Dining Hall Tips
Combine medium/high fat entrees with low-fat side dishes. For example:
- Combine cheese steaks, hamburgers, hot dogs, fried chicken or fish with rice, baked potato, baked beans, tossed salad, vegetables and/or fruit instead of fries or onion rings
- An Italian sub, ham and cheese or roast beef sandwich with pretzels (hard and soft), salad, rice, pasta, and fruit instead of potato chips
- Eat your eggs/omelet with whole grain breads, muffins, cereals, pancakes, waffles, and/or fruits instead of bacon, sausage and greasy home fries
- Replace high-fat condiments (regular cream cheese, butter, sour cream, mayonnaise, and salad dressings) with low/non-fat condiments
- Drink non-fat, 1% or 2% low-fat milk instead of whole milk
- Drink more nutrient dense beverages (milk, orange juice, grapefruit juice, apple juice and cranberry juice) and less "empty" calorie fruit punches, sweetened ice tea and soft drinks
- Dessert eaters try low-fat frozen yogurts, sherbet, fresh fruits, oatmeal cookies and muffins instead of high-fat desserts (ice cream, cakes, and cream filled and nut covered chocolate candies)
- Try to trim beef, pork, chicken, turkey, and fish of all visible fat (marbling, skin and bread coatings)
- Avoid cream and cheese sauces, soups, toppings and casseroles. Instead, select red/tomato sauces, soups and casseroles (marinara sauce over pasta, chicken and meats)
- Eat salads made with regular mayonnaise sparingly (egg, tuna, shrimp, and chicken salads). A serving of these salads made with regular mayonnaise may contain more than 50% fat calories
- Fill 2/3 of your breakfast, lunch and dinner plate with nutrient dense high CHO foods (fruits, vegetables, whole grain breads and cereals, rice, pasta and baked potatoes)
- Variety is key! Don't eat the same thing for each meal, each day. Try new, nutritious items in different combinations. You may be surprised by how many new and interesting meals you like!
