Foods

I'm going out to an italian restaurant tomorrow for lunch. Even though I love pasta, I understand that ordering a plate of pasta would probably run me over 1000 calories. So, after looking through the menu, I narrowed down my choices to 2 possibilities. Wanted to get your oppinion on wich one you think would be the healthier option and which one would have less calories?

Option 1:

Cold platter served on a bed of spring mix with fresh vegetable. I can either add Veggie (Hummus, baba ghanouj, roasted perppers, grilled portobello, grape leaves, falafel mix with fresh vegetables) - This is the one that I prefer. Or I can add Chichen or Shrimp.

Option 2:

Grilled Shrimp over spinach topped with fresh diced toato and scallion in olive oil and lemon sauce served with fresh vegetables.

Hope someone can advise me :)

Do you have the nutrition info for them?  The lemon sauce may be suprisingly high in calories, depending on how it's made.

No I don't. I can find it anywhere.

Option 2 sounds amazing but I agree with erk that the lemon sauce could wind up being very high in calories.  I think I would go with Option 1 and get it with chicken if I'm in need of protein and the veggies if my plan for dinner or snack is going to give me sufficient protein for the day.

Yes, Option 2 does sound amazing. This will be a tough one.

try www.thedailyplate.com  this website has lots of restaurant type dishes listed.  Maybe you can get a feel for the nutritional value to help you decide.

thanks a lot. I'll try the link.

both sound good, you can always ask for the sauce on the side.  Falafel/hummus can be high cal too if its made witha lot of oils

Mm. I also think two sounds tasty but the lemon sauce is a question mark. Lemon sauce could be... lemon dill, lemon butter... lemon garlic... yeah. It all depends.

Personally, I would opt for two and ask for sauce on the side, not on the prawns (shrimp).

that's a great idea to ask for the shrimp on the side.

Thanks everyone

Option 1 with the veggies sounds awesome, but it could be super oily...roasted peppers and mushrooms are often marinated in oil...and grape leaves almost always are.  Sounds awesome, though!!

Either way, I hope you enjoy.  I know eating out can be hard when you're counting calories, and I hope you don't stress out and can enjoy your dinner.

 I f you go out to any restaurant, I always order what I want and only eat half and ask for a doggy bag before I eat anything..because most dinner servings are two serving that you should eat...and I save the rest for later for my next meal or lunch...I got the advice from my doc...hope you enjoy!

Thanks, that's great advice. So, I decided to go with the shrimp and just maybe eat half of the dish.

ok, so i know you have already gone, but next time see if they have a website.

Olive garden is a popular italian restraunt here, and they have their nutrition on their website. Their angelhair marinara is only 700 calories and super filling. To splurge, the breadsticks are 150 each. I left with 850 calories downed and a belly full!

Just sayin'.