You’re out for dinner with friends, and decide to order the pasta pomodoro thinking it’s the healthier choice. I mean it’s only tomatoes and pasta! What could go wrong? Sadly a lot of restaurant’s can have misleading items on their menus where you can be trapped into eating something with more calories than a Big Mac from McDonalds.

The problem with most restaurants lies with portion size. Portion sizes on typical dishes are double, even quadruple the amount of food needed in a single meal. This is often attributed to plate size, as food looks most appetizing filling an entire plate. In comparison to small fast-food options, most restaurants have them beat in terms of size and caloric value; however the nutritional value may be better than a bun and patty with fries option at McDonalds. What you can do instead is ask for a smaller portion size, or ask for a plate to dish out items like pasta, so it’s less tempting to eat the entire plate.

What about salads? Ensure that what dressings and meat options are made/sautéed in. Sometimes a creamier dressing; such as Caesar, can up the caloric value on your dish.

If all else fails, ask the server for a caloric menu. Most restaurants require nutritional information to be available to the public, be it online or directly from the restaurant.

Pasta Pomodoro

Ingredients

  • 1, 16 ounce package angel hair pasta
  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • ½ onion, chopped
  • 4 clothes garlic minced
  • 2 cups roma (plum) tomatoes, diced
  • 2 TBS balsamic vinegar
  • 1, 10.75 ounce can low-sodium chicken (or vegetable) broth
  • Crushed red pepper to taste
  • Freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 TBS chopped fresh basil
  • ¼ grated parmesan cheese.

Directions

  • Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 minutes, or until al dente; drain
  • Pour olive oil in a large, deep skillet over high-heat. Sauté onions and garlic until lightly browned. Reduce heat to a medium-high add tomatoes, vinegar, and chicken broth; simmer for about 8 minutes
  • Stir in red pepper, black pepper, basil, and cooked pasta, tossing thoroughly with sauce. Simmer for about 5 or more minutes, and serve topped with grated cheese.

Nutrition Information

Servings: 4, Calories: 500, Total Fat: 18.3 g, Cholesterol: 6mg, Sodium 350mg, Total Carbs: 69.7g, Dietary Fiber: 5.4g, Protein: 16.2g

Black Bean Couscous Salad

Ingredients

  • 1 cup uncooked couscous
  • 1 ¼ cups chicken broth/vegetable broth
  • 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 TBS fresh lime juice
  • 1 Tsp red wine vinegar
  • ½ Tsp ground cumin
  • 8 onions, chopped
  • 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • 1 cup frozen corn kernels, thawed
  • 2 cans black beans, drained salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  • Bring broth to a boil in a 2 quart or larger sauce pan and stir in the couscous. Cover the pot and remove from heat. Let stand for 5 minutes
  • In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lime juice, vinegar, and cumin. Add green onions, red pepper, cilantro, corn, and beans. Toss to coat.
  • Fluff the couscous well, breaking up any chunks. Add to the bowl with the vegetables, and mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve at once or refrigerate until ready to serve.

Nutrition Information

Servings: 8, Calories: 255, Total Fat: 5.9g, Cholesterol: 1mg, Sodium 565mg, Total Carbs: 41.2g, Dietary Fiber: 9.7g, Protein: 10.4g