Italian
Diet - Meal Planner
Mama Mia - that's a one a spicy a pizza-ria! Pizza?
While on diet? I thought that was tabu.
Nah - the chief reason that most diet guru's blow
pizza off their Diet Menus with their cheesy little
blow guns, is because most dieters can't
stick to one slice or two - including those weight loss
gurus (most of who, have never experienced a FAT DAY
in their life!). It's a bit like eating those
Lays Potato chips - you just can't eat one.
Think about the ingredients: bread,
a bit of cornmeal under the crust, tomato sauce, fresh
veggies, meats and cheese. The cheese is the Hefty
Culprit, as well as meats that don't lean
on the lean side. And of course, if you are Carb-dieting
it, then there's that scary white bread i.e., the crust.
When it's all said and done at the end
of the Diet Day, one slice of pizza and 1 side salad
contain about the same number of calories as most 'healthy-labeled'
frozen diet meals. The average slice of pizza
runs at about 275-350 calories while a side salad of
lettuce, tomato, cucumber and carrots is basically
a combination of what can be tagged as 'free foods'
in the Diet World. Just watch the dressing, croutons
and any added cheese.
Here are some savvy meal planning tips
for Italian dining:
1.
When dining out, request a singing waiter. Generally,
that's a guarantee to killing your appetite. On
the other hand, if the singer is great, then focus on
that rather than your plate.
2. Order a side salad with dressing
on the side. This will help fill up that empty hole
before the fatted Italian calf arrives.
3. Order water with a wedge of lemon
OR unsweetened tea OR diet soda.
4. One cup of most pasta contains about
200 calories, so go easy on the pasta.
5. When ordering pasta, opt for tomato-based
sauces rather than the creamy ones. You'll
save 3/4 or more in calories and fat.
6. Look for 'heart-healthy' options
on the menu. If you are on a calorie restricted
diet, 'low carb' is generally NOT low calorie.
7. Sad but so, depending on how the
restaurant prepares that sliver of cheesecake that you're
pondering ordering for dessert, it may contain more
than the calories you consumed during your meal. Opt
for a dessert coffee instead or better yet, fresh strawberries
with a tiny dollop of topping. Sorbet is also
a very diet-wise choice.
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