Happy Friday! Yay for the weekend! We have a new Indian Restaurant near our home and are looking forward to trying it out this weekend. I never really got to try Indian food until a restaurant opened in my college town. I had no idea at all what I was ordering. (Lucky for me I like most things) The place a lunch buffet though and we went back for lunch a few times to try out the different options. That is a great way to start with Indian food, if you haven't had it in the past. You can try a lot of different dishes without ordering a whole plate you may not love. How do you know if what you are ordering is a healthy choice or not? Here are some suggestions for healthy dishes, and not quite so healthy options!





Overall:

-Chicken, fish, or pork are leaner than goat or lamb

-Drink water or unsweetened tea with your meal over fruit smoothie options (such as mango smoothies)

-Ask your waiter for preparation details. How is the dish prepared? Don't be afraid to ask questions!

-Avoid cream or coconut milk based sauces

-Pick grilled or steamed foods when possible





Healthier Dishes/Options:

-Chicken or Pork Tikka (marinated and grilled on a skewer)

-Chicken Vindaloo

-Tandoori Chicken or Fish (clay oven cooking)

-Tandoori jhinga (grilled dish)

-Lentil soup

-Curries without coconut milk

-Raita Sauce (cucumber and greek yogurt based sauce)

-Whole Wheat Naan





Less Healthy Dishes/Options

-Makhani (base is tomato sauce with clarified butter or cream)

-Malai (cream used in sweet dishes, go light with this one)

-Ghee (means clarified butter)

-Masala (flavorful, but usually lots of oil)

-Samosa (meat stuffed in dough and fried, watch any stuffed breads)

-Careful with the rice, can you swap it for grilled veggies or even whole wheat naan?

-Gulab Jamoon (dessert, 1 small ball can have 200 calories)





Pic from webmd.com





What are your favorites at Indian restaurants? Share below!



