Takeout Can Be Good for You!

Great news for waist-watchers: When you're too tired to cook-or just plain tired of cooking-grabbing dinner from your favorite takeout joint won't derail your diet goals. In fact, as long as you keep portion control in mind, local to-go restaurants can offer a lot of healthy, flavorful choices, assures REDBOOK'S Real-Life Health Life nutrition expert Lisa R. Young, Ph.D., author of The Portion Teller. And it's even okay to indulge every once in a while. Just balance that choice out with lighter meals the rest of the day. Here, tips to help you navigate typical takeout menus and decipher what's smart and what's a splurge when it comes to popular ethnic cuisine. (Note: Calorie and fat counts are based on typical servings from various chain restaurants and the USDA nutrition database; they may differ between eateries.)

If you're ordering Chinese:

Limit dishes that are fried. (Hint: They might have "sweet and sour," "crispy," or "battered" in their names or descriptions.) Also, watch out for meals loaded with nuts, such as peanuts and cashews, especially when there's another source of protein. Instead, opt for a stir-fry, chow mein, or steamed entree, all of which are lower in fat and usually heavy on veggies. Include chicken, tofu, or seafood as the protein, and ask the chef to go light on the oil.

SMART PICKS:
Szechuan Shrimp: 152 calories, 7 grams of fat
Chicken with String Beans: 160 calories, 8 grams of fat
Vegetable Chow Mein: 390 calories, 12 grams of fat

SPLURGES:
General Tso's Chicken: 319 calories, 21 grams of fat
Sweet and Sour Pork: 400 calories, 23 grams of fat
Crispy Orange Flavored Chicken: 500 calories, 27 grams of fat

If you're ordering Mexican:

Many Mexican takeout entrees have similar ingredients; it's usually the combination of items you choose and how you "package" them that matters. First, choose meals with soft tortillas over crispy fried tortilla shells and chips. For toppings, be generous with salsa and lettuce, but go easy on the cheese, sour cream, and refried beans. And don't go overboard on guacamole either: Avocado is healthy fat, but a little goes a long way in delivering flavor and mouth-feel.

SMART PICKS:
Chicken soft taco: 170 calories, 4 grams of fat
Shrimp fajitas: 286 calories, 7 grams of fat
Bean burrito: 350 calories, 8 grams of fat

SPLURGES:
Nachos (with cheese and ground beef): 460 calories, 26 grams of fat
Steak quesadillas: 540 calories, 31 grams of fat
Taco salad (with shell): 860 calories, 46 grams of fat

If you're ordering Italian:

Beware of artery-clogging entrees that are breaded (a.k.a. fried), come parmigiana (blanketed with cheese), or have an Alfredo (or heavy cream) sauce. Dishes with sausage or meat sauces, also referred to as bolognese, can ring up the calories and fat too. For healthier options, look for a tomato-based sauce, also called "pomodoro," or a vegetable- packed primavera sauce. Some takeout places offer sensible grilled entrees too.

SMART PICKS:
Slice of mushroom pizza: 272 calories, 9.8 grams of fat
Linguini with red clam sauce: 380 calories, 10 grams of fat
Spaghetti with marinara sauce: 440 calories, 5 grams of fat

SPLURGES:
Meat lasagna: 650 calories, 37 grams of fat
Eggplant parmigiana (eggplant absorbs oil like Bounty paper towels): 670 calories, 32 grams of fat
Fettucine alfredo: 1130 calories, 83 grams of fat