Decoding restaurant menus – what options are truly ‘safe’ to eat

ONE of my favourite passions in life is eating out in good restaurants. But what should you choose from the menu if you want to keep your tummy trim? You should opt for vegetablebased soups or salads for your starter and protein with vegetables for your main course.

Your protein sources will be fish and meats, but, of course, not all fish and meat dishes are healthy! That butter sauce on your Dover sole is not good for you. As for beer-battered cod? Keep moving!

The healthiest choices are white fish such as ray, plaice, cod, monkfish, hake and swordfish. However, crab, prawns and lobster are not ideal. Though still a good source of protein, they are bottom feeders — which means that they scavenge at the bottom of the ocean, eating waste products that lie there.

While you should make an effort to avoid sauces, a small amount of tartare won’t do you any harm. If you can, however, ask your waiter for the fish to be served without salt. Chefs add it to everything!

With regards to meat — beef, chicken and turkey are best, as lamb and pork can be fatty. Don’t then smother it in creamy sauces like Stroganoff or masala, however. Instead, stick to tomato-based sauces. If you feel like pasta ask if the healthier gluten-free or wholegrain varieties are available. If not, then at least choose a lower-fat sauce such tomato and basil.

I was a vegetarian for several years and know that it can be hard when you don’t eat meat or fish. But do try tofu or eggs, which are a brilliant, non-fattening source of protein. CHINESE: Soups or prawns to start, curries for mains, no rice INDIAN: Start with chicken or fish tandoor and for mains choose spicy, non-creamy sauces FRENCH: Salads to start and steak for mains, hold the chips ITALIAN: Salads to start and for mains look for chicken, fish, or vegetables in tomato sauces MEXICAN: Soup to start and fajitas without the wraps for mains DESSERTS: Switch to ice cream and sorbet as these tend to be the healthiest on the menu. But if your dessert is your treat meal for the week, go for the dish with the best ingredients — if chocolate cake is your favourite, then go for the best chocolate cake money can buy. Remember, it is about the quality of the ingredients, not the calories. Yoghurt-based desserts — like panna cotta — are OK but avoid crème brûlée as there are serious calories hiding beneath t he scorched top. Astonishingly, a badly-chosen restaurant menu can contain as many as 2,000 calories so eat with caution. DRINKS: Always have a glass of water at the table beside your alcoholic drink. Take turns sipping between the two and you can half your alcohol consumption. Champagne is the best drink on the menu, as it is lower in calories. Ideally, steer clear of cider and beer. Wine and spirits are fine as they are low in calories. Remember that women cannot metabolise alcohol as well as men and that if you change suddenly from beer to wine and spirits, you will get drunk. That’s why for these 28 days, I say, bin the alcohol entirely. It will make a massive difference.