Choosing healthy menu items at Indian restaurants can be daunting, especially if you do not understand the language. However, Indian menu items can be healthy. Many of the items are made with rice, grains and vegetables. You can easily choose healthier options if you have a clear understanding or what to look for and what to avoid. By learning what to ask for and certain words to choose on an Indian menu you can avoid some of the higher fat and higher calorie items.
Step 1
Avoid the appetizer. Many of the appetizers available in Indian restaurants are fried. By skipping these dishes and moving on to the main course you will avoid considerable unnecessary calories and fat.
Step 2
Skip the dishes made with ghee. Ghee is a clarified butter used in many Indian foods, especially the fried foods. Oftentimes, a considerable amount of ghee is added to some dishes, which adds a large amount of fat and calories to your meal. Ask your waiter for dishes made without ghee or if the ghee can be replaced in a dish you desire.
Step 3
Choose healthier meats. If you are going to eat meat at an Indian restaurant select chicken or seafood dishes over beef or lamb. This will help decrease the amount of saturated fat and calories in your meal.
Step 4
Try Gobhi Matar Tamatar. Gobhi Matar Tamatar is a vegetarian-based dish that will provide you with a healthy amount of vegetables. The dish is comprised of cauliflower, peas and tomatoes.
Step 5
Avoid fried or fat-soaked breads. Many of the bread options at Indian restaurants have been fried or soaked in fat, such as chapatti, naan, kulcha and roti. Avoid these breads to reduce the fat and calories in your meal.
Step 6
Pick healthier breads. Pappadam is bread made from fiber-rich lentils. This bread is generally baked, which makes it a healthier option. However, be sure to ask how the bread is cooked before ordering it because it could be fried.
Step 7
Ask about the type of oil used in the dish you want. Many Indian dishes are made with coconut oil, which has a considerable amount of saturated fat. Eating too much saturated fat can raise your blood cholesterol. Therefore, it is important to ask if coconut oil is used in the dish and if it is, ask to have canola oil used instead.
Step 8
Pick items on the menu containing the word tandoori. Items named tandoori have been cooked in a tandoori oven. The tandoori oven cooks the foods at high temperatures in a way similar to a traditional Italian pizza oven.
Step 9
Select from the vegetarian menu items. Choose vegetarian entries made with lentils and beans. This will provide a rich amount of fiber. Also, find menu items made with green vegetables, such as spinach. Items with green vegetables usually contain the word saag.
Step 10
Choose healthier dessert options at Indian restaurants. Possible choices include khur, which is sweetened rice pudding, or fruit chutney. However, if you want to cut the calories in your meal even further, you might be best to avoid dessert altogether.
References
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Dining With an International Flair: Eating Healthy in Greek, Indian, and Japanese Restaurants; Jill Shuman, MS, RD, ELS; 2009
- Reader's Digest; How to Make Healthy Choices at Ethnic Restaurants;
- American Heart Association: Tips for Eating Indian Food
- Health Castle; Survival Guide to Eating Out at an Indian Restaurant; Linda Gassenheimer; Nov. 2007
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