Restaurant Tips

Avoid unlucky number 7
Open the menu, and trace a large, imaginary "7" with your finger from edge to edge. Research shows that the average customer's eyes follow this path first upon opening a menu, says Brian Wansink, PhD, director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab in Ithaca, New York and author of Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think (Bantam, 2006). You'll usually find the items that yield the highest profit (food cost vs. menu price) along the 7 line. The better values will tend to be nearer the left-middle and lower-right corners of the menu.

Hold the butter 
Must raid the bread basket? Use olive oil, not butter. A University of Illinois study of 340 patrons in an Italian restaurant found that those diners who dipped their bread in olive oil ate an average 23 percent less bread than the butter users, and reported feeling full sooner. They escaped the bread basket with 50 fewer calories overall; olive-oil users ate an average of 264 calories in bread and oil, while butter spreaders consumed 319.

Start the right way
Stick with a classic appetizer: get the shrimp cocktail for 4PointsPlus values. (A quarter cup of cocktail sauce = 2PointsPlus values; 4 ounces of large shrimp is 2.)

Nix the prix fixe 
Ordering the three-course prix-fixe is just another way of super-sizing, says Bonnie Taub-Dix, a nutritionist in New York and spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association. The automatic addition of an appetizer and dessert adds PointsPlus® values and is harder to resist—after all, you've paid for them.

Keep greens lean
Salads are supposed to be good-for-you choices, right? Sometimes even the wrong dressing choice can multiply the PointsPlus value. When possible, order salad dressings and sauces on the side. Dip your fork in, instead of pouring it on, and you'll consume far less without noticing much of a difference in flavor. Here are some things you need to know about popular salad choices:

Cobb salad
It tastes great because it's loaded with bacon, dressing, egg yolks and blue cheese. At 11PointsPlusvalues in a 3-cup serving (and that's without the dressing!), you might as well go for the steak.

Caesar salad
Expect to find around 8-10 PointsPlus values in just a quarter cup of the caesar dressing alone — before the croutons or any other special extras. If the restaurant offers a low-fat caesar dressing on the side, order that with a plain salad.

Chef's salad 
There could be 1,000 calories in that festive bowl of cold cuts, says Taub-Dix. Depending on the types and quantity of meats and cheeses the restaurant uses, it could vary from 2PointsPlusvalues per cup to five times that with dressing.

Crispy-topped salads 
Adding Asian crispy noodles or crunchy croutons to your salad? Depending on where you're eating, they can add 2 PointsPlus values to your meal — and sometimes more.

Ace the Main Event
Redefine surf and turf 
Steamed fish and grilled chicken breast are the champs of sea and land, at 3 and 4 PointsPlusvalues respectively for a 4-ounce portion. But be careful: "'Grilled' can mean it was 'grilled' in a frying pan with oil," says Taub-Dix. Ask for it "grilled dry."

Roasted chicken surprise
"Very often I have seen chefs lift the skin and put butter or oil under it," says Taub-Dix. Chefs also put butter on steak to give it glaze. Ask them to refrain when you order.

Halve it your way
Cut your entrée in half as soon as it arrives and put it aside in a doggy bag. What's left on your plate will probably still be larger than a "standard" portion size.

Make it a spud light 
A plain baked potato has 5 to 6 PointsPlus values, depending on size. The blob of butter or sour cream it cries out for has twice that. Squeeze a lemon wedge or spoon salsa onto that tuber instead.

Have your just desserts
If you and your loved one traditionally like to close a restaurant meal with a shared dessert for the table, go for the sorbet.

The Skinny on... Bread

From doughy white slices to the crustiest artisanal loaf, here’s what to look for when buying the staff of life.

Article By: Debbie Koenig

• The Facts
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Who hasn’t heard that bread is fattening? Some people would have you believe that eating a slice is akin to downing an entire birthday cake, frosting and all. But in reality, if you stick to whole grains, bread can be downright healthy. Here’s a guide to navigating the bread aisle.

The whole-grain shebang
Whole grains — for example, wheat flour milled using the entire grain, which preserves all the fiber, vitamins and minerals — have multiple health benefits. According to the USDA, people who consume at least three servings of whole grains each day are at lower risk for diabetes and heart disease. And several studies have shown that diets high in whole grains are associated with lower body weight.

More Bread-Aisle Food for Thought

Whole white wheat 
If you (or your kids) don’t like the hearty taste of whole-grain breads, this option uses an albino variety of the grain, which is not only lighter in color but also milder in flavor. Double-check that you’re buyingwhole white wheat, though, or you may wind up with refined flour, which offers very little nutritional value.
Light breads
Choosing bread isn’t only about whole grains; carbs, protein, fat and fiber should be taken into account too. Light whole-grain breads can save calories while still offering fiber to keep you feeling satisfied, which is one reason why they're Weight Watchers Power Foods. A single slice of one brand’s 100-percent whole-wheat bread has aPointsPlus™value of 2, and you’ll get two slices of their light variety for the same number of PointsPlus values. Double the fun!
Organic breads 
More a question of overall health benefits than dietary ones. The ingredients are grown without pesticides, herbicides or fungicides, which may be beneficial to your body and the planet, but won’t make much difference nutritionally.

What to look for at the store
The supermarket bread aisle overflows with options. Our advice: Read packages carefully. Ingredients are listed in proportional order, so if the first item doesn’t begin with the word “whole,” beware. Even if it’s the second or third item, the amount may not be substantial.
Multigrain breads are trickier, since each individual grain is only a small portion of the recipe, but taken all together the whole-grain content may be superb. Other whole grains you might see include barley, brown rice, buckwheat, bulgur (cracked wheat), corn, millet, oats, rye and spelt. Ideally, you’re looking for 16 grams of whole grains in a serving — most bread that meets this level will mention it somewhere on the package. This advice works across the board for sliced bread, English muffins, bagels, wraps — you name it.
What to avoid
When you’re reading the label, steer clear of breads with predominantly “white flour,” “enriched white flour” or “wheat flour” — all three terms signify that the grain has been refined: stripped of the nutrient- and fiber-rich bran and germ. All you’re getting here is the starchy stuff, with none of the health benefits. Also look at what kind of fats are listed, and avoid trans fats (partially hydrogenated, vegetable oil shortening or hydrogenated vegetable oil). These are the fats that can increase your risk for heart disease. None of them are essential in bread-baking, so they’re easy to dodge.
At the bakery 
Without a package to read, it’s difficult to know for sure exactly what you’re getting with bakery bread. But there are some rules of thumb: Look for whole-wheat bread. Ask if you can pick up the loaf before buying, and if it’s lighter than air, don’t buy it. Generally speaking, the heftier the bread, the higher the whole-grain content. And don’t be afraid to ask questions! Bakers are often proud to discuss their product and will be more than happy to tout high-quality ingredients.