You’re in a rush - no time to stop to eat a salad or wait in line for a sandwich. But you pass the pizza shop and see the slices ready to go. You have probably wondered at times - how bad is pizza? It turns out, not so bad - as long as you don’t get the slices loaded with pepperoni or sausage. An average slice of NYC style pizza has approximately 500 calories. The thinner crust slices would have less (I haven’t figures these calories exactly yet!).

For a woman watching her weight, I usually suggest a 400 calorie lunch. Go ahead and have your slice … if you can keep it to one! It wouldn’t be a bad idea to add a salad to help fill yourself up. Avoid the slices with pepperoni or sausage as they will add another 200 calories or so. If available, choose a whole wheat slice or one with vegetables.

For guys, I usually recommend a 500-600 calorie lunch.  Your best bet would be to try to stick to one slice with a salad. If you NEED to have 2 slices, just make the other meal a bit lighter.

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Everywhere city girls are planning when they will see the  Sex in the City movie. And of course, a pre or post movie party is a must. I met friends last night at The Smith in NYC (across the street from the movie theater)  for a pre- movie party.  I haven’t have a cosmo in years, but managed to get in the spirit of the movie with a cosmo in hand, as did my friends. (Pic is of city girl pre-movie party)

Guess who was there???  ESTHER!  I observed her  and must say,  I was extremely impressed with her eating and drinking. I have seen her in action in the past and it is not always so good!

The potential problems at pre-movie party:
1. Lots of tempting fattening goodies on the menu (pic is of Alba, event planner, eating fried hushpuppies with mayo sauce - trying to tempt Esther)

2. Getting caught up talking with friends and losing track of cocktail intake… one city girl (who shall remain nameless) was observed consuming 4 cosmo’s in 40 minutes (Pic is of Martha and Esther)3. Multiple appetizers were ordered instead of entrees. This can add up to more calories as you tend to pick more and forget about the quantity of food you are eating (versus ordering grilled fish and veggies where you know exactly what is on your plate)

How Esther handled the potiential problem situation:
1. She ordered her own tuna tartare appetizer and stayed away from the other tempting appetizers  (Pic is of Esther eating tuna tartare)

2. She did not stand right at the bar near the appetizers. Instead, she stood away from the food.

3. She spent more time talking to her friends instead of eating.

 4. She paced herself with the alcohol and enjoyed a vodka and soda and small martini. She also drank plenty of water.  (Pic is of city girls at the party)

So city girls, use some of Esther’s damage control tips at your Sex in the City movie party!

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When I went to Starbucks today to get my afternoon jolt, I noticed the calories listed on the menu. I think this is great! I wonder if it will really affect what people order. I have been taking an informal poll with my clients today to see if it would affect what would order. They all said yes… (maybe because they were talking to their nutritionist!)  One client told me “her friend” didn’t order the banana loaf in Starbucks based on the calories it contained. Another client told me she changed what she was going to order in Chipoltes based on the calories.

The other chain restaurants have until June 3 to post their calories. Working midtown, I’ll be waiting to see the calories posted on Hale and Hearty, Pax, Metro Cafe, Au Bon Pain, etc.

If anyone spots calories posted in their favorite lunch spots, let us know!

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Question from Hilkka: I’ve always been a fan of the steamed whole fish with veggies and/or sauce. It is usually a very nice presentation and the wait staff will de-bone in front of you. What are the calories in something like this?

Answer from Martha: That would be a great choice. I would assume they would give you 6 - 8 oz of edible fish. Depending upon the type of fish, it would contain about 35-45 calories per ounce. Adding 2 cups of steamed veggies are about 100 calories. The total caloric intake would be 345-415 calories. Great choice!

Other healthy choices in a Chinese Restaurant
I usually recommend steamed chicken, scallops or shrimp with steamed veggies when eating Chinese food. I was cravign something different the other night,  so I called my local Chinese restaurant  - Evergreen on First and 69th (BTW - great restaurant. They also have a fantastic dim sum brunch! ) so see if they could make steamed moo shoo chicken.  I didn’t think that they would make this dish steamed, however they did. It was actually quite good. The whole dish came to 500 calories including 2 T. hoisen sauce (70 calories), one pancake (100 calories) and the entire order of steamed moo shoo (325 calories). Quite a difference from the real dish of moo sho with one pancake - 1100 calories!  

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I posted this article about 9 months ago. However I’ve had so many questions recently from my clients on calories in Chinese food that I wanted to repost it so everyone would see it. Many of my clients trying to lose weight eat this cuisine on a regular basis. I think most of us know it isn’t the healthiest food around, but I think a lot of people don’t realize how bad it can actually be for your waistline… 

 Chinese food tastes so good … but is so fattening! Most dishes are high in calories and fat due to the amount of oil used in cooking. In addition, many of the vegetables soak up the oil like a sponge (especially eggplant). Many of the dishes contain over 800 calories - and this is before you add the rice. And do not let the fact that a particular dish is vegetarian fool you. Some of these dishes are the highest in calories!

The Center for Science in the Public Interest decided to see how fattening Chinese food really was. They bought food from multiple Chinese restaurants and had it analyzed at a lab.

Here are the Calories in Chinese Food:
Egg drop soup (one serving in restaurant) 100 calories for each soup
Hot & sour soup
Wonton soup
Little pack of fried noodles 150 calories

These figures do not include rice. Add 200 calories for each cup of white rice

Tips for surviving Chinese food:

• Obviously steamed protein and vegetable dishes are your best bet for 325 calories. Add a few Tablespoons of sauce on the side. If you need rice, try to limit it to 1/2 cup of brown rice. All for 445 calories.

• Not a bad idea to start the meal with a soup - no crispy noodles of course. Soup helps to fill you up. One bowl is 100 calories

• Some restaurants also have special diet menus (called Revolution Diet Meals) where the dishes are prepared in a sauce with soy sauce, broth, ginger, black beans or garlic AND no added oil or cornstarch. These dishes would be substantially lower in calories than the regular dishes maybe by 200-300 calories due to the limited anount of oil used in cooking. However steamed food would still be the lowest.

• Try to eat with chopsticks. Hard to shovel in rice with chopsticks.

• Order your dishes lightly stir-fried. Avoid battered, breaded and double fried.

• How about ordering one chicken with brocoli stir-fry dish (700 calories) and one dish with steamed shrimp and veggies. (325 caloires). You can mix the two to cut calories. You should then be getting 3 meals from these orders of food for a total of 330 calories per meal. You can add 1/2 cup (100 calories ) - 1 cup of rice (200 calories) to each portion. So these meals will total 430 - 530 calories for entree and rice.

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A city girls nightmare! Recent lab tests found very high levels of mercury in tuna sushi from 20 Manhattan stores and restaurants. Sushi from 5 of the 20 places had mercury levels so high that the Food and Drug Administration could take legal action to remove the fish from the market. This is bad news for me and for other city girls who love tuna. I am obsessed with seared tuna and tuna tartare - that’s what I would order 90% of the time if it were in the menu. The same goes for my favorite food - sushi.

The new study shows…
The New York Times purchased tuna samples from 20 stores / restaurant in Manhattan. There was so much mercury in the tuna samples from most of the restaurants, that a regular diet of 6 PIECES A WEEK would exceed the levels considered acceptable by the Environmental Protection Agency The places with tuna with the highest mercury content were from: Nobu Next Door, Sushi Seki, Sushi of Gari and Blue Ribbon Sushi and the food store Gourmet Garage. (Some of my favorite restaurants!).

The highest levels of mercury were found in bluefin tuna. The more expensive restaurants tend to serve bluefin tuna as it is a more expensive fish. Bluefin tuna, which is a larger fish, tends to accumulate more mercury from the fish it eats. Mercury enters the environment as an industrial pollutant. Other species of tuna, including yellow fin, tend to contain less mercury because they are smaller fish and would therefore eat less fish containing mercury.  However, it is almost impossible to tell what kind of tuna you are getting in a restaurant.

Previous warnings of mercury in canned tuna
In 2004, the FDA warned that pregnant women, women who might become pregnant and small children should limit their consumption of certain varieties of canned tuna because the mercury it contained might damage the developing nervous system. Fresh tuna was not included in the advisory. Most of the tuna sushi in the N.Y. Times samples contained far more mercury than is typically found in canned tuna. This new study is telling us we should all limit our intake of tuna.

Mercury and potential health problems
In addition to the dangers for small children and pregnant women, studies have suggested that mercury may also cause health problems for adults. The risks including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and neurological symptoms.

The new guidelines for tuna consumption
More studies need to be done before the EPA can set guidelines for eating tuna. However until that time, some experts are advising everyone to avoid bluefin tuna altogether. Other experts are recommending that we should not eat a meal of tuna with these high mercury levels more than once every three weeks. I would recommend that you choose other types of fish in a Japanese restaurant (or any restaurant for that matter).

I’ll need to follow my own advice… so far this week I’ve had an order of seared tuna, tuna tartare and 2 tuna rolls. Guess no more tuna for me for the rest of the month!

See this link for the full article by Marian Burros. The article talks details of the study, recommendations by health experts along with how the owners of the 5 restaurants with tuna with high levels of mercury will handle it.

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Calories in Japanese Food

I often recommend Japanese food to my clients watching their weight. There are several benefits to this cuisine, including no bread on the table, no tempting desserts and you know exactly what is in the sushi/sashimi unlike most other cuisines that add fat (unless of course you are eating tempura rolls!)

“How many calories are in sushi?” is one of the most common questions I get asked. Well here are your answers:

I calculated the following calories from weighing and measuring rolls and pieces of sashimi / sushi from various restaurants on the upper east side, including Haru, Sushi Hanna, Ko’s and Fusha. I also obtained calories from this website: http://www.sushifaq.com/sushi-calories.htm

Here is what I found:

• An average piece of sashimi is between 75 - 1 oz per piece
• An average piece of sushi is the same size but with 15-25 calories of rice added.
  My calculations are based on “average” sized rolls and pieces of sushi / sashimi. Add or subtract calories if you feel your restaurant serves very large or small portions
• Spicy sauce will add about 50 - 70 calories to a roll. Add more calories if there is a lot of sauce
• Avocado will add about 50 calories to a roll
• Salmon (55 calories per oz) and eel (65 calories per oz) are the two fattiest fish
• Adding “crunch” to a roll will add about 60 calories (for a small amount). Add more calories if really “crunchy”

Fish (based on 1 oz piece) Sushi  Sashimi

Calories

Tips to decrease your calorie intake in a Japanese restaurant:

• Try to order some of the items without rice (sashimi).
• Limit rolls that are fried (tempura) or have added sauce (i.e. spicy sauce)
• Keep in mind that some fish (salmon and eel) has 40% more calories than other fish (scallop, tuna, yellowtail)
• Start your meal with miso soup. It contains only 50 calories and can help to make you feel more full
• Limit ordering jumbo special rolls such as Dynamite rolls

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Most of us eat lunch on the run, grabbing whatever is fast and convenient. Living in the city, there are many lunch choices available. It seems as if there is a different food store on each block. It can be difficult to know which choices are healthy and relatively low in calories as compared to the choices that are deceptively high in calories.

Here are a few quick tips to help you make the right choice:

Best choices (400 calories or less):

1. Turkey sandwich on whole grain bread with lettuce, tomato and mustard (375 calories)

2. Subway “Under 400″ sandwiches on 6″ whole grain bread  (300-400 calories)

3. Suishi (pick miso soup or small order of edamame), one regular sized roll and 3 pieces sashimi (~ 400 calories)

4. 1/2 sandwich and low calorie soup such as vegetable or gazpatcho (400 calories)

5. ”Pick your ingredients” small sized salad with lean protein such a shrimp, grilled chicken, plain tuna or turkey, vegetables, and one scoop of low calorie dressing  (375 calories)

6. Turkey burger, no roll, with a salad with light dressing (400 calories)

Worst Choices  (650 calories or more)

1. Gourmet wraps that include cheese, mayo, or other high fat sauces. For example: Au Bon chicken club on foccacio greens sandwich (830 calories), Au Bon Pain veggie muffalato sandwich (824 calories)

2. Paninis (~ 750 calories)

3. Tuna salad, egg salad or chicken salad sandwich (~ 650 calories and more)

4. Grilled chicken caesar salad (800-900 calories)

5. “Pick your ingredients” small sized salad with lean protein such a shrimp, grilled chicken, plain tuna or turkey, vegetables, and one of more of the following ingredients (olives, avocado, crispy noodles, cheese) AND regular salad dressing (700 calories or more)

6. Large cheeseburger with fries (over 1000 calories)

* If possible, check out websites for calorie information. Information is available for stores including Au Bon Pain, Cosi and Subway.

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I posted this article about 9 months ago. However I’ve had so many questions recently from my clients on calories in Chinese food that I wanted to repost it so everyone would see it. Many of my clients trying to lose weight eat this cuisine on a regular basis. I think most of us know it isn’t the healthiest food around, but I think a lot of people don’t realize how bad it can actually be for your waistline… 

 Chinese food tastes so good … but is so fattening! Most dishes are high in calories and fat due to the amount of oil used in cooking. In addition, many of the vegetables soak up the oil like a sponge (especially eggplant). Many of the dishes contain over 800 calories - and this is before you add the rice. And do not let the fact that a particular dish is vegetarian fool you. Some of these dishes are the highest in calories!

The Center for Science in the Public Interest decided to see how fattening Chinese food really was. They bought food from multiple Chinese restaurants and had it analyzed at a lab.

Here are the Calories in Chinese Food:
Egg drop soup (one serving in restaurant) 100 calories for each soup
Hot & sour soup
Wonton soup
Little pack of fried noodles 150 calories

These figures do not include rice. Add 200 calories for each cup of white rice

Tips for surviving Chinese food:

• Obviously steamed protein and vegetable dishes are your best bet for 325 calories. Add a few Tablespoons of sauce on the side. If you need rice, try to limit it to 1/2 cup of brown rice. All for 445 calories.

• Not a bad idea to start the meal with a soup - no crispy noodles of course. Soup helps to fill you up. One bowl is 100 calories

• Some restaurants also have special diet menus (called Revolution Diet Meals) where the dishes are prepared in a sauce with soy sauce, broth, ginger, black beans or garlic AND no added oil or cornstarch. These dishes would be substantially lower in calories than the regular dishes maybe by 200-300 calories due to the limited anount of oil used in cooking. However steamed food would still be the lowest.

• Try to eat with chopsticks. Hard to shovel in rice with chopsticks.

• Order your dishes lightly stir-fried. Avoid battered, breaded and double fried.

• How about ordering one chicken with brocoli stir-fry dish (700 calories) and one dish with steamed shrimp and veggies. (325 caloires). You can mix the two to cut calories. You should then be getting 3 meals from these orders of food for a total of 330 calories per meal. You can add 1/2 cup (100 calories ) - 1 cup of rice (200 calories) to each portion. So these meals will total 430 - 530 calories for entree and rice.

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One of my favorite times is dinner out the girls. Lots of wine, food and stories. Dieting is the last thing on your mind as you reach for another piece of bread. The wine is flowing freely as the stories get juicier. Baskets of bread are being consumed. Multiple appetizers are ordered. Entrees arrive (although you are already full from the appetizers). And then perhaps after dinner drinks and a dessert or two (or three) to share for the table. You can easily walk away having consumed over 1500 calories in this night out with the girls. So how can you deal with these nights out without having it wreak havoc with your diet?

Here are some tips to deal with dinner with the girls:

1. Limit alcohol. I know you have heard this a million times, but for most of us, the more you drink, the more you will eat. Drinking alcohol decreases our resolve to watch what we eat. In addition, it contains empty calories and can have an effect on what you eat the following day (hangover = craving for greasy food)

2. Do not go to the restaurant feeling too hungry. Again, I am sure you have heard this before - but going too many hours without eating will increase your chances of overeating at the next meal. This is even worse when you have to wait for your table and then even longer for the food to come. Eat a light snack an hour or two before dinner.

3. Talk more, eat less. The more you talk, the less you will eat. .Save some good stories to share with your friends.  It is difficult to eat and talk at the same time (it can be done - but not very attractive!).

4. Split several entrees between friends. This way you get to taste several dishes. Order fewer entrees than people. Restaurant portions tend to be too large for one person; especially if you have had appetizers.

5. Know yourself. Are you are all or nothing person? If so, it is probably not a great idea to even start with the bread or dessert. While there is nothing wrong with a piece of bread or forkful of dessert, this can “open the floodgates” for some people.

6. Eat slow. Let your friends eat more of the food. More calories for them, less for you. Make a point to be the slowest eater. Drink a lot of water in between bites of food. The food will be gone soon!

7. Do not let the bread basket sit in front of you. Subtly send it down to the other end of the table.

8. Skip the drinks before dinner. Often times, my friends gather at the bar for a martini while waiting for the table. This will only add calories and decrease your willpower for dinner. Make a late appearance or order club soda at the bar.

9. Steer your friends towards with restaurants with healthier choices or restaurants with smaller portions. While it is annoying to pay a lot of money for small portions, it is even more annoying to have your clothes get tight and have to buy new clothes in a larger size.  

10. Just order appetizers for the table and skip the entrees. Save money and calories.

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