The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies - Meri Raffetto [72]
For those weekly convenience meals, select simple, healthy choices. (I share different low-glycemic food choices for a variety of cuisine types later in this chapter.)
Also, consider evaluating how frequently you eat out. Even though you may be making healthier selections when you dine out, keep in mind that you don't always know or have control over how the food is prepared. How much oil was added to the pan before cooking? How much cheese was used? Did they really leave off the butter on your steamed broccoli? Because of these unknowns, people still typically consume more calories, fat grams, and sodium when they dine out than their bodies really need. Eating at home or preparing your own on-the-go meal isn't always feasible, but making the effort by cutting back on how frequently you dine out can do a lot for weight loss.
Requesting low-glycemic substitutions
It's possible to follow your low-glycemic lifestyle and find choices in restaurants by asking for a few (sometimes creative) modifications. Maybe you see that the restaurant serves a lower-glycemic brown rice with one dish but a higher-glycemic potato with the dish you want. Asking the wait staff whether you can make replacements is not only perfectly okay but also a simple way to work your way through a menu.
Asking for replacements is generally no problem as long as your request seems reasonable and you're approaching it in a friendly manner.
For a pleasant low-glycemic substitution experience on your next restaurant visit, just keep these tidbits in mind:
If you don't see an item on the menu, the restaurant probably doesn't have it. You can always ask for the item anyway, but don't expect the restaurant to provide you something it doesn't carry.
Some menu options are prepared in advance, meaning they're already mixed together. Again, asking is okay so long as you realize that the restaurant may have certain limitations. For instance, it may not be able to replace white rice with brown in your chicken gumbo.
Being extrafriendly goes a long way. Complimenting the chef and getting to know the servers means they may be more willing to go the extra mile for you the next time you come in.
For the most part, making simple substitutions isn't a big deal. The low-glycemic diet allows you a lot more flexibility than other diet protocols.
Tricks o' the trade: Calling ahead and making friends
You've probably asked for simple substitutions with your restaurant meals in the past, but how far can you go? If you have a friendly rather than demanding approach, a restaurant's staff is often willing to go the extra mile for you. One of my good friends follows a fairly low-glycemic diet; she also has many food intolerances and allergies. I've seen firsthand (in amazement, I might add) the creative and wonderful foods that she gets when we go out to eat. Her trick? She calls ahead to talk to the manager or chef about the menu options.
She starts the conversation by letting the manager or chef know all the wonderful things she's heard about his restaurant and how she's looking forward to trying it out. Then she lets him know that she has some diet limitations and asks whether there's anything he can do for her. Most of the time the manager or chef comes up with a variation of a menu item that works for her. Sometimes she even receives something completely special — almost like a challenge for the chef. My friend lets the restaurant staff know the time and date she'll be dining there and then wow! I've seen her receive amazing entrees that the chefs cook up special just for her.
You're welcome to try this tactic, which is especially handy if you live in a small area with a limited number of restaurants. I can't guarantee every restaurant manager and chef will be receptive, but more