The Glycemic Index Diet for Dummies (57 page)

Choose an appetizer and side salad as your main meal.
The size of today's appetizers represents a more accurate portion size. Combining an appetizer with a side salad can make a satisfying meal.

Avoid specialty breads.
Choose whole-wheat bread over focaccia, baguettes, rolls, or other specialty breads. Whole-wheat bread has a lower glycemic load and a lower calorie level than many of the specialty breads out there.

Get your salad dressings, sauces, mayonnaise, and gravies on the side.
Doing so puts you in charge of the amount used, which makes for better calorie control.

Skip the extra cheese on anything you order.
If you can live without the extra cheese, you can save yourself more than 100 calories.

Avoid bread and chip baskets that come to your table before your meal begins.
Can't resist? Tell your server to skip bringing the basket to your table altogether.

Steer clear of burritos.
They're often very large, plus many restaurants use a sticky white rice that has a very high glycemic index. (Not to mention they give you way more than the ideal 1/3-cup portion.)

Choose lean meats.
These include chicken, turkey, and fish. Eating a turkey sandwich in place of a roast beef sandwich can save you 100 calories and 10 grams of saturated fat.

Hit the salad bar.
Doing so allows you to build up a healthy salad with vegetables, beans, and lean meats while avoiding any high-glycemic foods.

Go easy on stuffed entrees.
It's hard to know whether the stuffing has a higher glycemic load. Plus stuffed entrees, such as casseroles, are often loaded in fat and calories. One exception is tortellini and other stuffed pastas. These are typically lower-glycemic (unless of course you load them up with a heavy cream sauce).

Avoid "supersizing" combo meals.
Supersized meals may be an economic value, but they can add up to 2,000 calories for just one meal. That's more calories than most people should eat in an entire day.

Skip fried foods.
They just add unnecessary calories and fat.

Go for grilled vegetables, fruit, or salads as a side.
Doing so can help you save calories, lower your glycemic load, add important nutrients, and help you feel fuller for a longer period of time.

Share one dessert.
Splurging is fine, but most restaurant desserts are also as large as the entrees. Sharing a dessert is a good way to have your cake and not feel guilty about eating it too.