Eating out the healthy way: Thai, Greek, Chinese, Mexican and more

Lebanese
Lebanese and Greek foods are close relatives, so it's not surprising that their restaurants offer many similar specialities, even if their names are sometimes different.

Starters and accompaniments
• The best: HUMMUS AND PITA (210 calories, four grams of fat, one gram of saturated fat, 430 milligrams of sodium).
This is a creamy spread made of chickpeas and tahini (a paste made of sesame seeds, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice) and served with pieces of pita bread.

• The trap/pitfall: TABBOULEH AND PITA (385 calories, 14 grams of fat, two grams of saturated fat, 1,200 milligrams of sodium).
This marinated salad is traditionally made with bulgar (and not with couscous), tomatoes, parsley and mint, and is served with lettuce or pita. The only problem: it often comes with lots of oil.

• The worst: KAFTA GRILLED LAMB (225 calories, 14 grams of fat, six grams of saturated fat, 460 milligrams of sodium).
This is a large sausage of minced beef, mutton or lamb. Unfortunately, when we talk about minced meat, we talk about saturated fat. Moreover, the fat content is rather high for the number of calories, and the dish contains few nutrients.

Main dishes
• The best: CHICKEN SHISH KABOB (260 calories, eight grams of fat, two grams of saturated fat, 370 milligrams of sodium).
In this equivalent of Greek souvlaki, the meat (chicken, lamb, beef or sometimes shrimp) is marinated in olive oil, lemon juice, wine and spices before being grilled with vegetables.

• The trap/pitfall: FALAFEL WITH PITA AND SOUR CREAM (435 calories, 11 grams of fat, four grams of saturated fat, 750 milligrams of sodium).
These deep-fried croquettes made with seasoned chickpeas are served in a pita with lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber, tahini or sour cream. The only rub: low in saturated fat does not mean low in fat or calories.

• The worst: MERGUEZ SAUSAGES (400 calories, 36 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 805 milligrams of sodium).
This spicy sausage dish from North Africa, traditionally made with lamb or beef and flavoured with a hot chili paste, has lots of fat and sodium. And the sides are not included!

Mexican
The basis of Mexican cuisine (rice, beans, peppers, tomatoes and tortillas) is reasonably healthy, but it is often transformed into a nutritional disaster with the abundant use of cheese and meats and added fat and salt. Crunchy tacos, enormous burritos and overflowing enchiladas share a plate with nachos, refried beans and sour cream.

Starters and accompaniments
• The best: MEXICAN RICE (230 calories, four grams of fat, one gram of saturated fat, 820 milligrams of sodium).
Even if this rice is sautéed in a little bit of oil or shortening and cooked in a salty stock, it is still the least offensive of the bunch. Season with salsa to add zest without calories or fat. Other good starter choices are gazpacho or black bean and vegetable soups.

• The trap/pitfall: REFRIED BEANS (380 calories, 16 grams of fat, seven grams of saturated fat, 790 milligrams of sodium).
After the chef has worked his magic, these once-healthy beans contain enough lard or cheese to provide a third of the daily recommended intake of saturated fat and sodium.

• The worst: CHEESE NACHOS (810 calories, 55 grams of fat, 25 grams of saturated fat, 880 milligrams of sodium).
This appetizer contains chips and almost a quarter pound of cheese. Even when shared between four people, it packs a punch at 200 calories and a third of the daily suggested serving of saturated fat. All that and we haven't even touched the main course.

Main Dishes
• The best: CHICKEN FAJITAS (420 calories, 12 grams of fat, three grams of saturated fat, 765 milligrams of sodium).
This wrap cleverly conceals a decent amount of vegetables, and the tortilla (similar to a burrito, enchilada and soft taco) is not of the crispy fried variety. But beware: the classic way of preparing this dish is with refried beans, rice, sour cream and guacamole, which doubles the calories to enough for a whole day. Ask for black beans and salsa instead of refried beans and sour cream.

• The trap/pitfall: CHICKEN QUESADILLA (580 calories, 31 grams of fat, 21 grams of saturated fat, 1,270 milligrams of sodium).
The problem here doesn't lie with the chicken or the tortilla but with the cheese and the frying, which together greatly increase the sodium, fat and caloric content.

• The worst: BEEF BURRITO (830 calories, 40 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat, 1,970 milligrams of sodium).
A beef burrito contains a quarter pound of beef and refried beans wrapped in a tortilla and covered in cheese. It has 50 per cent
more calories and fat than a Big Mac!

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