Dining Out the Steak House Edition
Who doesn’t like a nice juicy steak once in a while. Here are a few tips that can help:
1. Soup is always a good start– Avoid any soups with croutons or loaded with cream or cheese. No French onion or baked potato soup.
2. Another great start is a salad, ask for lots of vegetables. Ask for the dressing on the side and dip your fork in the dressing before each bite rather than pouring it on your salad. Avoid a Caesar salad or any creamy dressings.
3. As we said before avoid the bread basket!
4. Crab cocktail or shrimp cocktail are great appetizers.
5. Avoid fatty cuts of meat such as rib eye, T-bone, or porterhouse.
6. Order leaner cuts such as New York Strip, Sirloin, London broil, Filet Mignon, Round, Flank, Sirloin Tip or Tenderloin. Prime Rib has 100 calories per ounce whereas NY Strip and Sirloin have 40 calories per ounce so you can appreciate the differences.
7. Ask to have all visible fat trimmed off before it is cooked.
8. Remember portion size. Do not order king sized cuts. A serving size should fit in the palm of your hand. As always eat only half and take the rest home! A meat serving size is 3-4 ounces. So be very mindful of portion size. Forget the 16-ounce Porterhouse!
9. Avoid French fried, au gratin or scalloped potatoes. Stick with a baked potato. Ask if sweet potato is available. Remember portion size and hold the butter and/or sour cream. If you can do without it skip the starch all together and just have veggies.
10. Ask for steamed vegetables and avoid any fried veggies or any veggies with a cream sauce such as creamed spinach, which has 3xs the calories and fat.
11. When ordering sides, it is best to have them “naked” without anything added to them.
12. Avoid Béarnaise sauce, blue cheese or any other creamy, buttery sauce.
13. Even in a steak house you can still always find a delicious fish entrée.
Suggested Order: Crab cocktail, house salad with the dressing on the side, Filet mignon, side of sautéed spinach.
Enjoy!
Melissa