Take Charge of Your Health: Session 6

Eating out is one of the trickiest parts of managing blood sugar – but with the right approach, it does not have to derail you. In this free class, Megan Ellison, RDN, CDCES of Sound Dietitians, LLC covers Chapters 6 and 7 of Prediabetes: A Complete Guide by Jill Weisenberger, walking through restaurant strategies, real-world menu comparisons, and practical cooking substitutions that make eating at home easier and healthier. This is the sixth session in the Take Charge of Your Health series, offered through Stilly Valley Health Connections – explore more in our free class recordings library.

What’s covered in this class:

• The real pitfalls of eating out – why restaurant portions often equal two to three meals worth of calories, why “saving up” by skipping meals before going out consistently backfires, and why hidden salt, fat, and sugar in restaurant food add up faster than most people expect
• Restaurant strategies that actually work – how to look up nutrition info before you go (chains with 20+ locations are required by law to provide it), what menu language signals lighter versus heavier preparations, when to ask for sauces on the side or request substitutions, how to use hand size as a portable portion guide, and why surveying a buffet before filling your plate leads to better choices
• Real-world menu comparisons – a side-by-side look at baked potato versus fries versus garlic mashed potatoes (the baked potato wins on sodium, fiber, and protein), and how Panda Express fried rice compares to steamed brown rice (more than triple the calories, far more sodium – and often mistaken for a side dish when it’s an entree)
• Healthier cooking substitutions at home – how to make your own dressing with just an acid, oil, and seasoning; swapping Greek yogurt for sour cream; reducing sugar in baked goods by up to a third using fruit purees; replacing all-purpose flour 1:1 with whole wheat pastry flour; using rolled oats instead of breadcrumbs; and replacing cream in soups by blending a portion of the beans or vegetables already in the pot
• Grains, spices, and kitchen tools worth knowing – an introduction to less familiar whole grains like bulgur, millet, and sweet brown rice (a whole grain that cooks and tastes like white rice), why no-salt spice blends are an easy way to add flavor without adding sodium, and how having the right kitchen tools – an Instant Pot, a good blender, or an immersion blender – makes home cooking significantly faster and more approachable