RSVP for #kidsweigh child nutrition twitter conversation on August 4th.  The weekly sessions are led by @joannadolgoffmd, pediatrician and child obesity specialist.  This week’s topic: Is My Child At A Healthy Weight?  Learn how doctors decide if a child is overweight.  Bring your own child’s height and weight and find out if your child is in a healthy range.

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What comes to mind when you think of Italian food? Creamy foods, extra cheese, thick pizza, lasagna?  In America, Italian cooking is known for its large portions with lots of cheese and sauce.  Many dishes are not likely to be good for your health or your waistline.  Here are some lower calorie dishes and helpful hints to consider when eating at an Italian restaurant.  Bon Appetit!

Healthy Italian Dining:

Before heading to the restaurant:

• Whenever possible review the menu from your restaurant of choice BEFORE you head out. You can often find this information online.  Sometimes the calorie information will be available online.  PLAN, PLAN, PLAN!

For Starters:

• Start with a salad dressed with balsamic vinegar or fat-free salad dressing.  You can also consider using a light olive oil and vinegar dressing, although the oil does add extra calories (and colors!). Avoid creamy dressings which add a lot of fat and calories! Hold the croutons and cheese and go light on the olives.

• Substitute a bowl of minestrone soup for the fat laden appetizers.  Minestrone soup will fill will you up which means you’ll eat less of the main course.

• Order antipasto with extra chickpeas, kidney beans, lettuce, tomatoes, and other vegetables.  Ask them to hold the cheese and fatty meats, such as salami.  Enjoy the turkey and ham that may come with the order.

• Shrimp cocktail is a very healthy and delicious way to start your meal.

Entrees- General Advice:

• Split and share entrees:  Usually one order is enough for two people.  Try ordering one entrée and two sides of pasta and share with a friend.

• You don’t have to eat your entire entree. Most Italian restaurants are known for their huge portion sizes. Ask for a doggy bag early in the meal and prepare part of your meal to go, this will save yourself 500 calories or more!

• Avoid eating fried mozzarella sticks, deep-dish pizza, or lasagna.

Pasta:

• Request a half portion, side portion, or appetizer-sized portion and you’ll save hundreds of calories.

• If it’s available, choose healthy whole-wheat pasta for a more fiber-rich dish and pair it with a lean protein, like grilled chicken.

• Avoid dishes like manicotti and lasagna, where the calorie-dense cheeses will do you in.

• Order marinara sauce versus high-fat choices like alfredo, vodka, carbonara and bolognese.

• Consider pasta with tomato sauce and veggies .

• Avoid lasagna, manicotti, and stuffed shells.

Protein:

• Consider ordering a grilled chicken dish with a tomato based, non-cream sauce.

• Leave the cheese off of your Italian dishes altogether and you’ll cut a significant amount of fat and calories.

Vegetables:

• Add a vegetable to your meal instead of pasta to add heart healthy fiber which will keep you full.

• Order a side of lightly sautéed or steamed vegetables – try mixing with your pasta, this will add more fiber with less fat to keep you fuller longer.

Sauces:

• Pick a tomato-based sauce such as marinara, red clam or puttanesca.

• Avoid the following: Alfredo, carbonara, saltimbocca, primavera, parmigiana, lasagna, stuffed anything, and manicotti.  All signify heavy amounts of cream sauce.

Bread:

• Skip the garlic bread and bread basket or ask for the bread to be removed from the table.

Pizza:

Pizza can be surprisingly healthy if not loaded with fatty toppings, like pepperoni, sausage, and extra cheese. Ask for whole wheat crust, or thin-crust and pile on the veggies.

• If you want a meat topping, grilled chicken is a good option.
• Ask that your pizza be prepared with only half the typical amount of cheese.
• Limit yourself to one slice and order a green salad on the side.
• Add extra vegetables to your pizza including mushrooms, spinach, broccoli, and red peppers.

Dessert:

• When it comes to dessert, try a small portion of biscotti, fruit ice, or fresh fruit.
• If one person truly wants a dessert, suggest sharing one dessert for the whole table.
• Even better, pass on the tempting dessert offerings.

Watch Words:

The Big Tip!!!

Remember to eat as the Italians do – slowly.  They like to take their time with their food over several courses.  Not only does this make the dining experience more soothing and enjoyable, it helps you eat less and feel fuller!

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I was recently asked to speak to the Nassau County Legislature concerning the proposed “Calorie Count Posting” Bill.  Nassau County is considering the same law that New York City passed last summer.  The bill requires all restaurants with more than fifteen locations to post the calorie content of their offerings.  The posting must be the same size and in the same locations as the prices.

The restaurant industry is fighting the legislation, claiming that it is too large a burden to determine the calorie information.  They are also worried about future lawsuits if posted calorie counts happen to be off.  In fact, a representative from Outback Steakhouse spoke at the Legislature.

Obviously,  wholeheartedly support this legislation.  Read on for what I said to the Nassau County Legislature.  Then let me know what you think about the legislation.

As a pediatrician and child obesity specialist, I spend my days talking to overweight families.  I am constantly surprised at the lack of knowledge about calories and nutrition.  While it may seem obvious that certain foods have a lot of calories, most people are unaware of exactly how many calories they contain.

I recently saw a family with significant weight issues.  Mom weighed 360 pounds; Dad weighed 280 and their 11 year old son weighed 211.  The child was so overweight he couldn’t tie his own shoes because he couldn’t reach his feet.  He was ostracized in school and had no friends.  His parents didn’t understand why they weren’t losing weight since they were “dieting”.  Since both parents work, they often ate at fast food restaurants, such as McDonald’s and Burger King.  But they assured me that they were eating “healthy” by ordering salads.  After reviewing their salad choice, I informed them that each “healthy” salad contained almost 1,000 calories.  They were shocked.

There are many families in similar situations.  We are in the midst of an obesity epidemic.  Two out of every three adults in this country and one out of every three children are either overweight or obese and at risk for medical problems due to weight.  Nassau County is no exception.  According to the CDC, our children will be the first generation to die younger than its parents- all due to weight-related illnesses.  We must do something, anything, to stem the flow of this problem.

Studies show that in order to combat the obesity epidemic, we need to make major societal changes.   There is only so much parents can do when their kids are bombarded with super-sized portions and tempted with unhealthy foods.  Lack of education only adds to the problem.

Requiring fast food restaurants to post the calorie content of foods can only help.  Statistics show that when people know the amount of calories in their choices, they make better, healthier decisions.  A recent study showed that New York City residents are eating 52 fewer calories per meal since chain restaurants were required to post calorie counts.  And when you consider that the average American eats 1/3 of his meals at a restaurant, that number adds up to major calorie savings.  Another study conducted in February 2009, gauging reaction to New York City’s calorie labeling law, showed that of those who visited restaurants with posted information, 89% considered it a positive change — and 82% reported that nutritional information on menus had made an impact of their ordering.  Even better, forced disclosure could lead more restaurants to change their offerings. A report by New York City health officials noted that since menu-labeling went into effect last summer, some chains have lowered the calorie counts on certain items.

NY State spends more than $6 billion dollars a year on obesity-related illnesses.  And according to the CDC, obesity will soon overtake smoking as the leading cause of preventable death.  The New York City initiative is expected to prevent at least 30,000 new cases of diabetes over the next five years.  We in Nassau County need to do whatever we can to help our children.  The first step is to give them the necessary information to make healthy choices.  This proposed bill will do exactly that.  I urge you to consider our children when voting on this wonderful new legislation.  Thank you.

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