You’ve read all about the Do’s and Don’ts of ordering on a date like: Avoid pizza unless you want cheese hanging from your chin, skip out on anything with onions or garlic if you’re looking for a goodnight kiss, and stay away from soy sauce, as it will lower your sex drive.
But besides avoiding the typical dating pitfalls you’re still trying to keep your waistline slim. So whether you’re going out to dinner with the captain of the football team or a bunch of girl friends, it’s still date night!
The weekend rolls around and you’re looking forward to your weekly Sushi fix at the one and only Mei Wei. They’re notorious for their giant Scorpion Bowls and their delicious Hand Rolled Sushi. They may be hard to resist but some of these favorites are huge diet busters… so here’s what to do!
1. Start with a Low Cal Appetizer (Sorry, fried dumplings are not on this list!)
Some alternatives are:
Edamame: 100 calories
Miso Soup: 70-80 calories
Garden Salad with Ginger Dressing: 95 calories
House Seaweed Salad: 130 calories
2. Skip the Fried Sushi
Batter and frying such a delicious piece of fish takes away from the flavors and will add way more calories from fat than we want!
Just one order (6-8 pieces) of the Shrimp Tempura Roll packs ~508 calories, 20 grams of protein, 21 grams of fat, and 64 grams of carbohydrates.
3. Opt for a Roll with Higher Protein and Lower Fat
You can order a Tuna Roll for just 184 calories. This roll is 24 grams rich of protein. And only contains 2 grams of fat and 24 grams of carbohydrates.
This leaves you the option to order a second roll and still keep the total less than 400 calories. Add to your order an Avocado Roll for only 140 calories!
4. Order A la Carte
Nigiri or Sashimi are just pieces of fish on top of a small amount of rice. Salmon Nigiri is only 45 calories per piece with no fat! This option is super delicious if raw fish doesn’t give you the heebie jeebies.
5. Skip the Rice
Another favorite Japanese meal is the Hibachi Style Chicken that comes with fried rice and vegetables. Although this may seem like a healthy dish one plate is ~ 520 calories with 19 grams of fat, 59 grams of carbs, and 27 grams of protein. You can drastically lower the calorie content by simply asking to sub the rice for extra veggies!
You’re finished with dinner and you managed to stay on track with your diet but now it’s time for dessert...
And with Froyo World being one of the newest additions to UNH I’m sure we can all agree it ever so sweetly calls to us. So the key to navigating the Froyo scene is to keep it simple.
1. Grab the smaller sized cup and don’t fill it up all the way! They tempt you with the big sizes so you end up putting more in your cup than you can even finish… or should finish.
2. Choose a “Non-Fat” or “Sorbet” type. These flavors tend to be 90-110 calories for a ½ cup serving.
3. When it comes to adding toppings choose one of the many fruits for example strawberries, mango, or bananas.
4. If you’re looking for some crunch, top it with a sprinkle of healthy fats like coconut, almonds, or peanuts.
5. Add a few dark chocolate chips if it helps you resist adding candies, sauces, or syrups. By adding just a few it will satisfy your chocolate craving and won’t drastically increase the calorie content.
This will leave you with a healthy dessert just under 200 calories.
By following these date night guidelines you will be worry free and ready to rock your bikini when Spring Break comes around!