The last fast-food restaurant I took the kids to was Sonic, an eat-in-your-car drive-in kind of place. We were in Bloomington, I didn't want to get the sleeping baby out of the car, and I thought the novelty of the roller-skating car hops would be entertaining. (I was right about that one, by the way.)
The Sonic menu is pritnear devoid of light sandwich items, although there are some pitfalls there: sandwiches that look as though they might be more healthful (but probably aren't), and the possibility of getting a banana on the side, so that you can bask in its health halo while scarfing down your double cheeseburger topped with deep-fried jalapenos.
That got me thinking, though, about some options that exist at every restaurant, but which are not printed on the menu. In my mind's eye, these are printed in a sort of "Daily Specials" menu, up on the board next to the "Sides" and "Drinks" or possibly handed to you by the server along with the wine list.
DAILY SPECIALS
This Place Is So Fancy, They Even Have Fancy Water
I don't drink sparkling water on a regular basis, but it feels festive and indulgent to order it in a nice restaurant. Festive and indulgent enough to substitute for a glass of wine. Bottled water instead of soda gives a similar effect at non-fancy joints and convenience stores.
The Oil and Vinegar
Many restaurants leave this "dressing" off the menu, and many servers forget to list it when you ask "What dressings do you have?" so don't forget that you can ask if they have "just oil and vinegar" for your salad at any sit-down restaurant. You know what you're getting then. Salsa works too, if there's anything taco-like on the menu. And don't forget salsa or mustard as an alternative to anything that comes with a dip.
The Something Small
Here's a game: What's the smallest meal on the menu? It may be a bowl of soup, it may be buttered toast, or it may be an appetizer. Make a meal out of something that just isn't very big. Since you're here, it'll probably have plenty of calories, and hopefully you'll get something you enjoy. Don't worry about ordering extra food to make sure it's "balanced." It's just one meal, not a lifetime eating plan.
The Buy One Get One Free Option
Nothing small on the menu? Split something with a companion. 'Nuff said. Go ahead and get your own salad though.
The Hope They Don't Ask For I.D. Meal
Check the children's menu and (even better) the seniors menu. Portions are usually smaller, and if you were going to order a burger anyway, there's simply no excuse. Keep a straight face and you won't be carded. (If you are carded, offer to bribe tip your server).
The Virtual Plate
Building the one-plate habit? Restaurant plates too big? Ask for an extra salad plate and transfer your dinner onto it; toss what won't fit. Nothing to eat off of but a fast-food wrapper? Draw an imaginary (or real) circle on the wrapper, its diameter the length of a soda straw. Or fold the wrapper into a square as wide as the straw is long, and tuck in the corners. There's your plate. Toss what won't fit.
The Two Side Salads
A meal-size salad may seem like a good idea, but they're frequently piled high with more meat and cheese than you need. Side salads are plainer than meal- salads, and often two side salads cost less than a meal-size salad. This is a great option at many fast-food restaurants, if you remember that they probably give you far more dressing than you need. Add half a sandwich and you've got a very filling meal. Or, if the salads come with cheese on them, let that be your protein and enjoy as-is. (Nota bene: At McDonalds, side salads are on the dollar menu.)
The Glass of Milk
This is a kind of "something small," really. But whole milk is actually a great snack all by itself. A latte does the same thing, if you skip the sugar. But even chocolate milk's not so bad.
The High Maintenance
It is completely normal in the U. S. of A. to ask for small changes to the food presentation, like "dressing on the side," "hold the mayo," "no cheese," or "just don't bring me any of the hash browns, I don't want them." And even if the menu says NO SUBSTITUTIONS you may ask: "Is there a way I can just pay more, so I can have extra veggies and no rice?" I draw the line at ordering food that isn't on the menu, or issuing special cooking instructions (are they really equipped to steam the fish for your sandwich?!?); but your server will likely be glad to give you less food for more money.
The I'll-Have-What-She's-Having Add-on
Are you sorely, sorely tempted to have the fries or the deep-fried shrimp? Are you dining with other people? Skip ordering that stuff for yourself, get a salad or the Something Small, and then steal just a few tasty morsels from your family and friends. Practice saying this: "Hey, can I have a few of your french fries?" or "Let me have just a bite of your dessert" until it feels natural and normal. (Caution: This strategy can backfire if you have more than three children)
The Veggie-Habit Trainer
It's true that at many restaurants, the vegetable dishes, salads, and veggie sandwiches are every bit as high-calorie as the burgers and fries. But if you're working specially on the "eat more veggies" habit, and you're planning to eat your full meal here, it may be better for your habit to double down on veggies, even if you an't get them plain and they come soaked in butter or in coleslaw dressing that adds up to more calories than the potatoes or rice you're substituting them for. These calories, at least, are nutrient-rich rather than nutrient-poor.
The Deliberately Unbalanced Meal
When all the "sides" available are deep-fried, soaked in sauce, or concentrated in sugar, remember this: You can get fruits and veggies at home. Have a kid-sized sandwich or some plain protein now, all by itself, and "balance" it later in the day with a bag of frozen vegetables or something.
The Takeout Box
Order this on the side when the meal you really want only comes in "too big," i.e., almost any restaurant sandwich. It's ready to take half your meal or more as soon as it arrives, ready to be a most indulgent (and basically free) lunch the next day. (Note: A six-inch sub is not already a "half" sandwich. It is full size. The twelve-inch sandwich is two sandwiches.)
The I-Am-Not-A-Garbage-Disposal Special
No dining companions to share with? Leftovers will spoil in your car? Food still too big? Before you start eating, remove half your overlarge entree and throw it away immediately, or else mutilate it severely and hide it in a napkin. Remember, if you eat more than you ought to eat, you're still wasting the food.
The Cup of Coffee And A Water with Lemon, Please
Just because your kids need to eat now doesn't mean you do. Are you, in fact, not actually hungry? Did you have a pretty big and filling breakfast? Does this stuff not actually look very good anyway? Do you expect to be able to have something you like better, that's better for you, if you just wait a couple of hours until you get home or to the store? Then you will not die if you wait for something better. Practice this: "I'm still full from breakfast, I'm not hungry now." Order something nice to sip while you enjoy the company, or maybe the solitude. Note: Skip the sugar here or the strategy will totally backfire.
The Cappuccino For Dessert
A corollary to the last menu item: A cup of coffee or perhaps hot tea is a pleasant way to end a restaurant meal, especially if you're with others who will want dessert. Sugar and cream are appropriate after a full meal if you like those things. Hot chocolate is another choice to get you used to ordering hot drinks instead of a dessert.
To sum up, you can add these meal options to almost any meal anywhere you go. Print 'em up on a menu sheet if you like:
- Have nothing and eat later instead of now.
- Order something that's guaranteed to be small.
- Order just part of a balanced meal, trusting that the other part can be found later.
- Oil and vinegar or salsa instead of salad dressing.
- Mustard or salsa instead of the dip.
- Substitute more vegetables for the starchy side (even if it costs more)
- Order off the kids' or seniors' menu
- Get a takeout box and take the extra stuff home
- "Hold the stuff I don't want to eat" (even if it costs more)
- Make a virtual plate and toss the extra
- Wrap up half of it to take home
- Steal someone else's fries instead of ordering your own
- Hot drink for dessert
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