While the days of counting carbs are far from over, nutritionists have found relying on limiting carbohydrates alone is not a healthy alternative to a balanced diet. Thanks to diets such as the South Beach Diet and the Mediterranean Diet, food enthusiasts have realized not only do they not need to restrict themselves from eating some of their favorite foods, but they have also rediscovered their favorite Italian foods- and their favorite Italian restaurants.
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But how easy is it to forgo all the decadent, creamy, and buttery fare? And even if we stick to the healthy stuff how easy is it to tell what foods have hidden calories, loads of sodium, and saturated fats?
The best defense to eating anything that might foil your diet, is understanding what is in your food.
The only thing worse than purposely sabotaging your nutritional goal is finding out what you thought was a healthy alternative was actually worse for your body than the obvious food offenders. While counting calories, fat, and fiber in the grocery store can be a challenge, the real difficulty lies in the food eaten in restaurants. The first step in saving your diet from destruction is to determine the usual suspects. Anything made with cream and butter is an obvious pitfall. Take the Macaroni Grill's dinner sized portion of Chicken Alfredo. It has over 1,100 calories, 81 grams of fat, and a whopping 1200 mg of sodium. You'd get the same amount of caloric intake from eating four bowls of Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice cream. And as for the sodium? You might as well put on your sweatpants, call out of work, and get comfortable. You're going to be bloated for at least a week.
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A healthy alternative is the Pollo Magro. This entre comes in at under 500 calories per serving. Unfortunately, the Macaroni Grill has only two heart-healthy items on their dinner entre menu and they do not list their nutritional information on their website. One of the worst offenders on their menu is probably their double macaroni and cheese, which weighs in at 1210 calories, 62 grams of fat and 3,250 mgs of sodium. Ouch. And this is marketed as an item that is "child-friendly?"
Restaurant macaroni and cheese should raise immediate red flags. If you are craving this yummy treat, opt for Annie's Homegrown Mac and Cheese. With only 400 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, and 560 mg of sodium, its tasty, cheesy, and it won't force you to wear your jeans two sizes larger for the next few days.
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Sizing it up next to their Chicken Castellina dinner entre, diners can save 515 calories and 41 grams of fat. Compared to the Macaroni Grill, Olive Garden hosts a variety of healthier options. The Macaroni Grill had only three items on their healthy menu, while Olive Garden has an entire menu devoted to healthy eating.
Finally, following a Mediterranean diet is not extremely difficult if you know the right questions to ask. First off, understanding the "language" of eating healthy is easier than learning Italian.
Find out how your food will be cooked.
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Remember, Italian food should be about enjoying yourself- not obsessing over calories. If you eat satisfying portions, understand what is in your food, and make conscious decisions, eating like an Italian doesn't have to mean condemning yourself to a lifetime of obesity.