[JulieJ08]

Originally Posted by snapless

They actually go over quite well here in Japan. Even McDonald's here offers more healthy varieties instead of massive sizes. Want a shrimp burger? How about a thinly shredded lettuce/cabbage salad with chunks of grilled chicken breast and fresh tomato lightly drizzled with a peanut oil dressing? You order a medium coke, you GET a medium coke (8 or 10 oz. cup I believe). Or my preference, a cup of unsweetened hot green tea.

How interesting!

[kaplods]

There's a thai restaurant in town, that hubby and I love. My favorite reason for going there is that there are so many diet-friendly, even low-carb alternatives are on the menu. And then in a conversation with the owners, the wife (and only cook for the restaurant) told me that she would modify any of the dishes if I wanted, such as substituting bean sprouts for noodles.

They also keep their prices QUITE low. Now, not everything on the menu is low calorie, so I have to use good judgement, but it's wonderful to have choices.

[snapless]

Originally Posted by kaplods

There's a thai restaurant in town, that hubby and I love. My favorite reason for going there is that there are so many diet-friendly, even low-carb alternatives are on the menu. And then in a conversation with the owners, the wife (and only cook for the restaurant) told me that she would modify any of the dishes if I wanted, such as substituting bean sprouts for noodles.

They also keep their prices QUITE low. Now, not everything on the menu is low calorie, so I have to use good judgement, but it's wonderful to have choices.

There are so many restaurants like that here in northern (rural) Japan, healthy ingredients, lower prices and willing to swap out if I need it (like bean sprouts for noodles). The McDonald's is off base which is why it has a higher standard.

It's the on-base restaurants that are the problem. Popeye's, Burger King, Subway, Taco Bell, Charley's Subs, Pizza Hut, as well as the 'local' on base ones like the enlisted club, Magnum's (steak), Los Guerreros (mexican...if you can call it that lol), Mokuteki (cafe) and any others I might have missed. When going to ANY of those places I have to be very careful of ingredients and portion sizes. There are only a few things I'll eat from each one.

For instance, if my husband is eating Taco Bell I'll have a chicken taco salad sans salsa (sugar), shell (white flour) and beans...basically meat and lettuce with a little shredded cheese, bite of tomato and a dab of sour cream.

Or if he's eating Subway I'll have a salad (lettuce, cucumber, meat, cheese and black olives) with ranch dressing.

I try to avoid those places anyway. I'd rather eat fresh at home. But the Japanese restaurants are a joy. One of the things I'm going to miss when I go back to the US.

[j45rpm]

One of my favorite local restaurants is sadly not lower priced, but does give healthy meals that are properly proportionate and has nutritional information! http://www.rockcreekrestaurant.com/index2.html If there was a restaurant like this but with cheaper, perhaps a little less upscale (to account for the cheaper prices!), I'd eat there all the time instead of the rare treat I allow myself.

Originally Posted by snapless

Maybe one of us should open a restaurant that doesn't offer 'more' for your purchase price, but instead offers lower priced healthy meals that are properly proportionate?

Crazy idea, huh?

They actually go over quite well here in Japan. Even McDonald's here offers more healthy varieties instead of massive sizes. Want a shrimp burger? How about a thinly shredded lettuce/cabbage salad with chunks of grilled chicken breast and fresh tomato lightly drizzled with a peanut oil dressing? You order a medium coke, you GET a medium coke (8 or 10 oz. cup I believe). Or my preference, a cup of unsweetened hot green tea.

NOTE: I am not suggesting eating any of these on induction (although I've had the salad since beginning OWL), I'm just comparing them to the lardburger made with trans fats and processed chicken nuggets cooked in sat. fat loaded oils served in the US.

[Jella]

Has anyone ever watched the tv series on in the uk/ireland called the diets that time forgot?http://www.channel4.com/history/micr...t-time-forgot/ This shows the different diets used at different times in the uk, i've only seen a few eposides but it was very interesting! Some had to take cold baths because they believed then that would help them lose weight *shivers*

But the famine in Ireland happened because spuds was all the farmers could keep they farmed other crops but they were exported so things got bad and a blight hit the spuds and loads of people died.(this is was I learned in school anyways) As a result we have a lot of dishes we make with spuds and a lot of variety of spuds. My parents eat them every day without fail, usually with cabbage/turnip or whatever is in season. When I was young we grow most of our veggies and some apple trees oh and the best ruhbarb. I am begenning to think havin a small veg patch outside in my garden is the best idea now with the price of everything going up. Also look at cuba and what they have achieved in growing in the ruins of old buildings because they had to due to lack of imports ect.

I feel there is too much choice out there and not enough education/information for people to know what to buy, here in Ireland they now have to put a breakdown of calories and other nutrients on the front of some foods so straight away you know the daily % of each for an adult.I hope I explained that ok! Very interesting thread thou!

[Timlin]

squid up here in the north you cannot be outside and get your Vit D.....we have to dress to warmly and the sun is too low in the sky. You really do need to take vit D if you don't drink milk........and I don't drink milk, never have. So that and Vit C are the only two suppliments my family takes.

Beyond that we eat a variety of foods and much of our veggies are served raw with dip so I trust the Lord made our bodies capable of functioning well with a good supply of fresh foods.

[Timlin]

squid I should clearify.......that's in the winter months not during the 3 or 4 months of summer. Right now I can spend a few minutes in the sun and get my vit D just fine.