By: Nicole Nichols, SparkPeople Blogger
2/24/2010 6:14 AM   :  319 comments   :  15,793 Views

See More: confession, healthy eating, restaurants,

I like to eat healthy. It's not something that I feel obligated to do; it's something that I want to do—99% of the time anyway. Sure there are times when you go out to eat with the intention of splurging on French fries or dessert, but for all the other times, it's tough to order anything "as-is" from a restaurant menu without it being a complete diet disaster. Even foods that masquerade as "healthy" choices are usually anything but—especially in the oversized portions they're served to us.

Dressing on the side. Baked, not fried. Hold the sauce. No fries. Extra broccoli—steamed, no butter. These phrases become commonplace for anyone who wants to eat a healthy meal at a restaurant. If you've said them many times yourself, good for you! I do the same, but sometimes, I take it even further.

I'm not afraid to ask about things that aren't on the menu (notice I said "ask" not "demand"). I ask for items on the side or items to be removed entirely and then replaced with other things. Sometimes I'll ask for extra on certain things (like veggies) or light on other toppings (like cheese). I wish I didn't have to do this, but sometimes I have to create my own healthier choice because there isn't one on the menu. On top of it though, I'm a picky eater who also hates to waste food, which is why I remove anything I don't like from the meal during the ordering process.

Here's an example of something I'll order:

Menu item: House salad
My order: "Is the house salad made with Romaine or iceberg? Can I get it with Romaine only? No chicken, add black beans. I'd like the balsamic dressing instead of the dressing it comes with. On the side, please. Light cheese. No mushrooms (they're not unhealthy, I just don't like them). And do you have something like whole-wheat or whole-grain bread instead of the breadstick it's served with?"

Menu item: Vegetable fajita salad
My order:"I'd like the vegetable fajita salad but without the meat. Can I get black beans or refried beans in place of that? Those are 100% vegetarian, right? OK. Also, no cheese, no sour cream and no dressing. Instead of dressing, can I just get extra salsa? And I don't want any of the fried tortilla strips on top. Thanks!"

OK, these are extreme examples, but it's still true to life. It's very rare for me to go to a restaurant that needs that much tweaking, but on occasion, I don't have a choice in where I'm eating. I try to be as polite and respectful as possible. Most of the time, the server is more than happy to take down my special order, read it back to me, and do his or her best to make sure the kitchen staff makes it that way. Believe it or not, they usually get my order right—or just mess up one small thing. I don't usually complain unless the food is somehow inedible. I actually expect mistakes because I ask for so many things and know how easy it is to do the same thing out of habit. I'll eat it and scrape things off if I need to, but wasting food is a big pet peeve of mine. I would rather tell them I don't want mushrooms or sour cream than to waste perfectly good food because it comes with my order and I didn't want to be a bother.

I don't have to make special requests like this too often. I tend to frequent a few specific restaurants where I know there are healthy, tasty menu items that I can enjoy with little to no modification. But occasionally, I have to meet my family at a restaurant where I'd never eat otherwise or I try a new place only to find out there's nothing on the menu that appeals to my healthy sensibilities. My boyfriend, friends and family are used to these special requests and even expect it from me. When we try a new place and I only have one modification—or none—they look at me in disbelief that I didn't spend 10 minutes ordering my custom meal.

I know it seems high maintenance, but I don't LIKE to do this. However, I dislike it even more to force down food I don't want to eat just because "that's the way it's made." Maybe if restaurants offered more healthy options, people like me wouldn't have to make special requests. So until that happens, I'm only going to go to the places that do offer the kind of food I want. And when I have to go elsewhere, I'm going to continue to make special requests. The way I figure, I'm paying a premium to dine out—way more than I'd spend to eat the same thing at home. So I'm going to try to get something as close as possible to what I want—as long as they're willing to indulge me.

Do you make special requests to eat healthier at restaurants or do you think it's inappropriate?