Who’s cooking tonight? Don’t roll your eyes.

We know how hectic life is – working late, after-school activities, trying to cram in a gym session, and catching up with friends, or better still, your spouse! Sometimes cooking at home just isn’t an option.

What you need to know is that there are healthy options when dining out. Many restaurants now offer delicious meals and menu items that are better for you. But it still takes a little bit of effort and a splash of willpower to construct a healthy meal away from home.

So what do you need to know, do and look for when dining out?

Let us break it down for you with our top ten tips:

• Search it. This is the information age! Look up the menu and decide what you want before you go. Lots of restaurants and fast food chains now have nutrition information on their websites.
• Look for clues. The menu may have “healthy” designations or symbols, or key words in the names of some items (like light, fresh, fit, vegetarian, skinny, and so on) which indicate they could be a better choice.
• Check it out. In select restaurants, look for the Heart-Check mark on the menu. It’s an easy way to spot healthier choices that meet the trusted nutrition standards of the American Heart Association.
• Use your words. Sure, nobody wants to be “that guy,” but it’s really OK to ask your server or even the chef about ingredients, preparation methods, or substitutions.
• Just say no. Resist the upsell and freebies. Yeah, we know the cocktails and appetizers can be tempting, but just remember they can add fat, sodium, sugar and calories – not to mention expense — that you don’t need. And while you’re at it, you don’t have to accept the “complimentary” bread and butter or chips and salsa!
• Color your plate. The kiddie crayons on the table aren’t the only way to add color to your meal! Look for colorful fruits and vegetables you can add as sides or substitutes for other ingredients in your dish.
• Have it your way. What do you do if you just can’t find a healthy option? Be bold, and see what’s possible! Combine side veggies or items from different dishes. Ask if they can prepare your food to order. This may not work in the drive-thru window, but most chefs at sit-down restaurants want to be able to satisfy their diners, so it’s worth a shot!
• Check your oil. Ask about butter, solid fats and cooking oils used in the kitchen, and request that healthier nontropical vegetable oils be used instead. Swap the bad fats for healthy ones your body actually needs!
• Keep it on the side. Request that butter, cheese, toppings, salad dressings, sauces and gravies be served on the side so you control how much you use. Look who’s in the driver’s seat now!
• You can half it all. If the portions are large, share an entrée or set aside half to take home before you start eating. Split “indulgences” like appetizers, fries and desserts. Don’t supersize it, rightsize it.

Here are some easy swaps that will help you make the healthy choice:

Be prepared when you go out to eat. Healthy choices can be found if you know what to look for and how to ask. Bon appetit!

Article copyright © 2016 American Heart Association.

https://healthyforgood.heart.org/Eat-smart/Articles/Dining-Out-Doesnt-Mean-Ditch-Your-Diet

Annette Gray, Leader Culinary Innovation and Research and Development Chef for Aramark.

For years, we at Aramark have been working on our commitment to health and wellness, with our team of 750 dietitians and our Healthy for Life® program in place. At the same time, the American Heart Association had been working on improving the cardiovascular health of all Americans and reducing deaths from cardiovascular diseases and stroke by 20 percent. In 2015, when we realized we shared common goals, we decided to team up and Healthy for Life 20 by 20 was born, our joint initiative to, by 2020, improve the health of all Americans by 20 percent.

How exactly do we plan to achieve this ambitious goal over five years? In addition to consumer education, community health programs and other efforts, a significant portion of our initiative involves healthy menu innovation to reduce calories, saturated fat and sodium levels while increasing fruits, vegetables and whole grains. Because we’re one of the largest food service providers in the U.S., these changes we’re making in our kitchen stand to impact 10 billion meals by 2020.

1. Sandwich bread swaps: To start, we completely overhauled our sandwich program to include more whole grain options. Most people don’t realize that sliced bread is a sneaky source of salt and some whole grain brands are actually higher in sodium than white breads. Our Product Development team asked consumers while our chefs conducted robust recipe testing to find the best options that would not compromise taste or increase overall sodium levels. This enabled us to keep quality paramount and our consumers satisfied. So when you’re shopping for bread, even whole grain types, check the nutrition labels for sodium content.
2. Healthy condiments hacks: We’re challenging the norm when it comes to everyday condiments, too. In some of our accounts, we’re switching from mayonnaise to Greek yogurt. This helps cut down on sodium, saturated fat, and calories, and it gives a little protein boost without impacting overall flavor. Another healthy condiment we’re incorporating is hummus. Most people probably think of this as a dip but this chickpea-based spread has a thick and creamy texture that has been well received on some of our vegetarian sandwich options and in some of our salad dressing recipes.
3. Staying in season: We’ve made great strides in keeping our produce seasonal as a way to keep our customers excited and we’re happy to say it’s worked. Fresh fruit and vegetables typically have more flavor when they’re in season. Think of sweet corn and strawberries in the summer and delicious, juicy oranges in the winter. Filling up on fruits and vegetables naturally helps displace more processed foods which are typically higher in sodium.
4. Plant-forward bowls: One of our greatest successes has been featuring whole grain bowls. Our bowl meals incorporate 50 percent whole grains, like farro, quinoa or brown rice and 50 percent vegetables, like Brussel sprouts, bell peppers, winter squash, mushrooms and more. Our grain bowls only have an average of 430 milligrams of sodium.
5. Small steps: One of the biggest lessons we’ve learned in enhancing with our menus is that you can’t go from zero to 100. For example, instead of completely removing sodium from our soups right away, or moving all the way to low sodium varieties that many people don’t enjoy, we make subtle changes by reducing the amount of sodium by 100 or 200 milligrams at a time – replacing sodium as we go with other flavorful ingredients like herbs and spices and even vegetables purees.https://sodiumbreakup.heart.org/healthy_menu_innovation_that_can_help_everyone_be_healthy_for_life?utm_source=SRI&utm_medium=Email&utm_term=HFGweekly&utm_content=Aramark&utm_campaign=SodiumBreakup

https://healthyforgood.heart.org/add-color

Baked Boneless Buffalo Strips