, and one 1500 calorie meal is not going to ruin you.
  • AllonsYtotheTardis
    AllonsYtotheTardis Posts: 16,947 Member
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    When we go out for Indian, I just make sure I get in a good workout that day, so I have extra calories available. Then I eat what I enjoy most, and not worry about it. Yes, I do go over for the day, but in the grande scheme of things - I'm not giving up enjoying Indian food once in a while.
  • FerryfieldLad
    FerryfieldLad Posts: 185 Member
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    If it was me, I would eat lightly for the rest of the day and enjoy myself at the meal.

    One day out of the week will not be "two steps back"
  • vivaldirules
    vivaldirules Posts: 169 Member
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    Lentils (dal) dishes like dal makhani are great but can be loaded with butter and cream. Saag paneer is creamed spinach with paneer cheese which is also great but obviously heavy in calories. Chicken tikka masala is a chicken in a curry sauce with cream and is lovely but heavy in calories. So try to avoid those or similar things. There should be dishes that have a lot less butter, oil, or cream but they can be pretty spicy, too. Yes, this can be hard. Good luck!
  • mareeee1234
    mareeee1234 Posts: 674 Member
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    My family ordered indian take out the other night.

    I didn't have any korma curry - cause thats a cream based curry sauce. I also didn't have any meat curry, cause they're usually more oily, (you can see it on top), and the meat isn't usually lean.

    I stuck to Dahl only, :)
    with a little bit of rice, plain naan and raita.
    You should get that! Dahl is the lowest calorie Indian option I reckon! Or maybe a chickpea/veg curry..? But could still be oily. I say get DAHL!
  • pestopoli
    pestopoli Posts: 111 Member
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    I also have an Indian food weakness, and office colleagues who like the celebrate projects/hirings/going-aways at indian restaurants.

    I would recommend eating what you like there, but working it into your calorie budget. The worst thing would be to feel deprived - for me, that's going to be a trigger to binge on something else later. Eat a light breakfast and lunch, and drink plenty plenty of water that day. Before you go, figure out how many calories you could reasonably consume, and use the "Generic indian restaurant" items in the food database to figure out how much you can eat of what. There actually aren't TOO too many calories in half a piece of naan, or half a cup of tikka masala, or in a bit of basmatic rice or paneer.

    Vegan Chica is also right: indian vegetarian dishes often taste as rich and fulfilling as their creamier, meat-based dishes, but will have fewer calories. And stay away from things that are heavily fried, like spring rolls.

    Last bit of advice - you'll have more room to eat what you like there if you only have water with your meal, instead of a soda, beer, or lassi.

    Good luck! Let us know how it goes!
  • lisaabenjamin
    lisaabenjamin Posts: 665 Member
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    Meh, just enjoy it! It's OK to treat yourself every now and again, just as long as you're not treating yourself every day!
  • mareeee1234
    mareeee1234 Posts: 674 Member
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    Or.. enjoy it, go all out, and stick to your calorie goal for the rest of the week! One night won't mess you up!
  • taunto
    taunto Posts: 6,420 Member
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    Is it an Indian restaurant or Pakistani? See if they got "Korma". Ask for a couple of paper towels and slide the palte a bit so the excess oil gets there and use the paper towel to collect it. Korma is delicious stuff, you will like it.

    You can also go for "Haleem". It is very delicious but once again, I prefer the Delhi style or Karachi style, which isn't often found in US based Indian restaurants.

    Try to avoid the cream based curries. Ask the waiter if its made from cream. Look for mutton or chicken kadhai (I prefer mutton/beef/lamb over chicken personally). If its without cream, you will love it.

    The BEST one I can suggest would be Achar Gosht. DO the paper towel oil collection thing and eat it up. You will DEFINITLEY love achar gosht. Its good recipe both indian and pakistani way and its not made with cream so for your, its the best option. And it is DELICIOUS!


    Also, go out and have fun. Don't dread eating. You're not taking a step back by indulging once in a while. If you try and become too strict, you will endup binging and going back 10 steps. Just eat it and either forget about it or just workout and burn the extra calories
  • MrsSausage58
    MrsSausage58 Posts: 143 Member
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    Chicken Shashlik is a winner with me. It's a tandoori dish, so no sauce, and is served with salad. :D
  • runninggirl1981
    runninggirl1981 Posts: 26
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    The lowest calorie things are the dry tandoori things that are still yum but don't have the sauce. Things like chicken shashlik.

    If you like the bread things, then chapatti is the best option, and obviously no pilau/fried rice options. Boiled rice or skip the rice.
  • sunnyside1213
    sunnyside1213 Posts: 1,205 Member
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    Tandoori chicken for protein.
  • bobf279
    bobf279 Posts: 342 Member
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    I went last night and had a good old blow out, chicken pathia, pilau rice and plain naan washed down with a couple of pints of cobra. Back to normal routine today so diet and exercise will deal with any excess
  • simplythebaz
    simplythebaz Posts: 33 Member
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    I've read a chicken rogan josh, which is tomato based, is the most healthiest non-pure-vegetable curry you can order, although I suspect it's a little bland; I think all the korma sauce is one of the worst!

    I love a curry, but these days I'll make sure I've got a couple of hundred calories from the previous couple of days, and stay away from the extras (poppadums, bhajis, naan).

    Oh, and Mushroom Rice all the way!
  • onedayatatime12
    onedayatatime12 Posts: 577 Member
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    Naan/roti is a heavily carb-ed Indian bread. As is white rice. Have a 'dosa' which is a mixture of protein and carbs, and is VERY satisfying (it's filled with potatoes, onions, and mint leaves and served with chutney and sambar). Sambar is a protein-veggie soup, which is really healthy- you can have as much as you want!!

    And as for meats, well butter chicken is a common dish served in Indian restaurants- but I would steer clear of that, lots of fat; instead try Tandoori chicken- it's nice and spicy in a good way, and is pure protein :)

    I'm not sure what else, but oh! Paneer is fried (usually) aged ricotta cheese, and it has quite a bit of fat in it, so control how many cheese blocks you serve yourself ;)

    And veggie stews- Navratan Korma is great- but not too much, because it's made with butter, sometimes. Pretty much just go for the tomato sauced-dishes and you'll be fine :D

    Uhmm, I dunno what else. That's all I can think of now- I looove Indian food XD
  • simplythebaz
    simplythebaz Posts: 33 Member
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    Tandoori chicken for protein.

    Yup, if you don't want the curry sauce element, this is tops!

    And don't forget the MUSHROOM RICE!!! :)
  • groundhawg
    groundhawg Posts: 121 Member
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    .... and after reading this I desperately need to go for Indian food. Sigh, too bad its two hours away! *angry first at rural community*


    Also, dont be afraid to throw out your left overs! Eat half of your plate, or until you are full, and dont feel that you have to bring the rest back with you. It isnt wasteful to get rid of it, its wasteful fo them to give us so much more than we need.

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