Dining at Duclaw – Diet-friendly?

Is beer the new blueberry? Myths demonizing beer as fattening and generally unhealthy have recently been busted and this popular beverage, enjoyed in moderation, is emerging as a potential super food along with wild blueberries and organic salmon. http://www.camra.org.uk/page.aspx?o=322243

Planning for Healthy Restaurant Dining

The key to guilt-free restaurant dining is forward planning. If you know you are going to be eating out, allow a few ‘extra’ calories from your daily allowance for that particular meal and cut back on the two meals on either side of it. The big hassle with diet-conscientious restaurant dining is that you are not in complete control of what you find on your plate. Checking the restaurant’s website and phoning ahead with special instructions can remove some of the mystery. 

Starting your restaurant meal with a fiber-filled tossed green salad may make it easier for you to eat less of your main course.

The DuClaw Menu

Hamburgers feature prominently in the DuClaw menu with eight different versions listed in the ‘Charbroiled Goodness’ section. The USDA estimates that a plain, single-patty burger has around 250 calories, 28 g carbohydrate, 10 g protein and 13 g protein. All DuClaw burgers contain eight ounces of beef . On the healthy side, grilled chicken breast is offered as an alternative in all eight cases, demonstrating DuClaw’s commitment to accommodate the diet-conscious diner.http://www.duclaw.com/menu/default.aspx

Focus on Strawberry Salad

Listed in the ‘Vegetation’ section of the DuClaw menu, the Strawberry Salad consists of 1/2 cup fresh strawberries on a 6 oz. bed of lettuce with 1/2 cup grapes, 1/4 cup toasted, sliced almonds and 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese, topped with a creamy poppy seed dressing. Omitting the poppy seed dressing, one portion contributes 384 calories.* 

The strawberries, almonds and lettuce are all good sources of fiber so this salad is a good choice if you plan to throttle back on your main course. 

The blue cheese and the creamy dressing could be a problem. If you ask for the dressing to be served on the side and make careful choices for the remainder of the meal, not to mention the rest of the day, you should be able to enjoy the Strawberry Salad with a clear conscience. 

* Recipe gratefully received from DuClaw.

Is DuClaw Diet-Friendly?

According to their website, DuClaw is a brew house. With the health benefits in new craft beers gradually being recognized, these, establishments are not the no-go areas they once were. Moreover, all of the burgers on the menu can be replaced with chicken, which tends to be leaner than its beefy counterpart. With a little bit of research and planning, you no longer need to decline interesting invitations and stay at home resentfully munching on flat bread and carrot sticks.