By Matt DeWolf and Cindy Tenner
WooFood.org

Summer is in full swing. From picnics to baseball games to meeting up with family and friends at restaurants, it is the time of year that people are gathering together to enjoy food. Oftentimes when eating outside of your own home, it is difficult to maintain a diet that will promote long-term health. It’s difficult, but not impossible, to eat sensibly while eating out. Eating out can be delicious and healthful if you’re smart about your food choices.

Consider portion sizes at restaurants. We all like to get value for our dining dollar, thus our wallets appreciate large portions more than our waistlines do. Our suggestion is to have half of your meal wrapped up before it is brought out. By doing so, you eat half of the calories and you have a meal for the next day ~ it’s like getting two meals for the price of one.

Another helpful tip is to scan the menu and look for items that are prepared in a healthful way. The words “grilled,” “broiled,” “steamed” or “raw” are usually good indicators of healthy dishes. Next, when looking over the menu, try to create a meal for yourself that has 50 percent fruits and vegetables. This can often be accomplished by specifying the type of sides that come with your meal, so ask what options are available. Summer is an ideal time to expand the repertoire of fruits and vegetables you eat. Many restaurants source their fruits and vegetables locally in the summer, so they are fresh and delicious. You may find watermelon in a salad or grilled peaches featured on a menu. Peas, green beans, corn and tomatoes are summer favorites for many people.

Now that your main entrée and side dishes are selected, consider getting dressing or sauces on the side to reduce the amount of sodium and calories in your food. Dressings on salad, gravy on meats and other toppings often contribute a surprising amount of calories that can be reduced simply by ordering them on the side and using them sparingly. Try dipping your fork into the dressing and then into your salad for each bite, rather than putting the whole serving of dressing directly on the food. It is surprising how much this small amount will enhance the food, yet allow it to retain its taste. With these adjustments, you can enjoy a delicious meal with family and friends while knowing that you are taking care of your well-being.

Now that you have created the perfect meal that combines taste and health, don’t ruin it with your drink! Think of fun drinks that do not add lots of calories, sugar or chemicals. Ask what options the restaurant has. Consider something like flavored seltzer or water with lemon, lime or some other fruit. If the restaurant is trendy it may have fruit-infused water. Or try the newest trend ~ water with a slice of cucumber.

To make it easier to eat delicious, healthful foods in restaurants, Worcester is lucky enough to have WooFood. WooFood is a certification program that was born from the idea that it is possible to combine great taste with healthful options ~ and that this should be easy in restaurants. When going into a WooFood-certified restaurant, you can expect to find ways to reduce portion sizes ~ either through the Dinner for Now Tomorrow’s Chow, where half of the meal is wrapped up before it gets brought out, or the availability of half-size options or small dishes. There are also options available that meet the WooFood standards, which include 50 percent fruits and/or vegetables, limited salt and a variety of other requirements. A key component to the WooFood certification is that the food must taste good. We have worked with the chefs to create meal items that incorporate all of the above and simplify the process for you, creating a great dining experience!

WooFood Certified restaurants include Garden Fresh, Sweet, Le Mirage, WooBerry, Museum Café at the Worcester Art Museum, the Flying Rhino, Coral Seafood, SAVOR at the DCU Center, Nu Café, and Café Manzi’s.

Paul Barber, owner of the Flying Rhino, summed up the value of WooFood: “We want our guests to enjoy their meals while staying healthy so they can continue to be active in our community for a long time.”

To learn more about WooFood, visit their website woofood.org.