Lisa Lillien - Hungry Girl - Recipes and Survival Strategies for Guilt-Free Eating in the Real World

Start your meal off with an appetizer that takes a while to eat. Try edamame (salted soybeans still in the pod), hot soup, or slippery seaweed salad. You'll fill up slowly and be less likely to shovel sushi in your face the second it arrives.

Save calories by asking your sushi chef to go easy on the rice. Save calories (and fat) by asking the chef to go easy on the mayo in your spicy rolls.

Slow down your eating by upping the spice factor. Mix a generous portion of that hot wasabi into your soy sauce and it'll be tough to overeat before the fullness factor kicks in.

Befriend your sushi chef! It'll make it easier to custom-order your «light-on-the-rice, no-mayo, extra-crab» California roll. Who knows—he might even name a roll after you!

handy-dandy chinese food survival guide
Break out the chopsticks and break open the fortune cookies. It's time for Chinese food.

Hungry Girl Hints
Master mealtime, whether takeout or tableside. .

Stick With It —hate to use chopsticks because you have trouble eating with them? that's exactly why you should use these tricky sticks. fiddling with them will force you to eat slowly.

Get Steamy—order your dishes steamed, with sauce on the side. then dip, don't pour!

Veggie Victory —a chinese restaurant is one place you can always count on for delicious freshly steamed veggies—without even a drop of fatty oil or butter. take advantage and order a side of 'em in place of rice.

Brown Is Better—if you're going to eat rice, make it brown—not white. brown rice is an excellent source of dietary fiber. white rice is an excellent source of empty calories.

HG SHOCKER!
If your dish is swimming in thick sauce, just that gooey stuff alone will account for 200 to 300 calories and 5 to 20 grams of fat in your meal! Do yourself a favor—order it on the side, and use sparingly!
Best Bets!

These low-calorie dishes rate high with us. .
Steamed Veggie Dumplings (300 calories and 8g fat)
Buddha's Feast (200 calories and 1.5g fat)
Moo Goo Gai Pan (400 calories and 10g fat)
Steamed Shrimp and Broccoli (200 calories and 2.5g fat)
Nutritional information based on averages for typical serving sizes.

Shocking Stats!
Just how horrendous and fatty is typical Chinese food?

Kung Pao Pork can have up to 700 calories and 53 grams of fat per serving!

Even the side dishes are loaded! One large egg roll has about 350 calories and 15 grams of fat, and fried rice can contain up to 500 calories and 20 grams of fat per serving.

The biggest offenders of all? Egg Foo Yung and Sweet and Sour Duck. Each can easily exceed 1,000 calories and 80 grams of fat per order! Yuck!

Chinese Food Dos and Don'ts. .
DOkick off your chinese chowfest with a little soup. the average small serving of egg drop, wonton, or hot and sour soup will only add about 100 calories to your meal, and it'll help fill you up, too.

DON'Tindulge in those fried chow mein noodles or wonton crisps restaurants serve by the basket. they add tons of fat and calories to an otherwise healthy meal. ask your waiter not to bring any to the table or just place them out of reach on the other side.

DOavoid dishes that are breaded, fried, or coated in flour. that stuff does more than weigh down your plate. it'll weigh you down, too!

DON'Tthink all veggies are your friends. broccoli trees are really good at sucking up and holding on to oil and fatty sauces. eeeks (stupid trees)!

Chew the Right Thing!
BITE IT!with just 25 fat-free calories, a fortune cookie is an awesome way to end your meal. and feel free to eat those orange segments many restaurants serve up, too. your entire chinese dessert will have less than 60 calories and practically no fat at all!

FIGHT IT!those crazy almond cookies have about 85 calories and 5 grams of fat. they don't even taste that good. and have you seen that horrific oil spot those cookies leave on anything they touch? gross!

mini italian food survival guide
You CAN survive a trip to your favorite Italian restaurant. Here's how. .

Dos and Don'ts of Dining Italia
DOstart your meal off with a salad (light italian dressing or oil and vinegar on the side) or some minestrone soup.

DON'Tbe afraid to request any of the seafood and poultry options grilled dry, with a heaping side of veggies. then season those vegetables with a splash of lemon juice or balsamic vinegar, or dip 'em in a side of marinara.

DOeat bread or pasta, just not both. In Italy, it is a no-no to eat bread and pasta at the same time. Just skip the butter (who needs it when you have warm crusty Italian bread!), and stick with tomato-based sauce on your noodles.

DON'Torder fish topped with cheese. nix the cheese and you'll save calories and fat grams. DOenjoy a bowl of fresh berries instead of some crazy, too-rich dessert.

DON'Tclear your plate. it's okay to take some home with you to enjoy the next day.