help, i don't want to go off track!! need nutritional advice for a dinner!!

I have to attend a dinner for a friend's birthday that has a fixed price menu. Each course has two options, but I don't know what to choose! I"m trying desperately hard to tell myself to pick something healthy instead of abandoning everything and saying "it's a party, why not?" I really want to have a healthy lifestyle party or no party. I've listed the menu below....can anyone who knows nutrition tell me which one of the two options I should pick for each course? That way I can arrive to dinner prepared. Thank you thank you so much....this means a lot to me!!

Appetizer:
-Native Corn Bisque, Hot and Sweet Roasted Peppers (Smoked Wild Texas White Shrimp)
- Salad of Baby Lettuces, Watermelon, Vermont Chevre (Muscat Vinaigrette)

Entree
- Char-Grilled Brandt Farm "All Natural" Skirt Steak (Red Bliss Puree, Arugula, Wod Roasted Shiitake, Shaved Manchego, Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette)
- Peppered Linguini with Seared Sea Scallops and Maine Crabmeat (Zuchchinim, Smoked Tomato, Scallop Cream)

Dessert
-Summer Berry Pudding (Marscarpone, Crispy Crumbs)
- Dark Chocolate Cake (Coffee Chicory Ice Cream, Candied Orange Zest)

p.s. I don't bar off anythign like "meat is bad" or "carbs are bad" so please give advice just nutrition wise....thanks again!

Thu. Aug 9, 10:02am

I'd choose the following:

Salad over bisque (soups are often loaded with sodium, and bisques generally aren't lite. Not to mention it's about 100 degrees where I am and hot soup is the last thing I want!)

Flank steak over pasta with cream sauce (there was a recent article on a seared scallop salad at a restuarant that came in over 1200 calories and half the dish was comprised of greens! Can you imagine the damage of pasta and cream sauce, especially when serving sizes are often way more than one person needs?)

I'd pass on the dessert, but if you don't want to do that, pick either one and take just a few bites and then push it far, far away from you!

Go in with mindset that you aren't going to over eat - end of story
Decide, too, what if anything you're going to drink (alcohol makes it easier to abandon the best of plans.)
Drink water between each entree.
Eat 1/2 the steak (just b/c it's in front of you does't mean you have to finish it)
Put your napkin over your dessert after a few bites and mush it down - it helps you to resist taking 'just one more bite.'
And consider how you've felt in the past when you 'gave in' - does it ever feel as good as when you make a plan, stick to it, and get through an evening without eating too much?

That's what I would do! HTH! Let us know what you end up doing!

Thursday, August 09, 2007, 10:25 AM

I totally agree with the last poster. that is a perfect plan and stick to it to the T.

Thursday, August 09, 2007, 10:30 AM

APPETIZER: Bisque will most likely have heavy cream in it (you can ask) so go for the salad--don't eat the goat cheese if you want to save calories.

ENTREE This is a tough one. These are both pretty heavy dishes. Scallops are better for you, but not in a cream sauce with pasta. I'd probably go with the skirt steak and not eat the pureed potatoes (they will be full of cream and/or butter) - or just have a bit. And remember, a restaurant serving for steak is usually 2 or 3 times a regular portion of 3-4oz.

DESSERT
If you're going to have dessert, I'd say pick whichever one you'd enjoy most, and if it's not tasty enough, don't waste the calories. The berry pudding might be a bit better for you - we can pretend that you'll get some protein from the marscarpone....?

You know, it's fine to have a splurge meal once in a while. Can you get an extra workout in today before dinner?

Thursday, August 09, 2007, 10:33 AM

Yup, bisque's are always made with heavy cream so stick with the salad, the vermont chevre is a soft goat cheese and is not full of fat, an ounce has like 5 grams. I would go with the steak over the linguini, unless you can ask to not have the cream sauce and maybe just a bit of olive oil. The dessert would be a toss up, if you can stop eating after a few bites I'd say get either one but if you can't maybe skip it. Or you can have one and workout in the morning for an extra 45 min.

Thursday, August 09, 2007, 12:12 PM

This depends on whether you can do it but...

I would just order what I want, and eat a small amount of each course -- not everything on the plate! Eat 1/3 c. of the bisque, if that's what you want, and then STOP. Eat a bite or 2 of dessert, savor it, and then STOP. Excluding foods has never worked for me; it's all about the amount.

Thursday, August 09, 2007, 12:20 PM

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