Comments on: Low Calorie Italian Food: What to Choose at an Italian Restaurant http://www.womenandweight.com/weight-management/weight-loss/low-calorie-italian-food-what-to-choose-at-an-italian-restaurant/ Healthy Low Calorie Diets, Low Calorie Diet Plans, Sample Menus, and more by a Nutritionist Tue, 07 Feb 2012 19:48:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Lori http://www.womenandweight.com/weight-management/weight-loss/low-calorie-italian-food-what-to-choose-at-an-italian-restaurant/comment-page-1/#comment-15061 Lori Tue, 05 Jul 2011 15:26:38 +0000 http://womenandweight.com/index.php/36/low-calorie-italian-food-what-to-choose-at-an-italian-restaurant#comment-15061 Emily, Pasta dishes can add up to a LOT of calories very quickly. An "average" woman on a maintenance diet only needs about 6 servings of breads, cereals, or grain foods (pasta) in an entire day. A serving is 1/2 cup cooked. Many pasta dishes served in restaurants can easily exceed 3 cups or more of cooked pasta. Calories for the whole dish can exceed 1,000 calories easily. (The nutrition information does not seem to be readily available for this restaurant so this is just a guess based on previous studies of the average restaurant in the U.S. This is beginning to change for the better thankfully!) If you want pasta I would ask for a carton for the extra right up front when you order. Then when your entree is served, gauge the amount that might be appropriate for you and your needs. Save aside 1/2 to 2/3 to take home before you even begin. Hope this helps, Lori Emily,

Pasta dishes can add up to a LOT of calories very quickly. An “average” woman on a maintenance diet only needs about 6 servings of breads, cereals, or grain foods (pasta) in an entire day. A serving is 1/2 cup cooked. Many pasta dishes served in restaurants can easily exceed 3 cups or more of cooked pasta. Calories for the whole dish can exceed 1,000 calories easily. (The nutrition information does not seem to be readily available for this restaurant so this is just a guess based on previous studies of the average restaurant in the U.S. This is beginning to change for the better thankfully!)

If you want pasta I would ask for a carton for the extra right up front when you order. Then when your entree is served, gauge the amount that might be appropriate for you and your needs. Save aside 1/2 to 2/3 to take home before you even begin.

Hope this helps,

Lori

]]> By: Emily http://www.womenandweight.com/weight-management/weight-loss/low-calorie-italian-food-what-to-choose-at-an-italian-restaurant/comment-page-1/#comment-15059 Emily Mon, 04 Jul 2011 22:39:38 +0000 http://womenandweight.com/index.php/36/low-calorie-italian-food-what-to-choose-at-an-italian-restaurant#comment-15059 Thanks for that. What about out of the Pastas? How many calories would you expect to be in the Spaghetti neopolitana? (they are very large servings!) Thanks so much! Thanks for that. What about out of the Pastas? How many calories would you expect to be in the Spaghetti neopolitana? (they are very large servings!)
Thanks so much!

]]> By: Lori http://www.womenandweight.com/weight-management/weight-loss/low-calorie-italian-food-what-to-choose-at-an-italian-restaurant/comment-page-1/#comment-15058 Lori Mon, 04 Jul 2011 21:18:27 +0000 http://womenandweight.com/index.php/36/low-calorie-italian-food-what-to-choose-at-an-italian-restaurant#comment-15058 Hi Emily, It looks like the Flounder and Vegetables might be a good choice. Be sure to ask how it is prepared. Can the fish be grilled or baked instead of breaded and/or fried? The same goes for the vegetables. Breaded and fried is not good. If a sauce is to be added to the vegetables ask for it to be on the side. A less expensive choice might be the Minestrone Soup with a bowl of vegetables. Enjoy! Lori Hi Emily,

It looks like the Flounder and Vegetables might be a good choice. Be sure to ask how it is prepared. Can the fish be grilled or baked instead of breaded and/or fried? The same goes for the vegetables. Breaded and fried is not good. If a sauce is to be added to the vegetables ask for it to be on the side.

A less expensive choice might be the Minestrone Soup with a bowl of vegetables.

Enjoy!

Lori

]]> By: Emily http://www.womenandweight.com/weight-management/weight-loss/low-calorie-italian-food-what-to-choose-at-an-italian-restaurant/comment-page-1/#comment-15057 Emily Mon, 04 Jul 2011 11:27:40 +0000 http://womenandweight.com/index.php/36/low-calorie-italian-food-what-to-choose-at-an-italian-restaurant#comment-15057 Thanks very much. What is the best choice out of this restaurant?http://www.sofiafrankston.com.au/menu_salads.php I'm going out tomorrow and I would like an informed choice. Thanks and I can't choose and salad! Thanks very much. What is the best choice out of this restaurant?http://www.sofiafrankston.com.au/menu_salads.php
I’m going out tomorrow and I would like an informed choice. Thanks and I can’t choose and salad!

]]> By: Lori http://www.womenandweight.com/weight-management/weight-loss/low-calorie-italian-food-what-to-choose-at-an-italian-restaurant/comment-page-1/#comment-14686 Lori Thu, 18 Nov 2010 21:24:13 +0000 http://womenandweight.com/index.php/36/low-calorie-italian-food-what-to-choose-at-an-italian-restaurant#comment-14686 Hi Donna, Wow! The Italian restaurant you will be going to sounds like it has some fabulous food. However, my guess is that the calorie counts for most of the items on the list will be high! If I were going I would choose the Salmon Lustrato. (An 8 oz. filet of salmon broiled in a honey maple glaze served with zucchini, summer squash, sweet red peppers, and rice pilaf.) Even with this dish you will have to use your judgement with respect to what would be an appropriate portion size. An 8 oz serving of fish is a clue that the entree may be oversized (as the other entrees seem to be also). Salmon is a lean protein source. Even so, 8 oz. would give you over 400 calories just for the fish! 2-4 oz. for a portion is plenty on a low calorie diet! If your goal is to have say 400 calories or less for the entree alone, my guess is that you will want to take home half the meal to eat later. Another selection I might consider is the House Salad. Baby arugula, radicchio, red oak leaf, mustard greens, grape tomatoes, imported Italian cheeses, black olives, red onions, cucumbers, dried cranberries, Mandarin oranges and walnuts. But go easy on the cheese (again portion size) and use any dressing sparingly! Hope this helps. Do enjoy your meal! Lori Hi Donna,

Wow! The Italian restaurant you will be going to sounds like it has some fabulous food. However, my guess is that the calorie counts for most of the items on the list will be high!

If I were going I would choose the Salmon Lustrato. (An 8 oz. filet of salmon broiled in a honey maple glaze served with zucchini, summer squash, sweet red peppers, and rice pilaf.)

Even with this dish you will have to use your judgement with respect to what would be an appropriate portion size. An 8 oz serving of fish is a clue that the entree may be oversized (as the other entrees seem to be also). Salmon is a lean protein source. Even so, 8 oz. would give you over 400 calories just for the fish! 2-4 oz. for a portion is plenty on a low calorie diet!

If your goal is to have say 400 calories or less for the entree alone, my guess is that you will want to take home half the meal to eat later.

Another selection I might consider is the House Salad.

Baby arugula, radicchio, red oak leaf, mustard greens, grape tomatoes, imported Italian cheeses, black olives, red onions, cucumbers, dried cranberries, Mandarin oranges and walnuts.

But go easy on the cheese (again portion size) and use any dressing sparingly!

Hope this helps. Do enjoy your meal!

Lori

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