Finding the Art of Nutrition: A Guest Post

Hello everyone!  I have a wonderful guest poster for Dining By Numbers today: Dani, Health & Nutrition Counselor and Fitness Trainer, and blogger at Dani Spies.  Dani is sharing her very wise tips for finding “the art of nutrition,” in those instances when science isn’t present (i.e. when you are unable to dine by numbers).  There is some great food for thought here, so I’ll let Dani take it away.

How To Tap Into The Art Of Nutrition When The Science Is Nowhere To Be Found

If there is anything that I’ve learned in my lifelong studies of health and nutrition it’s that there is both a science and an art involved.

The science of nutrition entails the tangible, concrete facts. Things like micro and macro nutrients, carbs, proteins and fats, and of course, calories. These are topics that most of us are very familiar with.

The art, on the other hand, is a little less tangible, a lot more elusive and invites us to find comfort within ambiguity. The art asks us to let go of some of the scientific rules we hold in our minds and to tune into what is our bodies are asking for. The art asks us to let go of the need to control every calorie we consume and just kind of ride the wave.

I have found that it is somewhere in between the science and the art of nutrition that I have been able to reach my health goals all while finding balance and happiness in the journey!

Now, since Lara is our go-to girl when it comes to having the scientific nutritional info we need when we’re eating out, I thought I would approach eating out from the angle of “nutritional art”.

Here are a handful of tips you can use to practice your nutritional art skills the next time you find yourself out for a meal without the nutritional guidelines you might prefer to have.

Five Ways to Practice The Art of Nutrition When The Science Is Nowhere To Be Found:

1. Think ahead. Try to get in touch with what you are in the mood for before you even enter the restaurant. Often times we know exactly what our bodies want but end up being swayed by the sights and smells that surround us in the restaurant. We’ve all had that moment when we order the fries “just because they look good” and not because we really want them. Taking a moment to tune into your body before ordering is a great way to make a nutritious choice.

2. Go with the flow. Now I know this may seem like I am contradicting number one but sometimes when you go to a restaurant you really do want to order something just because it looks or sounds good and that’s okay too! I mean, how many times have you wanted the fries but wouldn’t let yourself order them because you know they aren’t “healthy” just to end up eating more food than you ever would have had you just ordered the fries in the first place! This, my friends, is why sometimes we need to just go with the flow.

3. Breathe. Taking a few deep breathes between bites or simply engaging in some good, juicy conversation can help us to slow down the pace at which we eat making it a lot easier for us to recognize when we have had enough and avoid the discomfort of overeating. Not to mention that oxygen literally helps to speed up our metabolism, so the next time you are eating out don’t forget to breathe!

4. Share. What’s more fun than sharing something you love with someone you love? And as we all know, restaurant portion sizes can be humongous these days! Try finding a dish that you and a friend both want to try and then rather than ordering two separate dishes you can split your newfound favorite and save a few bucks too.

5. Enjoy. It is nearly impossible to over eat when you are taking pleasure in the act of eating. Pleasure is all about feeling good. It’s about going slow, savoring and enjoying. Staying present with our bodies and our eating experience is a sure fire way to eat the right amount of food for our bodies and avoid the dreaded conundrum of over eating.

Hopefully you guys will find this tips helpful the next time you find yourself eating out without the help of nutritional guidelines!

Dani Spies is a Health & Nutrition Counselor, Mom, and Author & Host of DaniSpies.com. She is passionate about creating realistic nourishing meals for a healthy home and sharing them with others.

Restaurants Uncovered: Pasta Pomodoro

Despite hearing a lot about the casual Italian chain, Pasta Pomodoro, I had always been hesitant to visit, mainly because I have a hard time controlling my appetite around pasta.

A few weeks ago, I dined there for the first time and was very pleasantly surprised.  Not only did they have a varied and expansive menu, they have more than a handful of very healthy selections and post the calorie information right on their menus!

Check out this sampling from their dinner menu.

I was overwhelmed with healthy, calorie-friendly choices.

Ultimately I was in a pasta mood, so I went with the Healthy Chicken:

My not-so-calorie-conscious dining partner went with a more traditional route:

He was not deterred by the higher calorie count and enjoyed every bite.  I think this should serve as a good example to restaurants when posting calorie information: people will order what they want to eat, they just like to know what they’re eating!

Question of the Day

On pasta: wholegrain or traditional white?  I love it when restaurants offer wholegrain!

Restaurants Uncovered: BJ’s Restaurant Brewhouse

An alternative post title here would be:  “No Really, a Salad is Not Your Best Bet.”

I have previously written about BJ’s and their famous pizookie desserts.  Though I was disappointed in the way the nutritional guide was labeled for the “Pizookie Trio” serving sizes, I am still overall a very happy patron of BJ’s because they do provide this information to their diners.

Besides those delicious pizookies, BJ’s serves extremely tasty pizza, salads, burgers, and other typical “bar foods.”

After scouring the nutritional guide for nearly twenty minutes trying to decide what to order, I finally decided to start with an appetizer of Thai Shrimp Lettuce Wraps.  The entire order, pictured below, is just 272 calories (sans sauce), and I also presume it to be low-carb (if you’re into that sort of thing.)

Also low-carb would be the Chicken Lettuce Wraps, but for some reason, those are nearly double the calories at 492 for the order.

As far as a main entree, my first thought was to order a salad.  Hmm, how about the Honey-Crisp Chicken Salad?  Sounds good, but for 1,465 calories, I’ll pass.

Perhaps the Sesame Chicken Salad?  A lot lower, but still 950 calories.

When I was honest with myself, what I really wanted was pizza, and pizza was what I was going to get.

For only 576 calories, I ordered a Mini Vegetarian, and enjoyed every last bite.

After years of being nutritionally-conscious, I should know by now that restaurant salads are often the biggest calorie culprits.  All those additions and fun toppings can really add up! 

For me, this dining experience just reinforces how important it is to have an idea of the nutritional content of food at restaurants.  Sure, some days I’m still going to eat what I want regardless, but in this scenario, what I wanted was actually lower calorie!

Question of the Day

When was the last time nutrition facts at a restaurant surprised you?

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